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Nicknames are an important part of an NBA player's career, especially the great ones. Michael Jordan will always be "His Airness" and "Air Jordan," while LeBron James is known as "The King" and "The Kid from Akron."
While there have been some iconic nicknames in league history, some players are known by many names. Shaquille O'Neal gave himself a lot of nicknames during his career, while Vince Carter had so many names at the peak of his popularity.
So, which NBA has the most nicknames? Let's take a closer look.
NBA players with the most nicknames
Here are ten of them:
10. Earl Monroe - 7 nicknames
Nicknames: Black Jesus, Black Magic, Einstein, The Lord's Prayer, The Magic Man, The Pearl and Thomas Edison
Earl Monroe might not have the most number of nicknames in NBA history but probably has the best ever. Monroe has always been known as "The Pearl," while he was called Einstein and Thomas Edison in high school for inventing new moves.
9. Vince Carter - 7 nicknames
Nicknames: Air Canada, Flying Man, Half-Man/Half-Amazing, Sunshine, VC, Vinsanity and Yoda
Vince Carter, at one point in time, was the most famous NBA player in the world. Carter wowed fans with his high-flying dunks in games, while taking over the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest. His best nickname is probably Half-Man/Half-Amazing, which he was during his prime.
8. Tim Duncan - 7 nicknames
Nicknames: Groundhog Day, Old Man Riverwalk, Slam Duncan, TD, The Big Fundamental, The Stone Buddha and Timmy
Tim Duncan is not the flashiest player in NBA history, but certainly had some of the best nicknames. "The Big Fundamental" described his game, "Old Man Riverwalk" meant that the Spurs were always in contention during his career and "Groundhog Day" is about his consistency.
7. Luka Doncic - 10 nicknames
Nicknames: Cool Hand, El Matador, El Nino Maravilla, Luka Legend, Luka Magic, Swaggy L, The Don, The Matador, Too Easy and Wonder Boy
Luka Doncic is the youngest player on the list at 23 years old. Doncic is currently known as "Luka Magic" and "Wonder Boy," but apparently he had a lot of nicknames when he was playing for Real Madrid in Spain.
6. LeBron James - 10 nicknames
Nicknames: Benjamin Buckets, Bron-Bron, Chosen One, King James, LBJ, L-Train, The Akron Hammer, The Kid from Akron, The King and The Little Emperor
LeBron James was called the "Chosen One" after landing on the Sports Illustrated cover when he was in high school. It was mentioned in the SI article that he was already called "King James" at the time, as he was the heir apparent to Michael Jordan.
5. Dirk Nowitzki - 11 nicknames
Nicknames: Bavarian Bomber, Dirk Diggler, Dirty, German Jesus, German Wunderkind, Tall Baller From The G, The Berlin Tall, The Big German, The Dunking Deutschman, The German Racecar and The Germinator
Some fans might be surprised by this, but Dirk Nowitzki has a lot of nicknames. Nowitzki's best nickname is probably "The Germinator." It was appropriate due to his magical run to the 2011 NBA championship when he was simply unstoppable.
4. Wilt Chamberlain - 11 nicknames
Nicknames: Big Musty, Dip, Dippy, Goliath, Hook and Ladder, Mr. 100, The Big Dipper, The Load, The Record Book, Whip and Wilt the Stilt
Wilt Chamberlain doesn't have the same number of nicknames as the number of women he allegedly slept with. "The Big Dipper" was his most popular nickname, and some people might know why. It was due to his height, as he had to dip his head through doorways.
3. Michael Jordan - 11 nicknames
Nicknames: Air Jordan, Black Cat, Black Jesus, Captain Marvel, His Airness, Mike, MJ, Money, Mr. June, Superman and The G.O.A.T.
Michael Jordan will always be known as "Air Jordan" and "His Airness." Jordan made his name from his high-flying moves, seemingly gliding in the air. His nickname also became a billion-dollar brand.
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2. Charles Barkley - 19 nicknames
Nicknames: Boy Gorge, Bread Truck, Chuck, Food World, Goodtime Blimp, Love Boat, Pillsbury Dough Boy, Sir Charles, The Chuck Wagon, The Chuckster, The Crisco Kid, The Flying Coke Machine, The Human Refrigerator, The Incredible Bulk, The Leaning Tower of Pizza, The Prince of Pizza, The Round Mound of Rebound, Ton of Fun and Wide Load from Leeds
Charles Barkley has a lot of nicknames, and most of them are either related to food or his large size. However, "Chuck" and "The Round Mound of Rebound" will always be iconic. What makes Barkley great is the fact that he can laugh at himself for having a bunch of hilarious nicknames.
1. Shaquille O'Neal - 35 nicknames, probably more
Nicknames: Diesel, Dr. O'Neal, Hobo Master, LCL (Last Center Left), Manny Shaq-iaou, MayorMcShaq, MDE (Most Dominant Ever), O'Nealovic, Osama Bin Shaq, Saškuille, Shaq, Shaq Attack, Shaq Daddy, Shaq Fu, Shaqovic, Superman, The Big Agave, The Big Aristotle, The Big Banana, The Big Baryshnikov, The Big Cactus, The Big Conductor, The Big Cordially, The Big Daddy, The Big Deporter, The Big Felon, The Big Field General, The Big Galactus, The Big Leprechaun, The Big Maravich, The Big Shamrock, The Big Shaqtus, The Real Deal, Warrior and Wilt Chamberneazy
Damn, Shaq. The LA Lakers legend takes the cake for most nicknames in NBA history with 35, and that's being generous. Shaquille O'Neal might have more nicknames for himself during his 19-year NBA career. Nevertheless, O'Neal will always be "Superman" and "Diesel" for many.
