Greatest Player Names in NBA History

Just as not every NBA player can hoop like Michael Jordan or Larry Bird, not every NBA player has a name as simple as “Michael Jordan” or “Larry Bird.” Fortunately, those iconic players’ games captured your attention much more than their names, but that’s not the case for many other NBA players. Some have unique, funny or downright confusing names that make you smirk and wonder about their name’s origin.

Over the last 75 years, the NBA has blessed us with many memorable player names that have actually become part of everyday society. “Jalen” is one of the most popular boys’ names today, thanks to the NBA’s very own Jalen Rose. Likewise, there are a whole bunch of kids born in the mid-90s named Shaq or Shaquille after Shaquille O’Neal made his fame around that period. 

Maybe we’ll have lots of American boys named “Giannis” or “Luka” entering the NBA 20 years from now. Who knows? What we do know is that these are the 30 greatest NBA player names in history. 

Career: 6 seasons (2017-present)

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls

Championships: 0

When your name is Lonzo Ball, or LaMelo Ball, then you’re destined to hoop. Sure, many other sports also use balls in competition, but being able to ball is a colloquialism for being able to play basketball. 

Lonzo Ball’s outspoken father, LaVar, put a bullseye on his son’s back before he even played in his first pro game, but the younger Ball has settled into a solid point guard. His first name of Lonzo is also unique, as it’s not short for Alonzo or anything else, making him the first “Lonzo” in NBA history.  

As of the end of the 2022-23 NBA season, Lonzo Ball’s career was very much in doubt due to a catastrophic knee injury 

Career: 11 seasons (1982-94)

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks

Championships: 0

Born Lafayette Lever, his younger brother had trouble pronouncing his first name. Thus, “Fat” was born. At 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds, Lever certainly wasn’t overweight, so he was more “Phat” than “Fat.” He was a lockdown defender who ranks fifth all-time with 2.2 steals per game and made two All-Defensive teams. 

Lever was also a bit like Russell Westbrook in that he could rebound like a big man. His boards, along with his dimes and points, enabled him to get 43 career triple-doubles, which ranked fifth in NBA history at the time of his retirement.