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The Origins of All 30 NBA Team Names

mentalfloss.com — The Hornets were supposed to be the Spirit, while the Grizzlies were almost named the Mounties. Why is a team in Los Angeles nicknamed the Lakers, and what’s a team called the Jazz doing in Utah? As the NBA season tips off tonight, here’s the story behind the nicknames of all 30 teams.

Who dugg this? Made popular Oct 29, 2009

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  • curiousnightowl, on 10/28/2009, -0/+22Dugg for being informative and interesting. Time for someone to do a similar piece for NFL.
  • whatthefu, on 10/28/2009, -0/+16Washington Bullets was such an awesome name. It was supposed to imply speed. "Wizards" just sucks.
  • MakanGuru, on 10/29/2009, -0/+15Screw the Oklahoma City Thunder

    LONG LIVE THE SEATTLE SUPERSONICS
  • rwbrinso, on 10/28/2009, -1/+14BUT THEY DON'T ALLOW MUSIC IN UTAH!!!!

    /BASEketball'd
  • spiderman0505, on 10/28/2009, -1/+10The Boston Unicorns ... now there's a team i could get to like :-)
  • joeTaco, on 10/29/2009, -0/+8omfg the MOUNTIES? lol... if they kept the name... "The Memphis Mounties"!!! It's brilliant.
  • Cannon49, on 10/29/2009, -0/+7Is it just me or did every team consider calling themselves the Dragons at one point?
  • kplo, on 10/28/2009, -0/+5If not, I bet they will.
  • bubbameister33, on 10/29/2009, -0/+5I miss the Charlotte Hornets.
  • briandennehy, on 10/29/2009, -0/+4Soon it was commonplace for entire teams to change cities in search of greater profits. The Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles where there are no lakes. The Oilers moved to Tennessee where there is no oil. The Jazz moved to Salt Lake City where they don't allow music.
  • rdizzle, on 10/28/2009, -0/+4Dugg for not being something that is being Dugg by the Digg Brigade.
  • brownsound00, on 10/29/2009, -0/+4Jurassic Park Raptors ftw
  • CB810, on 10/28/2009, -0/+3I think that Mental Floss may have already done that...
  • Jabrams2, on 10/28/2009, -0/+3I'm not sure whether I like or hate the origin of my Knicks.
  • Miamisun, on 10/29/2009, -0/+2"Miami Heat
    In October 1986, the owners of Miami’s expansion franchise selected Stephanie Freed’s Heat submission from more than 20,000 entries, which also included Sharks, Tornadoes, Beaches, and Barracudas."

    Well that is anti-climatic.
  • rdizzle, on 10/28/2009, -0/+2No. They don't allow music in Utah (as I put my headphones back on in my SLC office).
  • Joest23, on 10/28/2009, -0/+2As a Nets fan, I'm glad they didn't change their name to the Swamp Dragons or Fire Dragons. The Nets may not be the best name, but those are just awful.
  • CB810, on 10/28/2009, -0/+2yeah, I was thinking of the NHL story. I'm sure the NFL team names origins is in the works...
  • Ziriux, on 10/28/2009, -0/+2Quite interesting how they came up with names.
  • soupdawg30, on 10/29/2009, -1/+2So the Rockets are the only team name that actually makes since from one city to another.
  • C4Aries, on 10/29/2009, -0/+1At least the Sonics got a bone thrown to them. I know they sucked but its still so depressing.
  • richman241, on 10/29/2009, -1/+2Bucks should of been named skunks, because they stink! (insert rim shot)
  • FormerBabby, on 11/10/2009, -0/+1Why do people propose dragons over and over again?
  • joeTaco, on 10/29/2009, -0/+1the beaches. awesome.
  • keysersozejr, on 11/02/2009, -0/+1Seattle SuperSonics will be the curse of Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, a man who sold the world on a $4 cup of coffee but can't walk down the street in his hometown without getting heckled. How's that stock price since the sale Judas? Down from $38 a share to a low of $7.06, guess all the profits you made on the sale are dust in the wind.
  • prolikewhoa, on 10/29/2009, -1/+2Nuggets...worst name ever
  • Phernoree, on 10/29/2009, -1/+2Seattle SuperSonics is probably the best NBA team name ever. The rest are mostly quite lame.
  • SooperSonic, on 10/29/2009, -0/+1The ABA - where the Spurs, Nets, Pacers & Nuggets started - had some pretty cool nicknames themselves. Such as:

    Anaheim Amigos
    Kentucky Colonels
    Spirits of St. Louis
    Pittsburgh Pipers
    San Diego Conquistadors
    Minnesota Muskies
  • jon31rm, on 10/29/2009, -0/+1"According to the Chicago Bulls Encyclopedia, team owner Richard Klein was brainstorming nicknames for his new franchise in 1966 and wanted a name that portrayed Chicago’s status as the meat capital of the world."

    lol... Chicago Ribeyes, anyone?
  • Miamisun, on 10/29/2009, -0/+1How they even considered naming the team after a Bette Midler movie i have no clue. Now I know why their mascot resembles Bette Midler.

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