Could we see LeBron James wearing "COBRADICK" on the back of his jersey this season?
Probably no! But, "KING JAMES" is a real possibility.
The NBA is reportedly considering allowing the Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets to wear player nickname uniforms in at least one of their head-to-head matchups this season (the Heat and Nets face off four times this year).
Though it's not official, some Heat players have been told of the possibility and have been asked to submit nicknames to the league to put on the jerseys.
We hope the league does go through with it. Nicknames are fun, and hell, it's no worse than when they make teams wear those alternate Spanish-name jerseys like "El Heat."
Four-time NBA MVP LeBron James is expected to wear "King James." Heat guard Dwyane Wade would have any number of nicknames to choose from, with "Three" -- both his jersey number and championship-ring total -- being his current favorite. He could also go with his more commonly known name, "D-Wade."Brooklyn forward Paul Pierce has been called "The Truth" for many years, and fellow new Nets forward Kevin Garnett has long been known by his initials, or "The Big Ticket."
For his part, Heat forward Shane Battier isn't exactly thrilled about the idea of nicknames. He said he wanted to have "Batman" on his jersey but likely won't be able to because of copyright infringement.
Battier said he'll probably go with "Shaneo," which basically means he has no more shits to give about this whole idea.
But we like it.
We'd like it even more if the NBA allowed the Heat to wear the nicknames we here at New Times have given these guys over the years. Shane might even like ours over "Shaneo."
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