Interesting Nicknames For Larry Bird. He asked my opinion and I told him I prefer the classic numbers from one to 11. By, Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images, Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images, Cincinnati/Collegiate Images/Getty Images, Matt A. Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, B Bennett/Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images, Paul Tepley Colection/Diamond Images/Getty Images, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Anthony Davis. Take a look at some of the athletes who share #23 with Michael . From Ted "The Splendid Splinter" Williams to Elvis "Toast" Patterson, nicknames have always been part of sports. Like many things, he made the 23 fashionable again, especially in football, with the likes of Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart, Isco, Mesut Ozil and Christian Eriksen all wearing it during their careers. But his reasoning wasnt based on any superstition, historical events or ancient Chinese teachings it was because of his brother. However, The Big Dipper, supposedly in reference to his need to duck while going through doorways, was a favorite. But it is Eldrick, and therefore Tiger is technically a nickname and one that honors one of his father, Earl's, military friends who also was called Tiger. His dunks were so effortless in college that one coach remarked that watching him perform the feat, "looked like a dream." Popular Novels Written by Professional Athletes - LWOSports While there are many witty nicknames in the sports world that involve athlete's countries of origin or ancestry, such as Chan Sung Jung "The Korean Zombie" and Krzysztof Soszinsky "The Polish Experiment," a football player and boxer share this spot on the list as a pair of "Nigerian Nightmares.". While I am in air, I am not in oxygen. The number 23 in basketball will always be remembered as Michael Jordan's because of everything he gained and he has changed the sport forever.. Whats the number 23 mean? But the best ones become iconic and serve as a way of remembering the greats long after their playing days. Sept. 12, 2012 12 AM PT. He was an actor, a comedian, a philanthropist, a questionable rapper, a cop, a mixed martial artist. Ryan Bader, a former "The Ultimate Fighter" winner, is always a contender in the UFC's Light Heavyweight division. 23, LeBron James is 'The King' of the NBA and won two titles with No. But Im honoured to have received it from Shane Warne. Because he wasnt around, I thought of my return as a new beginning. The only other time was when his regular No.23 went missing prior to a game, forcing him to wear 12 as close to half of 23 as he could get. . Also dubbed "Mr. Outside" and "Mr. Ruth was a superb pitcher, but truly captured the public's imagination with his prodigious home run power, especially in an era where homers were relatively rare. What legendary athlete has the number 23 nickname? 3 car was one of the most recognizable sights in NASCAR. He, of course, stuck with that number throughout his college and professional careers. Lou Gehrig. Maurice "The Rocket" Richard is a legend in the city of Montreal. The actual "Broadway Joe" nickname was coined by his Jets teammate Sherman Plunkett. Wayne Gretzky might be the sport's greatest player, but Red Wings legend Gordie Howe, in many respects, was its most popular. While many athletes have earned one heart-warming nickname, only a lucky few have inherited a countless amount, and the resulting opportunity to rotate on demand. While The Law Firm is currently a free agent, he had some solid years in the NFL. From "Magic" to "Mean Joe" to "The Big Hurt," let's take a look, in no particular order, at the best nicknames in sports history and the athletes who inspired them. Then a woman in the crowd at one of his boxing matches tells him he is "sweet as sugar." His speed, combined with a 6'1 250-260 lb frame, made him an absolute nightmare for would-be tacklers. 1. The two brothers competed in everything, especially on the basketball court. Wayne Gretzky might be the sport's greatest player, but Red Wings legend Gordie Howe, in many respects, was its most popular. So when I started playing basketball, I was like: Oh man, that two-three looks good. The ancient Chinese believed numbers conveyed sexuality, with even numbers being feminine, odd numbers being masculine and prime numbers were considered to be the most masculine. Number 23 - LeBron James; The Truth - Paul Pierce; King James - LeBron James; The . In reference to his on-court pizazz and tendency to reinvent the crossover, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe earned quite the array of endearing monikers. Cream of the Crop: The Louisville Lip, The Greatest, The People's Champion. One of the most courageous, durable, and legendary fighters in boxing history, Holyfield is also the possessor of one of its greatest nicknames. The Top 10 Athlete Nicknames - Sports Networker You'd be enraged, right? The most famous person to wear the number, and also the first genuine superstar to wear it, was Michael Jordan. He set a bar that doesn't seem close to being touched. That's the story of an iconic nickname and one belonging to the man almost unanimously seen as the greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all time. June 16, 2021 Uncategorized No comments Uncategorized No comments Joe Jackson. But it was actually one he had carried with him since high school when his coach bestowed it on him after a long, winding touchdown run. ROWLEY. Much like Magic Johnson, Tiger Woods' real name might as well be Tiger. He is widely referred to as the G.O.A.T. His final nickname, World, best defines his legacy. Davis has worn the 23 jersey for the majority of his career, in which he has been NBA All-Star and achieved an Olympic gold medal. A personal favorite here, as this nickname succinctly describes Johnson's game he was a key bench player for the Pistons, one who could get hot in a hurry when he entered a contest and rolls off the tongue nicely. Every bit of 6-foot-4, Lemieux had a build usually associated with lumbering enforcers. Advertisement. Hall of Fame player Alex English deserves some recognition for wearing No. The "King James" moniker applies in every way, from his primacy in the sport to the way that any team that secures his services becomes an instant contender, as well as the league's most-watched franchise. The legendary American swimmer has won 28 Olympic medals, including 23 gold, making him the most decorated athlete of all time. Top 20 Most Incredible Athlete Nicknames - TheSportster He is number two all time in terms of strikeouts thrown and won the World Series back in 2001 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Eldrick Woods' nickname "Tiger" was coined in honor of a friend of his father, according to an interview with Golf Digest. Owner of a dog with a Napoleon complex, consumer of beer, cooker of chili, closet Cleveland Browns fan. He did wear different numbers for the Bulls twice however, for a few games when he returned from his first retirement wearing No.45 (his baseball number and his brothers number). It is a name that resonates around the world, even among people who may not be fans of sport. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Acronymic title for a legendary athlete NYT Crossword Clue "The Great One" is not only the best hockey player of all time, but also has the greatest nickname in the sporting world. After a 12-0 start to his mixed martial arts career, including wins over an aged Keith Jardine and Antonio Rogerio "Little Nog" Nogueira, he suffered two lost bouts to Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz. "The Rocket" led the Montreal Canadiens to multiple Stanley Cup Championshipsthroughout his career. SportsIcon CEO and Co-Founder Chris Worsey previously built a number of EdTech startups . QB, Patriots. He was part of the Brazilian national teams that won three World Cup championships (1958, 1962, and 1970). Michael Phelps, arguably the best swimmer in history, is regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time, not just due to his record-breaking feats, but also due to the longevity of his career.. Born on June 30, 1985, in Baltimore, Maryland, Phelps took to swimming at the age of seven. Always free! Thomas was one of the only power hitters of his era to avoid PED suspicion and had a mastery of the strike zone like few other hitters of his time. The name "Rocket" came from the speed of his fastball, which was steadily between 97 and 100 mph early on in his career. He returned to Cleveland in 2014 and won the 2016 NBA title, before joining the LA Lakers in 2018 and achieving another championship with 23 on his jersey. The five time All-Star and two time American League MVP was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this year. I'm 23 1 I know 23 1. The 75 best sports nicknames of all time | Yardbarker There are only a handful of nicknames so ubiquitous that people start to think of them as the person's actual name. He also has the highest point per game total with 1.92. Anthony's lakers jersey made using our basketball uniform template. Lebron James recently made social media headlines by passing down the Lakers 23 jersey to newcomer Anthony Davis. "Shaq" has a certain intimidating quality to it, which is fitting, since O'Neal was the kind of guy who managed to impose his will on other enormously large human beings night after night. He thrived under pressure and led some of the most historic drives the football world never imagined possible. A truly great player, and a truly great nickname. "It's Sunday afternoon and Tiger's on fire today" is much more catchy. Mitch Richmond is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and played 14 seasons in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards, and LA Lakers. Twenty-three is the number . Athlete nicknames often are either a modified version of their given name (such as Becks, . He had as versatile an offensive game as anyone in the league despite not being a top-drawer athlete and leaper like some of his contemporaries. 22: Joey Bats (Jose Bautista) Bautista once did a very funny sketch that was a version of the baseball bat scene in "The Untouchables." . The former NCAA Champion and Utah Jazz first round pick from 1980 is number 17 on this list and it's well-earned. Nicknames, cool fonts, symbols and stylish names for Legendary - , Legend, , egenry, Legend,, Legendary. "The Round Mound of Rebound" could also have applied here, and while that nickname is a lot more fun to say, it's a mouthful. 23 Other. Sometimes, the nickname makes the man. He achieved all of these amazing totals but is just 18th in terms of games played in a career. Navratilova published an op-ed in the U.K. Sunday Times on February 17 in which she said it was "unfair" to allow trans women . But it's so unique, and the athlete connected to it so great great enough that he could reasonably be called the greatest all-around baseball player ever that it ends up belonging in any conversation about iconic monikers. No. Overall, Davis has one NBA championship, eight All-Star appearances, four selections to the All-NBA teams and four to the All-Defensive teams. Archer is a legendary athlete like Milkha Singh who succumbed to Covid-19 on June 19 numbers sprinkled! Perhaps no city and player were better fits than New York and Namath. Stabler was a villain for any football fan who disliked the Raiders, and there were plenty of those outside of Oakland. A 14-time All-Star who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993, Jackson earned the nickname Mr. October due to his exceptional performances in the five . What athlete is number 23? | Dependable 25 Best Baseball Nicknames in History - MLB.com "Larry Legend" also could have applied here, and it was very self-explanatory, as nicknames go. It didn't matter what route he took; Ali was an impenetrable force in that ring. Larry Bird is counted among the legendary athletes, hence why he got the infamous name of Larry Legend. His first 589 carries in the NFL stands as the record for longest start in the league without a fumble. During his prime, former MVP Vladimir Guerrero could hit pitches purposely tossed into opposing dugouts. Technically, this isn't even a nickname because Hagler, annoyed that announcers did not refer to him by his preferred nickname, eventually changed his real name to "Marvelous Marvin Hagler." A lot of these athletes have worn other numbers as well. One of the best and most intimidating players in baseball history, Johnson's nickname is an obvious one, owing to his towering height and overall presence on the diamond. His era is described as the golden age in basketball history, and he became the star of Indiana state. Robertson is regarded as a man before his time, skill-wise, and is also credited with inventing both the head fake and the fadeaway jump shot. During Game 1 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Malone missed two crucial free throws after Scottie Pippen whispered, "The Mailman doesn't deliver on Sunday," to him just before he shot. Inside" because the court was his canvas and he was a thriving artist, Jerry West first earned his Zeke-related nickname due to small-town West Virginia roots. NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Teams that should target LaMarcus Aldridge. The legendary Michael Jordan turns 55 but 23 will always be his number Pel, byname of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, (born October 23, 1940, Trs Coraes, Brazildied December 29, 2022, So Paolo, Brazil), Brazilian football (soccer) player, in his time probably the most famous and possibly the best-paid athlete in the world. One of the NFL's most explosive runners of the past decade, the 2014 Super Bowl winning Seattle Seahawk makes our list at number six. A three-time NBA champion, Green is also a three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, and five-time All-Defensive player. His nickname's origins are obvious. legendary athlete number 23 nickname - ilbbs.com Tim Duncan might be the most boring all-time great in any sport. He has thrown for the most career yards of any NFL quarterback, has completed the most passes of any quarterback and still holds the most consecutive starts of any NFL player. You'll want to cross-reference the length of the answers below with the required length in the crossword puzzle you are working on for the correct answer. There are some great nicknames in the NFL: The Gunslinger (Brett Favre) Marion the Barbarian (Marion Barber) . The Team clue is for the team that that athlete is most notable for while wearing the #23, not their current teams. The nickname came during his freshman year at Clemson, when a teammate barely fit into an elevator with Perry and the laundry they both had with them. Trans Men Erase Women. Also dubbed Brickwall, The Man and Brody, record-breaking goalie Martin Brodeur has been protecting the New Jersey crease since the early '90s, along the way leading his Devils to three championships. His talent was so far beyond the routine that we almost believed the 1971 film Get Carter was written in his honor, even though he wasn't born until 1977 and the movie had nothing to do with basketball. LeBron James has also added immense greatness to the figure with his legendary, title-winning career with the Cleveland Cavaliers and LA Lakers (wearing 23). Professional sports seems to be the perfect breeding ground for bizarre and hilarious nicknames for athletes.