How NBA Superstars ACTUALLY Got Their Nicknames..

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
Sometimes, nicknames are out of your control, and these NBA players find their nicknames for better or worse. While nicknames are usually just a name given to players to describe their game and nothing more, Kobe Bryant decided to choose a nickname that would mean more than what most would think. In his auto-documentary, Muse, that was released in 2015, Kobe talked about why he gave himself the nickname Black Mamba. Of all the struggles Kobe faced off the court, he thought it would be best for his emotions if he created an alter ego like Black Mamba, whose sole responsibility was to handle business on the court. While Mamba handled his court affairs, Kobe Bryant, the individual, was tasked with handling his personal life. Kobe would explain his decision saying, It was just ***ing everyone. I'm destroying everybody that steps on the court. I had all this pent up frustration and I needed to let it out. It was an avalanche, man. There was nothing that was going to get in my way. There was nothing that was going to stop me. I had to separate myself. I felt like there was so many things coming at once. It was just becoming very, very confusing. I had to organize things. So I created the Black Mamba. Kobe also said, The name Kobe Bryant just evokes such a negative emotion. I said, if I create this alter ego, so now when I play, that's what's coming out of your mouth. Separates the personal stuff, right? You're not watching David Banner. You're watching the Hulk. In a 2015 interview with Ahmed Rashad, Bryant said to the animal that inspired the name, when I step on the court, I become that. I am that killer snake. I'm stone cold, man. With all the talent that Paul Pierce has put on display throughout his days in the NBA, it was only fitting he'd earned the right to a nickname. However, it's the question of when exactly did he earn his title of The Truth? The nickname came about during a very turbulent time for Pierce. 2001, Pierce had been in his third year in the league, looking to leave his mark on what was considered a bad Boston team, making the task even harder was the fact that he had been recovering from a near fatal stabbing that left him with 11 holes in his neck and body. During that same NBA season, Pierce had played a regular season game against Shaq and the Lakers in 2001, and Pierce let off an absolute barrage of shots, making the majority of them, and ultimately finishing the game with an impressive 42 points. Shaq had been so impressed by Pierce's performance and the off-court drama that followed after the game, he told reporters that Pierce was the truth. Shaq talked about the story later on in his career saying, I noticed he just wasn't like everybody else. He was just hard to guard. I was like, man, this dude is the truth. So after the game, I pulled aside Celtics beat writer Steve Bullpett of the Boston Herald, I looked him in the eyes and I pointed to his pad and I said, take this down. My name is Shaquille O'Neal and Paul Pierce is the truth. Quote me on that. Don't take nothing out. I knew he could play, but I didn't know he could play like this. Paul Pierce is the truth. Considering LeBron James is easily one of the most dominant forces in the NBA, it's no wonder that he earned the nickname King James. However, what's most impressive about the title was the fact that it was bestowed upon him when he was still in high school. Contrary to popular belief, the title itself is not something that he came up with on his own, but rather the hype that surrounded him while playing as St. Vincent St. Mary. King James already coming into the league with such a presumptuous title, many thought he'd likely be humbled a bit when he came into the league, but history has shown us the opposite. James has dominated the NBA as one of, if not the league's greatest player in almost every regard. As a passer, he's led the NBA. As a scorer, we've seen time and time again, James can drop 40 like it's nothing. And finally, perhaps his most unique attribute is his physique. Despite receiving the title in high school, LeBron has led as a ruler for over a decade, and he's yet to show any signs of weakness, at least with regards to his personal statistics. And if you're still not convinced, here's a quote from an NBA scout who reported on LeBron when he was 17 years old. The reporter said, The hype is pretty justified. Looking at the way Young Minx playing, I don't know if LeBron would have gone first in the draft last year, but he's a six-foot-eight guy who can play point guard. He's a man amongst boys, a superstar in the making. I hear people say shooting is his weak spot. It's his weaker spot. He's probably an average shooter. But if you look at Michael Jordan when he came into the league, he was a very average shooter. Kobe was probably an average shooter too as a rookie. LeBron's got good enough technique that I wouldn't worry about it. Similar to LeBron, Magic Johnson received his nickname long before playing in the NBA. Having played a dominant game while still in high school, Johnson was given the nickname by his coach after helping lead his team from one that was known for constantly losing to consistently winning games. Johnson talked about the story saying, I started off in high school after I won every championship, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade, sixth grade, seventh grade, eighth grade, and ninth grade. I won them all. So now I'm headed to high school. I wasn't known for basketball. They'd come in last place for the last seven or eight years. I had to figure out how I was gonna turn this game from losing into winning. This guy walks in and says, man, that was an awesome game. I gotta give you a nickname. Somebody's already called Dr. J, and Big E was already taken. Because those two nicknames are already taken, he said, I'm gonna call you Magic. At 15, you giggle. It's not really gonna stick, right? He fooled me. The next day in the paper, it says Irving Magic Johnson leads ever at high school. Not only had the nickname stuck to Johnson at the age of 15, practically erased his first name, which most people don't even know. Despite being known for his clutch plays, pale skin, or even great passing ability, Larry Bird's nickname came as a result from his pass. Having grown up in a dead-end town of French Lick, Indiana, Larry Bird's hometown can be described as a poor, white trash town that gave little opportunity for his residence. We'd come to know that Bird was able to break out of his town's tight grip on his inhabitants through his ability with basketball. However, he was never able to shake his pass, nor did he want to. He represented his hometown of French Lick on a sleeve, and he took it from a place of pride. To have defeated the odds and make it to the NBA. When he started to make a name for himself in the league, he was eventually given the name The Hick from French Lick. The nickname was an obvious diss to not only his background, but his hometown. But it didn't matter to Bird, who gladly accepted it. Even before the nickname had been given to Bird, he was given a different one by coach Bill Fitch, which was Kodak. The name was given to him as rookie season, as Bird was known to call the shots ahead of time. His shot calling had come with so much accuracy that his coach equated Bird's predictions to him being able to take a mental picture of the future. As a talented scorer and ball handler, Allen Iverson's nickname has been more of a prophecy than it has been a title. His nickname had been given to him by his mentor and father figure, Jamil Blackman, who had effectively assumed the role as Iverson's parental figure. Blackman allowed Iverson to stay at his house and issues in his personal life made it difficult to stay at home. He supported them financially and even helped Iverson get academic help to get him into college. In 1994, when Iverson's dream of getting into Georgetown University on a basketball scholarship had finally panned out, Blackman figured it was time to give him a name. The name was eventually decided to be the answer. The name referred to Iverson as becoming the answer to all of the troubles any NBA team would be experiencing. After the name had been established, Blackman had Iverson promise that he would get 25 percent of any money that Iverson got as a result of the nickname. Iverson agreed but would later come to regret it. Shortly after leaving college early to get drafted into the NBA, Iverson was approached with a lucrative deal by Reebok, who had taken an interest in not only Iverson but his nickname. The answer had been such a catching name that Reebok wanted to use it for the signature shoe line, and Blackman never ended up receiving his 25 percent. He ended up filing a lawsuit against his son. The case was eventually dropped, but had he won, it likely would have been the first time an NBA player had to pay for rights to use his nickname. Being known for his three-point ability in real life, Ray Allen earned a nickname after playing a movie role. During his first season with the Bucks, Allen had earned the respect of Nick's diehard fan Spike Lee after he put his skills in display in a game against the Knicks. His performance had been so impressive that Spike Lee approached Allen and asked him if he wanted to audition for a movie that he was working on with Denzel Washington. Allen took his information but thought little of the offer until the Bucks failed to make the playoffs that season. With some extra time during the off season, Allen auditioned for the role as the movie's main character, Jesus Shudderworth. Spike competing against Allen Iverson and even Tracy McGrady for the role beat Allen that came out on top. The movie went on to be a box office bust, but was enjoyed by critics and fans alike. They all praised Allen's acting talents. His role had become so well known, that by the time he'd finished working on the role to return to the NBA, fans and teammates began to call him Jesus Shudderworth. As one of the few NBA stars whose nickname had overtaken his real name, Julius Irving got his PhD while playing high school basketball. The name stuck with him throughout his time in the ABA, throughout his days in the NBA, and now that he's retired, people still call him Dr. J. He talked about the nickname coming about saying, When I got to the Rucker League in New York City, I was already 21 It was my junior year of college. I was going to play on the stage before my first pro season. They started calling me all kinds of names because of the antics in the court. And I went over and corrected them and said, Look, if you're going to call me anything, just call me the doctor, because you know, my best friend in high school would give me the name the doctor. And I'd given him the name the professor. We graduated high school together, went to college together and shared those nicknames. He said I had a lot of moves, more moves than Carter had liver pills. As one of the league's premier big men, Carl Malone received his nickname the Mailman during his time at Louisiana Tech. Like many destined NBA players, Malone had been a force to be reckoned with during his college days. As one of the bigger players in NCAA, Malone tended to always deliver on his promise when it came to out-rebounding and outscoring his opponents. The name carried on to his time with the Utah Jazz when he played alongside John Stockton, where his name arguably became more true than his college days.