Pro Basketball Player Nicknames Quiz

Answer: Greyhound

Rick Barry was dubbed "The Miami Greyhound" and just "The Greyhound" by San Francisco broadcaster Bill King because of his slender frame and the speed and grace with which he ran up and down the court. In 1987, he was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 1996 he was chosen as one of the 50 Greatest Basketball Players in the first 50 years of the NBA. University of North Carolina product and 1978 NBA Rookie of the Year Walter Davis, spent 15 years in the NBA as a forward/guard and, like Barry, gained his nickname due to his sleek appearance on the basketball court.

Answer: Butterbean

Bob Love, an ambidextrous forward who played for 5 NBA teams during his 11-year career, did not get the nickname "Butterbean" because his tall lanky long-armed physique made him appear string bean-like, but instead garnered the nickname because that was his favorite food as a child. Eric Esch, the massive former 5-time World Toughman Heavyweight Champion, super-heavyweight boxing champion [IBA and WAA], professional wrestler, and mixed martial artist better known simply as "Butterbean", earned the nickname while trying to get his weight down to the 400-pound weight limit in order to compete in the World Tough Man competition.

His diet secret? Chicken and butterbeans.

Answer: Kiki

A smooth-shooting forward who played 13 seasons in the NBA for four teams, Vandeweghe was born in Germany where his father was stationed as a military physician. His childhood nickname "Kiki", is German slang for curly-headed. By the way, tennis pro Coco Vandeweghe is his niece.

Answer: Darrell Griffith

Former Utah Jazz star Darrell Griffith took NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 1980. Because of his crowd-pleasing high-flying talents, Griffith was dubbed "Dr. Dunkenstein" while attending the University of Louisville, where he led the school to an NCAA Basketball championship in 1980.

Answer: Connie Hawkins

Connie Hawkins was crowned "The Hawk" because combined with the poetic shortening of his last name, his lengthy arm-span and his graceful swooping attacks on the basket resembled a great bird of prey. Originally blackballed by colleges and banned by the NBA because his name was mentioned by a suspect during the NYC high school basketball point-shaving scandals of 1960, Hawkins played in the American Basketball League, for the Harlem Globetrotters, and in the American Basketball Association before winning a lawsuit and joining the Phoenix Suns as a 28-year old rookie.

His plight and struggles are documented in the David Wolf biography "Foul! The Connie Hawkins Story". Connie Hawkins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.

Answer: Jellybean

A forward/center, Joe "Jellybean" Bryant played for 3 teams during his 8-year NBA stint, then spent 7 seasons playing in the Italian Pro Basketball Leagues. His nickname's origin? He liked jellybeans, a lot!

Answer: Clyde

Dubbed "Clyde" because of the fedora he wore that was similar to that worn by Warren Beatty in the movie "Bonnie And Clyde", Frazier was the epitome of late 1960s-1970s New York chic with his stylish tailored suits, wide-brimmed hats, and full-length fur coats. Following a spectacular 13-year career, he won 2 NBA titles with the NY Knicks [1970 and 1973] and played in 7 All-Star games [he was named MVP of the 1975 game].

The guard was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987.

Answer: Spud

In a 1982 interview with "Sports Illustrated", Spud's brother David [aka "Bean"] told of how Webb acquired his nickname. "Spud isn't named after a potato. I know people think that. When he was born, see, he had this big ol' bald head. People called him Sputnik-head, after that satellite the Russians put in orbit. That's where Spud comes from. But now, when Spud jumps, he really is in orbit."
Spud Webb played in the NBA for the Hawks, Kings, Timberwolves, and Magic from 1985-1998.

Answer: Tiny

A 14-year NBA veteran of 5 teams, Nate "Tiny" Archibald [who was also referred to as "Nate the Skate"] was a 6-time NBA All-Star and MVP of the 1981 All-Star game. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991, and in 1996 was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Answer: He wore a "Dr. J" shirt at basketball summer camp and [then] Marquette assistant coach Rick Majerus dubbed him "Doc"

Glenn "Doc" Rivers played 13 years in the NBA, from 1983-1996, during which time he was a one-time NBA All-Star in 1988. In 2000, he coached the Orlando Magic and was named the NBA "Coach of the Year". In the 2007-2008 season, as coach of the Boston Celtics, he won an NBA Championship.

Answer: Darryl Dawkins

Darryl Dawkins was drafted right out of high school by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1975. He was best known for being a raw talent and free spirit with a massive chiseled physique and a a propensity for naming his violent dunks, which included his backboard shattering "The Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Robinzine-Crying, Teeth-Shaking, Glass-Breaking, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam, Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam." Dawkins played for 4 teams during his 14-year NBA career.

Answer: Wilt the Stilt

Wilton Norman Chamberlain despised being called "The Stilt", "Goliath", or any other name that referenced his height. For some reason, he preferred "The Big Dipper", "Dippy", and "Dipper", all of which came about because of Wilt's need to duck or dip in order to walk through normal doorways. Laker teammate Elgin Baylor tagged Chamberlain with the nickname "The Big Musty" as a reference to Wilt's reluctance to shower in the locker room after practice or a game.

Instead, he preferred to bathe in the privacy of his home or hotel.

Answer: Marvin Webster

As a junior center at Morgan State, the Marvin Webster average 8 blocks per game along with 21 points and 22.4 rebounds and was dubbed "The Human Eraser". During his 11-year ABA/NBA career, 6 that were spent with the Knicks, Webster averaged 1.4 blocked shots, 7.1 points, and 7 rebounds per game.

Answer: Baby Jordan

Harold Miner's NBA career lasted only four seasons. Two were spent with the Miami Heat and two with the Cleveland Cavaliers. George Raveling, his head coach at USC, said of the nickname, "I always felt the worst thing to happen to Harold was the "Baby Jordan" tag".

Answer: The Pearl

Growing up in Philadelphia, Earl Monroe's playground nickname was "Black Jesus". At John Bartram High School, his teammates called him "Thomas Edison" because he was always inventing new moves on the court. At Winston-Salem State University, his creative dribbling, passing, and play-making, along with his amazing ability to score points, earned him the name "Black Magic". Earl "The Pearl" Monroe played 13 seasons in the NBA, during which time he was named "Rookie of the Year", appeared in 4 All-Star games, and won an NBA Championship [NY Knicks-1973]. Monroe was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990 and, in 1996, was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.