How often do you call LeBron “King James”? How often do you call Paul Pierce “The Truth”? When was the last time you watched Kevin Garnett play and didn’t refer to him as “KG” at least once?
If you’re anything like me, you’ve always called certain players by their nicknames. But the thing is, it was always just that. A nickname. Reportedly though, it could now be on the back of their jerseys as well.
The NBA is reportedly planning on fully embracing the fun side of the game by having Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets’ players wear nicknames on the back of their jerseys for at least one game. Heat guard Ray Allen is all for the idea.
“It shows growth in our league and it shows we do adapt to what’s going on around us,” said Allen, the Heat guard who plans to wear Shuttlesworth on his jersey, a nod to his character from the “He Got Game” film. “And we’re still kids, playing a kids’ game. Even though we’re now men playing a kids’ game, we still remember where we come from. Everybody had a nickname and it’s a way to let the fans in a little bit more.”
What do you think? Could nicknames on the back of jerseys be a staple of the NBA moving forward?