Who calls LeBron James "The Little Emperor?" Why is James Harden nicknamed "Honey Bun?" Since when is Drew Eubanks known as "The Shaq of Troutdale?"
These are all questions chronically online basketball fans have asked themselves while browsing social media and discovering a player's Basketball Reference page going viral.
Basketball Reference, launched in April 2004, is the home to just about every stat needed to cover, research and debate basketball—everything from simple stats like points per game to complicated numbers such as win shares per 48 minutes. But one small feature on the site beloved by all users is the list of nicknames featured underneath a player's name.
Some nicknames—like half of Charles Barkley's inventory on his player page ("The Crisco Kid," "Goodtime Blimp," "Leaning Tower of Pizza")—are so absurd they seem made up. But none of the nicknames, despite many theories from NBA fans, are created by the Basketball Reference staff out of thin air. There's a story behind each and every one.
"They’re popular," Sports Reference data developer Charlotte Eisenberg said of the player page nicknames in an interview with Sports Illustrated. "People at the company enjoy them."
Eisenberg, who began as an intern with Sports Reference in 2018 and now works there full time, plays a big role in selecting the nicknames for each player. Shortly after the annual NBA draft, Eisenberg and her team will add a cluster of player pages to Basketball Reference—from first-round picks to Exhibit 10 contracts—and will fill out the bio information for each athlete: birth date, height, weight, position, college, and (of course) the nicknames.
But Eisenberg doesn't add just any nickname found in a random Reddit thread or via one of the thousands of cringy player-specific Statmuse accounts. Eisenberg will browse the internet for nicknames mentioned in newspapers, the player's social media, college athletics websites and news articles, and she'll add the monikers that fit Sports Reference's standards for inclusion—avoiding the names that are offensive or mean-spirited.
After the draft data is entered on the site, the player's career takes care of the rest. Nicknames are organically added to their profiles over time based on comments from teammates or coaches, viral moments, announcer quips and—once in a while—fan submissions.
Just this year, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is responsible for adding two nicknames to his teammates' pages in the past year—Mike "Bite Bite" Conley and Rudy "Big Ru" Gobert. During the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the official USA Basketball X account posted a photo of LeBron James with the caption "Captain LeMerica." A few days later, it was added to his Basketball Reference page.
These nicknames are not just for the fans to enjoy. Players and organizations care about them, too. Last year, the Washington Wizards reached out to Basketball Reference to request that former first-round pick Deni Avdija has the nickname "Turbo" added to his page. Agents have also reached out to the site to have nicknames removed.
As for Eisenberg's personal favorite Basketball Reference nickname? That belongs to Phoenix Suns guard Monte Morris—"Count of Monte Assist/TO."
"This came from 2019 or ‘20, he led the league in assist per turnover ratio," Eisenberg said. "It works on so many levels: His name is already Monte. We’ve got a pun in there; we’ve got a stat in there. It’s just fires on three or four levels."
A work of art.
As promised in the headline, Sports Illustrated filtered through the Basketball Reference pages of every active NBA player currently on a roster and compiled our 11 favorite nicknames. There's a story behind every one of them:
Bulls guard Josh Giddey: 'Himothee Chalamet'
It all started during a game between the Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder in January 2023 when Chicago play-by-play announcer Adam Amin called Giddey "the NBA's version of Timothee Chalamet" while he was inbounding the basketball, referencing the guard's Hollywood doppelganger.
Giddey responded to the chatter on social media by calling himself "Himothee chalamet" in a post that gained nearly 10 million views. It has stuck ever since.
Himothee chalamet https://t.co/494BsZnf9O
— josh giddey (@joshgiddey) January 14, 2023
Other Basketball Reference nicknames: SLOB Wizard, Wizard of Oz, Vanilla Magic
Bucks guard Khris Middleton: 'WD-40'
Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo's sidekick on the Milwaukee Bucks for the better part of a decade, picked up the nickname "WD-40" due to his relaxed demeanor on the floor in the early days of his NBA career.
"He looked so low motor," Detroit Pistons assistant coach Steve Hetzel told ESPN in 2019. Hetzel gave Middleton the nickname and once hid a can of WD-40 in his locker.
Other Basketball Reference nicknames: Khash Money, Baby Joe Johnson
Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas: 'Big Science'
Canadian rapper Drake gave Valanciunas the nickname while handling the player introduction duties before the Toronto Raptors' matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 17, 2014. The Raptors won that game 105–89 with Valanciunas collecting 16 points and 10 rebounds. Classic Big Science.
"He's a 7-foot center from Lithuania," Drake said over the Air Canada Centre speakers. "We've given him the street moniker of 'Big Science.' No. 17, Jonas Valanciunas."
Other Basketball Reference nicknames: JV, Lithuanian Lightning
76ers guard Reggie Jackson: 'Big Government'
The nickname historians are conflicted over the origins of this nickname for the 2023 NBA champion, as both Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers fans claim they gave Jackson the nickname "Big Government."
No matter who originated the idea, the meaning is the same: When your team needs it most, call "Big Government" because he'll bail you out.
Other Basketball Reference nicknames: Mr. June
Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 'Juan Wick'
The nickname "Juan Wick" gained steam throughout Jaquez's rookie season, referencing Keanu Reeves's character in the movie John Wick combined with the Miami Heat star's goatee, long hair and Mexican ethnicity.
“I saw that when I was coming into the league,” Jaquez said in November 2023 when asked about the nickname. “I thought that was hilarious, honestly.”
Other Basketball Reference nicknames: N/A
Hawks center Cody Zeller: 'The Big Handsome'
"The Big Handsome" sounds like a nickname self appointed by Zeller, but it wasn't. Zeller, who grew up in Indiana and committed to play for the hometown Hoosiers, was given the moniker by his classmates during his freshman year.
It was even made into a spoof song, "The Big Handsome Anthem," by some students on campus in 2012. Listen at your own risk.
Other Basketball Reference nicknames: N/A
Timberwolves center Naz Reid: 'Two Words'
"Naz Reid" has become the rallying cry of Timberwolves fans over the last few years, as no player better represents the organization's sudden rise from laughingstock to title contender. Five years ago, Reid was an undrafted afterthought but worked his way to winning Sixth Man of the Year this past season.
Reid is a star in Minnesota. In fact, hundreds of fans got his name tattooed on themselves during the Timberwolves' run to the Western Conference finals this summer.
As Reid's stock rose to prominence, the "Naz Reid" mantra was shortened to simply "Two Words," which was brought into the mainstream by Bally Sports North play-by-play announcer Michael Grady exclaiming the nickname just about every time the 6'9" star makes a big play.
Other Basketball Reference nicknames: Big Jelly
Trail Blazers center Robert Williams: 'Boo Butt'
Williams is probably best known as "Time Lord" among basketball circles, but his original nickname dates back long before he was carving out a career in the NBA.
"Boo Butt" is what Williams's mother, Tondra, called Robert while growing up in Louisiana. The big man's sister, Brittanni, confirmed the nickname on a social media post in 2018.
#LobWilliams 👎🏾 #Timelord 👎🏾 The only nickname I have called him and will forever call him is Boo-Butt 🤷🏾♀️ pic.twitter.com/wOJbndn960
— Brittanni Smith (@slim_brodiee) December 13, 2018
Other Basketball Reference nicknames: Time Lord, Timelord, Lob Williams
Jazz forward Kenneth Lofton Jr.: 'Gen Z-Bo'
Lofton made waves in the basketball world shortly after going undrafted in 2022 by starring in the G League as a 6'7", 275-pound force in the paint. He racked up 42 points and 14 rebounds in his first career start on April 9, 2023, drawing comparisons to another famous Memphis Grizzlies big man Zach Randolph—the two-time All-Star nicknamed "Z-Bo."
The combination of that "Z-Bo" nickname with Lofton, born Aug. 14, 2002, being a member of the Gen Z generation, led to the "Gen Z-Bo" moniker. Pretty clever.
Other Basketball Reference nicknames: Junior
Lakers forward LeBron James: 'Benjamin Buckets'
James is only getting better with age. At 39 years old, James was named the best player on Team USA ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games, and he went on to steer the Americans to a gold medal in Paris.
Seven years prior, then-Cleveland Cavaliers coach Ty Lue addressed James's ability to continue to maintain his greatness over the years by referencing the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a movie about a man who ages in reverse.
"He seems younger," Lue said following Cleveland's first practice of the season Tuesday. "I call him 'Benjamin Button.' He seems younger, he just seems happier with the game right now, just having fun. Enjoying the game. Hopefully it carries on for 82 games and into the playoffs."
Other Basketball Reference nicknames: King James, LBJ, Chosen One, Bron-Bron, The Little Emperor, The Akron Hammer, L-Train, Captain LeMerica
Warriors forward Draymond Green: 'The Dancing Bear'
Green, a four-time NBA champion, helped build a dynasty in the Bay Area as the Golden State Warriors' defensive-minded enforcer on the court alongside Steph Curry. But Green's tough outer layer wasn't built in a day—he endured some teasing throughout his early basketball years.
Entering college at Michigan State, Green was mocked for his pear-shaped frame, which earned him the nickname "Dancing Bear" in East Lansing.
“People told him, ‘You’re too fat, you’re too short, you’re too slow,’” Spartans coach Tom Izzo told Sports Illustrated in 2016. “I’m the one who told him half those things.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 11 Goofiest NBA Nicknames on Basketball Reference, and the Story Behind Them All.
