25 References. 13, is right above him at the No. Best Athletes by Number: 66-99. Here are the nicknames of some of the other Olympians. Turns out the nickname is a motivational tool to remind Eldrick to fight for his dreams and accomplishments.". Also nicknamed "The Silver Fox"and just known by the shorter "Duke" Snider, the former Brooklyn Dodgers slugger was often compared to other New York outfielders such as Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle and earned the nickname "The Duke of Flatbush" after an area in New York City called "Flatbush" and his accolades as a hitter. Wilkins played 11 seasons of NBA basketball with the Atlanta Hawks and was a nine-time NBA All-Star. The eccentric cross-dresser earned his play in NBA history as a Champion with the Chicago Bulls, and as a psycho, after kicking a camera man in the jewels, drawing a record number of technical fouls, tearing his jersey off before leaving the court when ejected, wearing a dress for a promotion on multiple occasions, piercing every area of his body and dating Carmen Electra. A list of the greatest athletes to wear the number 22 would be incomplete without one of the NHL's most prolific scorers of the late 1970s/1980s. 1. Birth Year: 1913. Often considered the greatest boxer, Ali made a name for himself with his quick footwork, skills, and trash-talking persona. The nickname may not be specific to the Yankees shortstop, but he personifies the alliterative nickname with consistent big hits when needed most. These individuals are synonymous with these names and will always remember their playing days and the monikers we used to make them legends of the lingo. While sporting the #66, he helped the Penguins lift the Stanley Cup twice, won three Hart Trophies, and earned six Art Ross Trophies as the leagues leading scorer. 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. Every year, LeBron James earns around $25 million in salary from the Cleveland Cavaliers and roughly $55 million from endorsements. His moniker was given to him by teammates for his dribbling skills and ability to go "coast-to-coast," covering the entire floor from a rebound on defense to a layup on the other end. Gossage is a nine-time MLB All-Star and won a World Series ring with the 1978 New York Yankees. However, he is also known as "Wild Thing" for his unusual delivery to the plate. After playing for a minor . The Celtics' big man averaged 22.5 rebounds in his career; between his mastery of the . Die-hard Seattle Mariners fans remember the smooth delivery and fantastic catch phrases of broadcaster Dave Niehaus and the way he would refer to Johnson as "The Big Unit" instead of his actual name for the entire duration of the tall lefty's playing days in Seattle. All Players To Wear Number 23 | Pro-Football-Reference.com The iconic hitter earned the nickname "The Flying Dutchman" in his playing days for his speed and nationality. Players could put whatever name they wanted back there, and Smart's "He Hate Me" was the best of them all. Top 10 Runners in the World - SportsRec 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. Dominique Wilkins. The program will chronicle Tyson's love for pigeon racing. The term has become synonymous with small stature, which Reese also had. 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. Mlkvy received his nickname while attending Temple University. If pressed to name a national sport, Malaysians would say "badminton.". Chicago Sports: The legendary number 23 for each team - Da Windy City Davis would often cry to his coach, begging the man to let him play with his friends and the coach would say, "stop crying, you big baby!" Brown is widely considered one of the greatest running backs of all time, thanks to his brutal yet elegant rushing style. 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 nickname "Spider" is a reference to Salley's fear of arachnids, which, according to him, was conquered during his time on the 2009 reality television showI'm a CelebrityGet Me out of Here! "AK-47" is simply Kirilenko's initials plus the number on his Utah Jazz jersey. 33 his college number in his lone year alongside . The styleearned him the nickname "Crazy Legs.". Nash led the league in assists five times. Undoubtedly the most famous athlete in the country, a movie . Likewise, his relationship with his father remains strong; therefore when Chipper was progressing through the ranks of baseball, he decided to keep the name. Each sprin "Apparently, White Sox broadcaster Ken Harrelson tagged Thomas with the nickname "Big Hurt" because that's exactly what he does to opposing pitchers. Mookie Blaylock could have been the name of a famous band. Author: SI Staff. Jordans incredible career has inspired hundreds of athletes to wear #23, including LeBron James. A power reliever, he put his full weight behind every pitch, so that he dropped hard to the right, sometimes falling off the mound. The ability to play both QB and WR gave Stewart the nickname "Slash," as in quarterback/(slash)receiver. Grange got his nickname from Chicago American writer Warren Brown, who dubbed the pasty white-skinned red head "The Galloping Ghost," citing his running style at the University of Illinois. "When he joined the Cubs, his extravagant wind-up and release and his frequent wild pitches inspiredWrigley Fieldorganists to playThe Troggs'Wild Thingas he came out of the bullpen. One theory says he received the nickname while participating in batting practice as a rookie with the Montreal Expos. In many other sports, numbers of club legends are retired from use and placed in the rafters to be revered by generations of fans. Chicago Bulls: What is Michael Jordan's best nickname? Other nicknames include "Pillsbury Throwboy," "J. Following legal troubles, Camacho retired from professional boxing and has since proclaimed himself to be a "born again Christian.". 160 Player Nicknames Trivia Questions, Answers, and Fun Facts 13 Most Popular Number In Sports [2023 Update] - Players Bio Most recently, Suarez brought the shirt some disgrace with his on-field antics, but he also helped Liverpool mount their best title challenge in over a decade. An eight-time Pro Bowl . Best Athletes by Number: 66-99 - Sports Illustrated Coolest Nicknames From Non-Traditional Sports | Stadium Talk Dan Marino, practically reversed the belief that 13 is an unlucky number. ", The NBA Hall of Fame member and current TNT studio analyst is also known as"Sir Charles.". Either way, the nickname stuck, as did the movie. The 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse reported that cocaine was used by 3.8 million Americans. He also played for the New York Yankees of the American Football League for just one season before they absolved into the NFL. Jeter was named to fourteen All-Star teams and won the World Series five times during his career with the Bronx Bombers. The over-sized running back looked like a bus carrying opponents on his back while being dressed in yellow and black. Jordan adopted the number in high school because his brother wore his preferred #45. NBA Countdown: Who wore No. 33 best? - Yahoo! Jackson hit home runs in Game 4 and Game 5 of the Series. Rod "He Hate Me" Smart was the shining star of the Vince McMahon's XFL, which lasted all of one season. Chuck Klien (Philadelphia Phillies) 4. Pel - Wikipedia Elway played all sixteen seasons with the Denver Broncos wearing the #7. Mo Farah. 5. Full Site Menu. Williams said he had wanted the No. Lee Chong Wei. Also called "The Boilermaker," Jeffries was a world heavyweight boxing champion just before the turn of the 20th century. The league quirky tweaks of NFL rules, including a mad dash to midfield to gain possession of the ball, rather than a kickoff. 3 - Babe Ruth. In the News: Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy, Jimmy Garoppolo, Tom Brady. Lists of nicknames - nickname list articles on Wikipedia Over 75 years after Ruth's professional baseball career ended, he is still regarded as the best baseball player to ever live. He is famous for his blocked shots and on-the-court bouts with Shaquille O'Neal while O'Neal was a member for the Orlando Magic. Perkins played the game with pride and a seemingly calm demeanor that earned him the nickname "Big Smooth.". 88. Can you imagine trying to pass through airport security with his full name on a passport? Magics versatility allowed him to play all five positions on the court, and he earned three MVP Awards in both the regular season and NBA Finals. Standing just 5'10" tall, Johnson has enough attitude packed inside his small frame for the rest of us. "Three Fingers" Brown was able to throw many pitches that could not be achieved by a man with a full hand. Currently playing for the Cincinnati Bengals, Adam "Pacman" Jones received his nickname as a young child, when it was noted that he could drink his milk as fast as the video game character. Gervin would go on to be a nine-time NBA All-Star and be elected to the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame. Payton is no exception and quickly garnered the nickname "Sweetness" for his ability to make plays, and slide through the defense with ease. The best players to wear 18 as their jersey numbers are sprinkled across all major sports. There are a couple of stories regarding the origin of Randy Johnson's nickname. Hardaway was a four-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA first team selection and NBA All-Rookie first team selection (1994). The 29 Most Decorated Female U.S. Olympians Of All Time - Team USA Unless he attempts a return to baseball, which isn't likely, he will be eligible for the Hall of Fame following the 2012 season and could be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and definitely deserves to be elected. Famous for wearing the number 23 jersey throughout the entirety of his career, Murphy achieved much while playing, including . No. Birth Country: United States. 24: Alworth, . Steve Carlton (Philadelphia Phillies) 3. However, his nickname doesn't rank very highly on a list of originality and creativity. 23 Greatest Athletes to Wear No. 23 Quiz Stats - By schredder - Sporcle Simple, yet accurate, this nickname is solid and turned a superb athlete with a common name into a legend. His #99 is retired throughout the NHL, never to be worn by another player again. Marino is one of the most prolific passers in the history of the NFL, amassing 61,361 yards during his seventeen seasons in the league. Clyde Drexler. Indiana Pacers ( 19) New York Knicks ( 19) Milwaukee Bucks ( 22, 23) Don May. Top 15 Most Iconic Numbers in Sports - TheSportster His lawyer should have been named "The electric no possibility of victory but still attempting attorney.". Emmitt Smith. There's something about being a football player while making a living in Chicago that attracts nicknames like a moth to a flame. Sandy Koufax (Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers) 2. Lemieux was rewarded for his efforts with a third Stanley Cup, which he won as the owner in 2009. Ivan Rodriguez also got his moniker for the same reason. It has been a popular jersey number for decades with success of athletes across the board. Although Mike Bossy only played 752 games, he . After Milwaukee, Payton played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. He retired with the most wins of any quarterback in NFL history (which would later be broken by Favre, Brady, and Manning). Before these famous images went viral, Oscar De La Hoya was boxing's "Golden Boy," a heavy-hitter with a squeaky-clean image. He played professional football in the NFL with theAtlanta Falcons(19891993),San Francisco 49ers(1994),Dallas Cowboys(19951999),Washington Redskins(2000) andBaltimore Ravens(20042005). 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. In the postseason, no one is more dominant in baseball than Jeter. Gabby Douglas (Gymnastics)- Flying Squirrel. 19 Most Famous Athletes in the World - Next Luxury Numbers are now considered a common feature for uniforms in every team sport. 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. No joke here, just a great player and an exceptional man. Very few athletes have earned their nickname quite like Dominique Wilkins. The Best Athletes Who Wore Number 18, Ranked By Fans "The Great Bambino," "The Sultan of Swat," "The Colossus of Clout," and simply "The Babe," are all references to baseball's greatest legend. Over the course of his prolific career, he wore the #80 for three different teams, but is best remembered for wearing it in the red and gold of the San Francisco 49ers. He used the technique of crouching with his left arm out to fight opponents, and experienced many successes. 79 - Rosey Brown. Montana became a football great with the San Francisco 49ers, finished his career with the Kansas City Chiefs and compiled a career rap sheet that looks like this: The Hall of Famer lost his index finger in a gruesome farming accident, in which he was putting material into a feed chopper, slipped and got his hand mangled. Olympic Athletes - Biographies, Medals & More During his time with the 49ers, Rice won three Super Bowls and led the league in receiving yardage six times. Birth City: Oakville. Famous # 32's | More Sports - TigerDroppings 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. As far as nicknames go, this one isn't much fun, but at least it's better than "Baby Shaq.". William Perry was a fan favorite with the Chicago Bears from 1985-93, and the team used him on both sides of the ball. April Holmes has one gold medal and two bronze . He has a career batting average of .356 and 1,772 hits. "Babe" Ruth: "The Great Bambino/The Sultan of Swat". A 7'1" tree with more nicknames than points per game (4.0 career average), Joel Przybilla is a force to be reckoned with; if mostly in the Name Hall of Fame. In the realm of all-time nicknames, it is definitely sweet, but it hits the countdown towards the back, because there isn't much back story here, and he's not actually a hitman. the bat to Trumper. William Wilson received the nickname "Mookie" as a child, when his mother noticed he was having trouble asking her for more "milk.". Kirilenko's nickname is fairly obvious but still cool because it's the same as the name of a firearm. The best player on the greatest dynasty in professional sports was Bill Russell. The obvious nickname is the third generation of his birth name. He followed that up by winning the same titles in the European Athletics Championships in 2014. Best all-time MLB players at each jersey number, 1-99 Penny has attributed his successes in life to his grandma, who raised him up as a child while his mother was away working. With arguably the most famous nickname in the history of media, Dwayne Johnson is built like a rock and wrestled like a rock. The #7 shirt at Liverpool has a long and storied history that has seen some of the clubs best players wear the number. ESPN announce top 20 most famous male athletes of 2019 The multi-sport star was perhaps one of the biggest self-promoters the sports world has ever seen but also a very talented individual. The #7 has been passed down from Kevin Keegan to Kenny Daglish to Luis Suarez, and many others have held the honor of wearing the most iconic number for one of Englands most decorated football clubs. This nickname isn't creative at all, but is so synonymous with the Yankees third baseman it deserves a mention on the countdown. 99 (he originally wore the No. While most remember him for his playing days in baseball, Williams is also a true American hero, leaving the game twice to enlist in the United States Armed Forces as a Marine Corps pilot. The best of the bunch is Brown, who is a name from the past. Gabby Douglas - Movie, Height & Quotes - Biography Fan Fuel: Greatest players to wear No. 23 - sportsnet.ca Jon Lieber (Chicago Cubs) 7. Iconic NBA players with number 23 jerseys include Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, all Hall of Fame-level players whose career highlights are among the greatest moments in basketball history. But those come from the big four traditional sports: baseball, football, basketball and hockey. Elway retired following two consecutive Super Bowl wins and appeared in five Super Bowls. number eight "Pocket Rocket" = Brent Russell, Utility players "Pocket Dynamo" = Gio Aplon, Fullback / Wing " Slaptjips" (Afrikaans for potato chips or french fries) = Pieter Rossouw, Wing "The . Muhammad Ali. "The Great One" is the simplest way to describe his talents, although a more creative moniker would gain more points. DiMaggio was bound to earn a few nicknames in his playing days, and "Joltin' Joe" was just the beginning. Robinson's nickname is derived from his service in the United States Navy. Andre Dawson's nickname, "The Hawk," was given to him by an uncle when Andre was very young. McGriff's alias is just one of the many nickname brainchild ideas of ESPN analyst Chris Berman, who noticed the slugger's name resembled that of the National Crime Prevention Council mascot "McGruff.". Quiz Source Hall of Famers by Jersey Number. It has spawned other nicknames involving athletes with the last name "Rodriguez," including the current record holder for most saves in a season, Frankie "K-Rod" Rodriguez. John G. Zimmerman/SI. "The Glove" was born when Payton's cousin called him during the 1993Western ConferenceFinals series and told him"you're holdingKevin Johnsonlike abaseballin aglove.". 2 2. The #7 shirt at Manchester United has been worn by several of the greatest players of all time. . Hall of Fame linebacker got the nickname Mad Stork for his gangly frame (6-7, 220-pounds). 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. It shows that the number 42 signifies a piece of history in baseball. In his playing days, Jerome was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and a Super Bowl Champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL. Childhood friend and neighbor, Wilber Hines, said he gave Paige the nickname after he was caught trying to steal a bag. ", "Welcome Home Kovy: Alex(ei) Kovalev Wins It in a Shootout", "Rusty Kanokogi Receives Award of Distinction from Japan Women's Sports Foundation", "Soundcheck: Bam Margera: Jackass/international Celebrity", "Gebrselassie and Ndereba supreme over 15km in Melbourne", "Athletics: Bekele ready to shred the record books More Sports, Sport", "Top 10 sports scams cheating and great sport scandals", "China News Headlines | Hong Kong's premier newspaper online", "Female Pro Athlete Christine Wellington", "Sand supremacy: Misty, Kerri defend title", "Chinese Sporting Beauties Remain Single > PROFILES > SPORTSWOMEN", "Legendary yachtsman 'Biltong' Bertie Reed dies Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source", "Mr Stanley John "Bertie" REED (Profile) Who's Who of Southern Africa", "Features Landing Page | features.boats.com", "'Baltimore Bullet' has history in his sights", "AFP: Aussie coach sells training program secrets to China report", https://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/1999/01/16/somott16.html, "Bowling: Iron Lady Wendy still has fire in her belly", "Trinity reflex: The "Magic" returns | Radio Control Car Action | Find Articles at BNET", "Hong Kong News Headlines | Hong Kong's premier newspaper online", "/ online", " ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_sportspeople_with_nicknames&oldid=1139509378, Lists of people with nickname by occupation, Articles with German-language sources (de), Pages with login required references or sources, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from March 2022, Articles with PDF format bare URLs for citations, Articles with dead external links from June 2016, Articles with dead external links from January 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from January 2017, Articles with dead external links from November 2009, Articles with dead external links from July 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Articles containing Spanish-language text, Articles containing Afrikaans-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "Mo Santa" (Portuguese for "Holy Hand") =, This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 14:20.