Shaquille O'Neal wants a new nickname: the 'Green Monster'?
| Boston
There鈥檚 no shortage of accomplishments in Shaquille O鈥橬eal鈥檚 basketball legacy. Likewise, the 7-foot-1, 325-pound center has seen no shortage of nicknames.
The 15-time all-star has toured five teams over his 18-year career. All the while, fans and sportscasters have called the iconic NBA center, rapper and actor such names as 鈥淭丑别 Diesel,鈥� 鈥淭丑别 Big Aristotle,鈥� and 鈥淭丑别 Big Shaqtus.鈥� A University of Phoenix MBA degree-holder, 鈥淒r. Shaq鈥� is a former number one draft pick turned rookie of the year. A 38-year-old father of six, 鈥淪haq Daddy鈥� has been crowned most valuable player. 鈥淲ilt Chamberneezy鈥� has won four NBA titles and an Olympic gold medal and he inspired the term 鈥淗ack-a-Shaq鈥� to describe when teams purposely foul an opponent鈥檚 poor free-throw shooters.
And, as 鈥淪haqovic鈥� brings his reverse pivot move dubbed 鈥淏lack Tornado鈥� to his , he鈥檚 searching for yet another name to substitute the more than a dozen he has already.
But, while Mr. O鈥橬eal, perhaps Boston鈥檚 new 鈥�,鈥� may boast more than most athletes, nicknames are a long held tradition in the sports world.
Here are some of the most clever and memorable courtesy Google, ESPN and the rest of the World Wide Web:
Basketball
"The Round Mound of Rebound" "Sir Charles" 鈥� Charles Barkley
"Phi Slamma Jamma" 鈥� Univ. of Houston men's basketball teams (early 1980s)
Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Michael "Air" Jordan
"The Human Eraser" 鈥� Marvin Webster
Dominique "The Human Highlight Film" Wilkins
Pete "Pistol Pete" Maravich
David "Skywalker" Thompson
鈥淭丑别 Mailman鈥� 鈥� Karl Malone
鈥淭丑别 Croatian Sensation鈥� 鈥� Tony Kukoc
鈥�Larry Legend鈥� 鈥淏asketball Jesus鈥� 鈥� Larry Bird
鈥淭丑别 Human Victory Cigar鈥� 鈥� Darko Milicic
鈥淭丑别 Professor鈥� 鈥� Grayson Boucher
鈥�LBJ鈥� 鈥淜ing James鈥� 鈥� LeBron James
鈥�AK-47鈥� 鈥� Andrei Kirilenko
鈥�Starbury鈥� 鈥� Stephon Marbury
鈥淒r. J鈥� 鈥� Julius Irving
Agent Zero 鈥� Gilbert Arenas
Bill 鈥淭丑别 Owl Without a Vowel鈥� Mlkvy
鈥淭wo Time鈥� 鈥� Steve Nash
Football
鈥淭丑别 Big Tuna鈥� 鈥� Bill Parcels
Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch
O.J. 鈥淭丑别 Juice鈥� Simpson
"Purple People Eaters" 鈥� Minnesota Vikings' defensive line (1970s)
"Steel Curtain" 鈥� Pittsburgh Steelers鈥� defensive line (1970s)
"Sweetness" 鈥� Walter Payton
"He Hate Me" 鈥� Rod Smart (XFL)
"The Galloping Ghost" 鈥� Red Grange
Jake "the Snake" Plummer
鈥淭丑别 Bus鈥� 鈥� Jerome Bettis
鈥淭丑别 Assassin鈥� 鈥� Jack Tatum
鈥淏roadway Joe鈥� 鈥� Joe Namath
鈥淭丑别 Minister of Defense鈥� 鈥� Reggie White
Hockey
"The Chicoutimi Cucumber鈥� 鈥� Georges Vezina
"The Great One" 鈥� Wayne Gretzky
"The Miracle on Ice" 鈥� US Olympic team defeats Soviets (1980)
"CuJo" 鈥� Curtis Joseph
Dave "Cementhead" Semenko
Boxing
"Hands of Stone" 鈥� Roberto Duran
鈥淭丑别 Thrilla in Manila鈥� 鈥� match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazie (1975)
鈥淭丑别 Greatest鈥� 鈥� Muhammad Ali
Baseball
"Charlie Hustle" 鈥� Pete Rose
"Shoeless" Joe Jackson
鈥�Teddy Ballgame鈥� 鈥淭丑别 Kid鈥� "The Splendid Splinter" 鈥� Ted Williams
Rich "El Guapo" Garces
鈥淭丑别 Bambino鈥� 鈥淭丑别 Sultan of Swat鈥� 鈥淏abe Ruth鈥� 鈥� George Herman Ruth, Jr.
"The Say Hey Kid" 鈥� Willie Mays
鈥淭丑别 Big Unit鈥� 鈥� Randy Johnson
Leroy 鈥�Satchel鈥� Paige
鈥淭丑别 Big Hurt鈥� 鈥� Frank Thomas
Jim 鈥�Catfish鈥� Hunter
鈥淔补迟 Elvis鈥� 鈥淏ig Puma鈥� 鈥� Lance Berkman
鈥�Mr. October鈥� 鈥� Reggie Jackson
"The Yankee Clipper" 鈥� Joe DiMaggio
鈥淗补尘尘别谤颈苍鈥� Hank鈥� Aaron
鈥淭丑别 Flying Dutchman鈥� 鈥� Honus Wagner
The Wizzard of Oz 鈥� Ozzie Smith
鈥淲ild Thing鈥� Mitch Williams
William 鈥淢ookie鈥� Wilson
Golf
鈥淭丑别 Golden Bear鈥� 鈥� Jack Nicklaus
鈥淭iger鈥� 鈥� Eldrick Woods
鈥淟umpy鈥� 鈥� Tim Herron
鈥淏oss of the Moss鈥� 鈥� Loren Roberts
鈥淭丑别 Pink Panther 鈥� Jesper Parnevik
鈥淭丑别 Shark鈥� 鈥� Greg Norman
鈥淕randmaster Funk鈥� 鈥� Fred Funk
鈥淏oom Boom鈥� 鈥� Fred Couples
Tennis
Roger 鈥淔ederer Express鈥�
鈥淢osquito鈥� 鈥� Juan Carlos Ferrero
鈥淭丑别 Punisher鈥� 鈥� Andre Agassi
Track
Florence 鈥�Flo Jo鈥� Joyner
Snowboarding
鈥淭丑别 Flying Tomato鈥� 鈥� Shaun White
