The NBA Name Game
Happy Friday, everyone. In this history of pro baskeball, there has been but one constant: hilarious names. Over the course of the past half-hour, an expert panel (thanks, Damon) and I managed to come up with the following list of great NBA names (Don't believe us? Feel free to cross-check on basketball-reference.com). Are we missing any? If so, add 'em to the comments section (and for a Filipino variation on this gimmick, check out Rafe Bartholomew's list). In no particular order, here goes:
Fennis Dembo, Dolph Schayes, Uwe Blab, Sweetwater Clifton, Kermit Washington, Vinny Del Negro, Fat Lever, Bimbo Coles, Otis Birdsong, Carlos Boozer, Foots Walker, Slick Watts, Bumper Tormohlen, Smush Parker, Jack Tingle, Von Wafer, Perry Warbington, Trooper Washington, Skippy Whitaker, Skip Wise, Harthorne Wingo, Detlef Schrempf, Justus Thigpen, Orlando Wooldridge, Corny Thompson, Shaquille O'Neal, Haywoode Workman, Cherokee Parks, Fatty Taylor, Snapper Jones, Zan Tabac, Kevin Duckworth, Dick Van Arsdale, Pops Boumtje-Boumtje, Spud Webb, Muggsy Bogues, Mateen Cleaves, Bonzi Wells, Sleepy Floyd, God Shammgod, World B. Free, Moochie Norris (pictured above), Ansu Sesay, Kelly Tripucka, Granville Waiters, Paul Mokeski (pictured below), Juwan Oldham, Bo Outlaw, Rafer Alston, Dan Dickau, Vonteego Cummings, Xavier McDaniel, Mookie Blaylock, Nene Hilario and, of course, Mike James.
44 comment(s)
Keith Malloy says:
Terance Stansbury always seemed like an odd name to me.
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 3:27PM
Damon says:
A few more:
zeke sinicola
tamar slay
jabari smith
pape sow
olumide oyedeji
Also, Vonteego Cummings was supposedly named after a Volkswagen and a Montego, two cars his mom liked.
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 3:27PM
Keith Malloy says:
Sidney Moncrief
Kiki Vandeweghe
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 3:33PM
Tellis says:
Don\'t forget \"the next man to score 100 points in an NBA game\": Mr. Tellis Frank. Also, I suggest Tree Rollins, Joe Barry Carrol, Drazen Petrovic, Manute Bol, Yinka Dare, and Sven Nader.
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 3:35PM
Keith Malloy says:
Whitey Skoog
Uros Slokar
Just too easy using the Basketball Reference web site
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 3:38PM
Jim Heckman says:
Jamario Moon, , Kelenna Azubuike, Didier Ilunga-Mbenga
old-timers:
Uwe Blab, Royal Ivey, Junior Bridgeman
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 3:41PM
Marty Conlon says:
Pops Mensah Bonsu
Pape Sow
Vinny Del Negro
Tree Rollins
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 3:50PM
Damon says:
Darvin Ham
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 3:50PM
Keith Malloy says:
Late, great Bison Dele
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 3:53PM
lil scoop says:
Clyde Drexler
Vlade Divac
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 4:31PM
Laura says:
His Celtics career never really happened, but he did technically live in the NBA for a bit: Kevin Pittsnogle, the inspiration for a geographically surprising West Virginia fan base.
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 4:43PM
Rafeboogs says:
Sedale Threatt. Priest Lauderdale.
I guess in Seattle there\'s nothing funny about Jack Sikma.
They never made the league, but Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje, played at Georgetown with Ya-Ya Dia and Boubacar Aw.
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 5:30PM
Rafeboogs says:
Have we gone overboard in making fun of African names? Let\'s look to Europe now:
Zarko Cabarkapa
Nikoloz Tskitishvili
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 5:45PM
Crappy says:
Jan Van Breda Kolff
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 5:46PM
Crappy says:
Jan Van Breda Kolff
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 5:46PM
Rafeboogs says:
Pig Miller, whose practically a household name in the Philippines but spent a few years on the Lakers.
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 6:04PM
Roderick says:
Thurl Bailey
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 8:09PM
Roderick says:
Bootsy Thornton. panel may shoot this one down due to his lack of NBA service.
BUT
Who could forget the late great, assist machine....
Yinka Dare
Posted On: Friday, Dec. 7 2007 @ 8:16PM
Rafeboogs says:
Can you believe everyone forgot Popeye Jones?
Posted On: Monday, Dec. 10 2007 @ 12:37AM
robin says:
i always thought greg ostertag and Mark Olberding were pretty funny names
Posted On: Monday, Dec. 10 2007 @ 1:40PM
flitzy says:
joe smith
keny anderson
kevin martin
anthony parker
jeez the nba is nuts
Posted On: Monday, Dec. 10 2007 @ 2:13PM
Gerald says:
Don\'t forget Gregor Fucka!
Check this out! (from awhile back)
http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2002/0711/1404719.html
Posted On: Monday, Dec. 10 2007 @ 2:23PM
Menudo Terremoto Williams says:
Taking it really old skool in honor of heritage week:
Skeeter Swift
Plummer Lott
Did anyone mention Rajon Rondo?
Posted On: Monday, Dec. 10 2007 @ 2:36PM
NoSizzle says:
Predrag Stojakovic, Anfernee Hardaway, Beno Udrih, Mickael Gelabale, Yakhouba Diawara, Ira Newble, Adonal Foyle, Quincy Douby, Ime Udoka, Thabo Sefolosha, Zaza Pachulia, Primoz Brezec, Morris Almond, Awvee Storey, Ike Diogu, Cheick Samb, and of course Sarunas Jasikevicius (Yaas-ii-cave-ii-chuss).
Posted On: Monday, Dec. 10 2007 @ 2:51PM
James says:
Pooh Richardson
Posted On: Monday, Dec. 10 2007 @ 3:21PM
Fred says:
arvydas sabonis
Posted On: Monday, Dec. 10 2007 @ 3:52PM
J says:
stanko barac!!!!
Posted On: Monday, Dec. 10 2007 @ 9:27PM
jc says:
Viktor Khryapa
Posted On: Monday, Dec. 10 2007 @ 10:59PM
Hugs says:
Good grief, people! The original list was pretty funny, but pretty soon the comments start to give this whole thing a whiff of xenophobia on parade.
Posted On: Monday, Dec. 10 2007 @ 11:07PM
Johnny Sack says:
Major Jones... Darren Morningstar... Dino Radja (always made me think of the pet in the flintstones)...
Posted On: Monday, Dec. 10 2007 @ 11:57PM
simon rodger says:
no one has said LeBron James yet? And JamesOn Curry?
Posted On: Tuesday, Dec. 11 2007 @ 2:26AM
apo says:
Cuttino Mobley?
Posted On: Tuesday, Dec. 11 2007 @ 3:55AM
Apo says:
And Don\'t forget
THE OTHER MICHAEL JORDAN
http://www.cantubasket.it/home.asp?pag=22&id_gioc=22
Posted On: Tuesday, Dec. 11 2007 @ 4:07AM
Ryan says:
Uwe Konstantine Blab
Posted On: Tuesday, Dec. 11 2007 @ 7:13AM
Derik says:
Wang Zhi Zhi
Posted On: Tuesday, Dec. 11 2007 @ 8:25AM
jpizzy says:
How about RUDY GAY
Posted On: Tuesday, Dec. 11 2007 @ 10:05AM
homefloyd says:
C\'mon people, greatest Mav of all time... Rolando Blackmon!
Posted On: Tuesday, Dec. 11 2007 @ 11:00AM
greatest name says:
D.J. Strawberry
Posted On: Wednesday, Dec. 12 2007 @ 4:39AM
Anonymous says:
Larry Bird, Rory Sparrow, Alton Lister, Eric Montross, Jon Konkak, Dwayne Schintius, Antoine Carr, Bernard King, B.J. Armstrong, Van Exel, Olden Polynice, Glenn Rice, Dell Curry, Fennis Dembo.
Posted On: Wednesday, Dec. 12 2007 @ 10:29PM
Migs says:
a few more:
Jamario Moon
World B. Free
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Eldridge Recasner
Cornbread (Cedric) Maxwell
Jahidi White (he was actually African American)
Alton Lister
Sarunas Marciulonis
Todd Day
Grant Long
Posted On: Thursday, Dec. 13 2007 @ 3:42AM
Rob says:
James OnCurry
Posted On: Thursday, Dec. 13 2007 @ 2:59PM
boyshot says:
about darko milicic and manu ginobili and alando tucker &tayshaun prince.
Posted On: Friday, Jan. 4 2008 @ 5:10AM
jeffbo says:
Im searching for sites related to this. Glad I found you. Thanks
Posted On: Saturday, Dec. 12 2009 @ 4:04AM
mwcsbe says:
I would love to read more
Posted On: Monday, Dec. 14 2009 @ 7:52AM