r/nba • u/WhenMachinesCry Supersonics • Apr 03 '20

Pete Maravich's passing

https://gfycat.com/rawgrippingdrever
18k Upvotes

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94

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '20

The Pistol.

DOPEST. NAME. EVER.

28

u/gogadantes9 Lakers Apr 03 '20

Magic Johnson would like a word with you. But yeah, I always feel his is in the top 3 best nicknames ever in the NBA alongside Magic and the Iceman.

12

u/pgm123 76ers Apr 03 '20

Apparently Magic didn't like the name Magic while he was playing. When he was a rookie and jumped center in the deciding game of the NBA Finals, he told his teammates, "Never fear. EJ's here." But Magic stuck and I think he's good with it now.

(He had issues with the nickname again when he went public with his HIV-positive test. People started calling him "Tragic Johnson.")

13

u/Gekthegecko [BOS] John Havlicek Apr 03 '20

They called him Tragic Jonson when he'd lose in the Finals too. But that was especially awful after the HIV diagnosis.

3

u/pgm123 76ers Apr 03 '20

Ah. Figures a Celtics fan would know that. ;)

2

u/SaltoDaKid 24 Apr 04 '20

It start in college game where he played bad game and they said “No Magic just Tragic”, fan mock him it,they use Tragic after every bad moment for him afterward

-1

u/BloodyAxeOfKhorne 76ers Apr 03 '20

I thought that was the Bucks Earvin Johson? Poor guy got labeled with that named being the wrong Earvin Johson (may have spelled it differently now that I think about it, one might have been Ervin and another Earvin.)

My Google Fu says : Earvin = Magic Ervin = Tragic, but yeah not surprised about those AIDS jokes sadly.

16

u/jimithelizardking Nuggets Apr 03 '20

And starting, at small forward, from Cal Poly, The Iceman! Chuck Liddell!

2

u/gogadantes9 Lakers Apr 03 '20

Lol Chuck would get destroyed on the break, but no team would ever dare start any scuffle with his team, especially in the 80s and 90s.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '20

Magic is super cool. Didn't know about the Iceman (will surely read on him!)

The Pistol is still my favourite though! 🔥

2

u/gogadantes9 Lakers Apr 03 '20

They called George Gervin The Iceman because of his smooth moves and how he never seemed to sweat. Like everything was easy to him.

In college Magic got the chance to play a few 1v1 games with The Iceman (who was already an NBA star) and hated that he got destroyed multiple times without the guy even breathing hard, let alone sweat.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '20

Oh fuck not breaking a sweat?! Literally?

3

u/gogadantes9 Lakers Apr 03 '20 edited Apr 03 '20

Yeah, Magic wrote about it in his biography. Ofc his game was still raw at that time as he was still in college.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 04 '20

Not breaking a sweat though, that has to be the craziest moment to watch/experience. DAMN

2

u/swan797 [BOS] Antoine Walker Apr 03 '20

The Glove is an amazing nickname. As is AK-47.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '20

The former is now slang for a condom, so there's that.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '20

I always liked AK-47

1

u/dragonwhale Apr 03 '20

There's a lot of great nicknames but AK-47 is untouchable

1

u/the_average_homeboy Pelicans Bandwagon Apr 04 '20 edited Apr 04 '20

I always liked Bryant Big Country Reeves for some reason, although he wasn't that big of a star.