One of the greatest athletes the United Kingdom has ever produced, Mo is a world famous distance runner. While playing on youth baseball teams, Andre would attack the ball like a hawk, while teammates would shy away. "Apparently, White Sox broadcaster Ken Harrelson tagged Thomas with the nickname "Big Hurt" because that's exactly what he does to opposing pitchers. The switch worked because Magic and the Showtime Lakers won the NBA Title in 1980 and would go on to win four more before the end of Magics career. In Oakland, he had been known as "Jax" and "Buck.". Childhood friend and neighbor, Wilber Hines, said he gave Paige the nickname after he was caught trying to steal a bag. What famous athletes wore number 22? The Rams and Jets QB also did several endorsement commercials during his playing days, including this one for pantyhose, no joke. The big man spent his best NBA days with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Seattle SuperSonics, but he was also on the 1985 NBA All-Rookie First Team roster with the Dallas Mavericks. Reggie White (December 19, 1961 December 26, 2004), was known as a devout Christian and ordained Evangelical Minister. Ivan Rodriguez also got his moniker for the same reason. The longtime Dallas Cowboy was caught with nearly 400 pounds of marijuana combined in two separate incidents. The Dodgers won theWorld Series in 1955and in1959. Ranker Sports. August 10, 2021 9:00 am. The #7 shirt at Manchester United has been worn by several of the greatest players of all time. During his time with the 49ers, Rice won three Super Bowls and led the league in receiving yardage six times. He retired with the most wins of any quarterback in NFL history (which would later be broken by Favre, Brady, and Manning). Michael Jordans #23 is the most iconic number in the history of sports. Jeter was the cornerstone of the Yankees during their tremendous success in the 1990s and 2000s. Indiana Pacers ( 70) Aaron McKie. He led the league in runs scored, home runs and RBI in separate seasons. Twenty-three is the number . When he recorded atriple-doubleof 36points, 18reboundsand 16assists. He played in the NFL as well as the NBL . Really? 10 Tiger Woods Image Credit- PGA Tour. The nickname stuck throughout his career and separated his fairly common name from the rest of the herd. As if the Venezuelan pitcher needs any more names,Garcs' tongue-in-cheek nickname is a poke at his stature, and friends and teammates commonly refer to him by his moniker. He plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League and has been the team's captain since 2013.His record list includes the fastest century by an Indian . (Featuring @ann76 as Author)", "Wereldtitel Van Dijk met Specialized-Lululemon", "March 31, 2007 Sarasota Herald Tribune article", United States Olympic Committee document confirming Harris's first name (page.44 *.pdf file. There are a couple of stories regarding the origin of Randy Johnson's nickname. Joe was never a stranger to the media, providing plenty of quotes and controversy in his days, and "Broadway Joe" seems fitting despite the limited experience in actual theatre. He hit 40 or more home runs in five consecutive seasons (195357) and averaged 42 home runs, 124RBI, 123 runs and a .320 batting average between 1953-1956. His image has been slightly tarnished after he admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs after many published media reports. The legend became the Baseball Hall of Famer in 1962. It shows that the number 42 signifies a piece of history in baseball. Although Mike Bossy only played 752 games, he . His nickname, Louisiana Lightning, is an all-timer. By the 1930s numbers on uniforms were standard practice for Major League Baseball teams and were common in other sports like football and hockey. After playing for a minor . Elway retired following two consecutive Super Bowl wins and appeared in five Super Bowls. Right after the Bulls and Michael Jordan won the 1991 NBA title, Gatorade la Smith is a 15-time All-Star, 13-time Gold Glove Winner and a 1982 World Series Champion with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Yankees great still holds the record for consecutive games with at least one hit with a 56-hit streak in 1941. Full list of Olympic athletes, including Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka and Michael Phelps. Coincidentally, Roberts adapted his nickname from former Oakland Raiders QB Ken Stabler, who was nicknamed "The Snake" for his ability to slither through opponents when scrambling. The Celtics' big man averaged 22.5 rebounds in his career; between his mastery of the . Wayne Gretzky is widely considered the best hockey player ever to play the game, in the same conversations with Gordie Howe and Brett Hull. Virat Kohli, nicknamed Chikoo, is a famous Indian international cricketer who is the present captain of the India national team.With a top record on his plate, he is regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world. Very few athletes have earned their nickname quite like Dominique Wilkins. 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. From Quiz: American Sports Nicknames. Kemp retired in 2003 and now the only thing falling from the sky in Kemp's world are illegitimate children, as he has 11 of them from nine different women last time we checked. Kuko is considered one of the best wingmen to ever play the game, and therefore might be the only man on the planet capable of gettingFranck Ribry a real date. Smith spent 11 years in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings (19871990),Atlanta Hawks(1990),Houston Rockets(19901996),Detroit Pistons(1996),Orlando Magic(19961997) andDenver Nuggets(1997). Brown played . Alexander Karelin (Wrestling)- The . Jordan is widely considered to be the greatest basketball player of all-time, with six NBA titles, five MVP awards, and fourteen All-Star Game appearances. However, he is also known as "Wild Thing" for his unusual delivery to the plate. Lee Chong Wei. Angel Di Maria currently wears the #7 shirt after his blockbuster transfer deal this summer. Coolest Nicknames From Non-Traditional Sports. Johnson played for the Charlotte Hornets at the height of their popularity in the mid-'90s, and earned the nickname "Grandmama" after shooting a commercial for Converse. The Nigerian giant stood 7-feet tall and weighed 255 pounds in his playing days. The nickname would stick and become part of his identity throughout his playing years, summarizing Dawson's aggressive approach to the game and his Hall of Fame work ethic. But who makes it into Australia-only top 10? Source: Getty Images There's no inventive story here: "Dr. J" was given to Julius Erving by a high school friend, who watched him play and likened his smoothness with the ball and ability to score like the precision of a doctor performing surgery. 24: Alworth, . Name: Jesse Owens. Penny has attributed his successes in life to his grandma, who raised him up as a child while his mother was away working. Any way you slice it, the man could hit, and the "Splendid Splinter" seems to be the most creative nickname ever concocted for the lefty. For certain teams, some numbers hold a special place in club lore and the hearts of the fans. No. #23 is now retired by both the Chicago Bulls and North Carolina Tar Heels. Rose is the career MLB hits leader, having recorded 4,256 knocks. Our most famous number in sports is the former NBA player Michael Jordan's number 23. This nickname is clever, scores big points for rhyming with the name and personifies Holyfield to the fullest. It has been a popular jersey number for decades with success of athletes across the board. Grange was drafted by, and finished his career with, the Chicago Bears. Bryant would grow up to be one of the most prominent figures in college sports and one of the most successful coaches in college football history, winning six national titles. Birth Year: 1913. He became known as "The Ryan Express" when he came into games because of his fastball that easily topped 100 mph on a routine basis. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recognized these qualities and made Johnson head coach of the team in 2004, before Avery moved on to the New Jersey Nets in 2010. Oh yeah, he also played basketball for five NBA teams in 15 years and won four NBA championships with three different teams. Wayne Gretzky might be the sport's greatest player, but Red Wings legend Gordie Howe, in many respects, was its most popular. Tales of numbers on uniforms were common in the late 19th century, but the practice did not receive widespread acceptance until the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees donned them for the 1929 season. 2 Deion Sanders, CB, Florida State (1985-88) Focus on Sport/Getty Images. His #13 is retired by both the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Miami Dolphins, and he is the greatest quarterback to ever wear the number. Boston's prodigal son, Ortiz has become an icon in Bean Town for his clutch hitting and lovable personality. (A special thanks to The Sandlot for assisting with this slide), 8Pro Bowlselection (1981,1983,1984,1985,1987,1989,1990,1993), 3 First TeamAll-Proselection (1987,1989,1990), 3 Second Team All-Pro selection (1981,1983,1984), 4Super Bowlchampion (XVI,XIX,XXIII,XXIV). Allyson Felix, Track and Field: 9 medals (6 G, 3 S) Felix is the only female track and field athlete to ever win six Olympic gold medals and her nine medals are tied for the most ever won by a . 15: Carlos Beltran. For most of his career, Jordan sported the #23, except for one season during which he donned #45 after his return from retirement. Seriously? Photo: Wikimedia Commons. Glen Davis was a big kid. Hall of Fame linebacker got the nickname Mad Stork for his gangly frame (6-7, 220-pounds). Players could put whatever name they wanted back there, and Smart's "He Hate Me" was the best of them all. It has been said that he could run 100 yards in 10 seconds and high jump over six feet. The running back/receiver was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and named to the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team. Aaron's nickname epitomizes his performance at the plate. The two sport star wore #21 on both the football field and baseball diamond, and holds the honor of being the only athlete to hit a home run and score a touchdown in the same week. We have to say it: "He'll stomp on a child's testicles, but he won't poop on a pigeon.". "The Glide" is a member of the Hall of Fame and captured the 1995 NBA championship with the Houston Rockets. Tiger Woods is a professional golfer and tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds multiple golf records. . Bill Russell, another legend of the sport, also wore No. Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Brazilian Portuguese: [ds(w) atiz du nasimtu]; 23 October 1940 - 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pel (Portuguese pronunciation: ), was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward.Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th . Best Known For: American track and . 31.April (Latin origin) meaning "open". It has been said that Floyd actually fell asleep several times during games in his career, and his hooded eyelids certainly didn't help refute the claims. No. This moniker has nothing to do with Smith on a personal level, other than his ability to make spectacular plays and do back flips off the turf. When he was not allowed to play with his friends on the peewee team due to his size, he was told he must play with older kids. The former Super Bowl champion New York Giant gained the nickname due to his large stature and semi-rare left-handedness. Due to his legal troubles, Jones has requested he now be known simply as "Adam Jones" in an effort to separate his new under-the-radar personality from his past troubles with the law. These numbers can be passed down from one club legend to the next, as the tradition is in soccer. Leonard Buck (Baseball) 5. There have been many outstanding athletes to dawn the number 23. 33 his college number in his lone year alongside . . Erving electrified crowds with his dunking and leaping abilities, and the nickname seemed divine and easily matched his personality and persona. https://goo.gl/tX6CcK-~-~~-~~. This list rewards creativity, and while Ali is the greatest boxer ever, his nickname isn't the most creative moniker in sports. New York Mets fans began referring to Dykstra for his "tough-as-nails" approach to the game, and it was later shortened to just "Nails.". The Rock is just too famous of a nickname to not put on this list. He is a nine-time NBA All-Star, was the NBA scoring champion in 1986 and won two dunk contests (1985, 1990). The 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse reported that cocaine was used by 3.8 million Americans. Perkins played the game with pride and a seemingly calm demeanor that earned him the nickname "Big Smooth.". John G. Zimmerman/SI. The 6'9", 271lb lineman recorded 57 sacks in his career but played before the sack became an official stat in 1982. Named for his cool demeanor on a basketball court, Gervin played in both the ABA and the NBA, and it has been said at his ABA tryout in Virginia, he made 22-of-25 three-point attempts. George Herman Ruth, better known as The Babe, the Sultan of Swat, or the Great Bambino was the greatest hitter during one the greatest eras in the history of baseball. At nine years old, Davis was already 5'6" tall and weighed 160 lbs. The high-flyer ranks 13th in career scoring in the NBA and is mentioned nearly every year during the dunk contest and has been a judge in the competition multiple times. Jeffries boxed in a time where blacks were heavily persecuted, and "The Great White Hope" was a moniker for his desire to destroy all blacks with his boxing abilities. The durable fire-baller still holds the MLB record for career strikeouts and still fields questions about the day he plunked Ventura and subsequently pummeled him after getting him in a head-lock on the mound. He followed that up by winning the same titles in the European Athletics Championships in 2014. He spent 12 years in the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks. Kirilenko's nickname is fairly obvious but still cool because it's the same as the name of a firearm.
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