The origin of every team name in the NBA

[TripletDaddy]

Fun, quick read outlining the origin of every current team in the NBA

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

[falafel]

Some cool ones in there. I like the Knicks' story, although it was pretty obvious.

New York Knicks – The name "Knicks" is short for "Knickerbockers," which are the knee-length pants Dutch settlers wore when they originally settled the New York area in the 1600s. Over the years a character named Father Knickerbocker—a man with a cotton wig, three-pointed hat, and of course those famous pantaloons—became a symbol of New York City, so when a group of men affiliated with the new basketball franchise threw their ideas for team names into a hat, almost all of them came back "Knickerbockers." It also helped that in the mid-1800s when the original New York Knickerbockers became the first organized professional baseball team in history.

Some pretty bad ones too. The Cavs' origin is pretty lame.

Cleveland Cavaliers – When Nick Mileti, owner and founder of the new Cleveland basketball franchise, was given an expansion team in 1970 he held a contest so the fans could choose the team nickname. "Cavaliers" was the winner, seemingly for alliterative reasons. The earliest logo was of an Englishman donning a saber.

So is the Nets' story. I assumed it had something to do with longshoremen or something.

New Jersey Nets – Originally based out of New York and known as the New York Americans in the old ABA, the franchise switched the name to "Nets" in their second year of existence. Such a change seems naturally considering it was, after all, a basketball team, however choosing that name wasn't done just because nets are the thing the basketball goes through; it was also chosen to rhyme with two other New York area sports teams—football's New York Jets, and baseball's New York Mets.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

LOL, so Lakers doesn't make sense but at least it is an awesome team. Grizzlies and Jazz don't make sense and are stupid.

[falafel]

LOL, so Lakers doesn't make sense but at least it is an awesome team. Grizzlies and Jazz don't make sense and are stupid.

I thought the same thing. "Those Lakers are so quirky, keeping that silly name! We just love them! Meanwhile, what the hell do the Jazz think they're doing?"

[il Padrino Ute]

I thought the same thing. "Those Lakers are so quirky, keeping that silly name! We just love them! Meanwhile, what the hell do the Jazz think they're doing?"

Perhaps DDD or LA Ute can tell us how many lakes are in Los Angeles proper?

As for the Jazz, there is now an international jazz festival in Salt Lake during the first week of July.

[TripletDaddy]

there is now an international jazz festival in Salt Lake during the first week of July.

lol. some LDS guy coming down from Cardston, eh?

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Answer this, are there more lakes in Dallas or LA? Also would it be possible to golf and go to a lake in the same day in LA?

[il Padrino Ute]

lol. some LDS guy coming down from Cardston, eh?

Nope. Try again.

[il Padrino Ute]

lol. some LDS guy coming down from Cardston, eh?

Here's a list of past performers:

http://www.slcjazzfestival.org/index2.php?t=c&c=18&f=m&p=4

[TripletDaddy]

Here's a list of past performers:

http://www.slcjazzfestival.org/index...c&c=18&f=m&p=4

that lineup has the same quality as Los Angeles's lineup of lakes.

[TripletDaddy]

Answer this, are there more lakes in Dallas or LA? Also would it be possible to golf and go to a lake in the same day in LA?

LA definitely has golf courses and you can go to Lake Los Angeles, so I would have to answer yes to your question.

And now I am canceling my reservations for Dallas. No need to go there now.

[il Padrino Ute]

that lineup has the same quality as Los Angeles's lineup of lakes.

Yawn.

[UtahDan]

A naming contest for fans resulted in "Wizards," chosen mostly because it sounded good. It beat out other finalists "Dragons," "Express," "Stallions" and "Sea Dogs."

There is more to this. There were several other non-ridiculous names considered at the the time and Abe Polin had created this competition to name the team through the Washington Post. When it was put up for a vote among WaPo readers (can't recall how they did that) people basically thought that the names Polin had narrowed it to were so stupid that the voted for the worst one of the bunch: Sea Dogs. Polin then basically said, I don't like that name and take back what I said about letting the people decide. We're going to call them the Wizards.

This there a dumber name in pro sports? Raptors is pretty dumb too,

[falafel]

There is more to this. There were several other non-ridiculous names considered at the the time and Abe Polin had created this competition to name the team through the Washington Post. When it was put up for a vote among WaPo readers (can't recall how they did that) people basically thought that the names Polin had narrowed it to were so stupid that the voted for the worst one of the bunch: Sea Dogs. Polin then basically said, I don't like that name and take back what I said about letting the people decide. We're going to call them the Wizards.

This there a dumber name in pro sports? Raptors is pretty dumb too,

I thought you were going to say that "Wizards" was the stupid name that everyone voted for. The Sea Dogs would be pretty sweet, IMO.

I'm surprised by how many teams apparently considered "Dragons," yet none of them ended up choosing it. I wouldn't choose it either, however.

[il Padrino Ute]

I thought you were going to say that "Wizards" was the stupid name that everyone voted for. The Sea Dogs would be pretty sweet, IMO.

I'm surprised by how many teams apparently considered "Dragons," yet none of them ended up choosing it. I wouldn't choose it either, however.

I would choose Dragon. Think of the cool graphic that would be on the floor:



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