Lakers, Jazz and Co.
Basketball: Where do the names of the NBA teams come from?
The NBA (National Basketball Association) play-offs are in full swing, which once again raises the question of how the teams actually got their names. What is behind names like "Celtics", "Bulls" and "Nuggets" and what does Los Angeles have to do with lakes?
The North American professional league was founded in 1946 and has been the strongest and most popular in the world ever since. 29 teams from the USA and one Canadian team (Toronto Raptors) compete annually for the coveted championship rings. The reigning champions are the Milwaukee Bucks. But where does the name "Bucks" and that of their opponents come from? The sports crown unravels.
Milwaukee Bucks:
The "Bucks" owe their name to a competition that was launched at the end of the 1960s to find a suitable name for Milwaukee's basketball team. The "Bucks" came out on top because bucks are considered fast and agile.
Boston Celtics:
With 17 titles, the Boston Celtics (tied with the Lakers) are the most successful team in league history. However, they "stole" their name from New York. The "Original Celtics" had been playing there since 1914 - a name that probably also appealed to Boston.
Toronto Raptors:
Without a certain Mr. Steven Spielberg, the Canadians would probably have opted for a different name. After all, it was the success of his 1993 film "Jurassic Park" that led the original "Huskies" to reinvent themselves two years later.
Brookyln Nets:
In the "Empire State", rhyming talent was in high demand. Alongside the New York Jets (NFL) and the New York Mets (MLB), the "Nets" were chosen without further ado. So if you've forgotten the name of your favorite team in the Big Apple, just take a quick look at the city's other sports teams.
Philadelphia 76ers:
After the team was newly founded in 1963, the decision was made in the "City of Brotherly Love" to include the date of the American Declaration of Independence (1776) in the franchise name.
Cleveland Cavaliers:
... stand for a group of "fearless men who never give up", as "SPOX" quotes Jerry Tomko, the name finder of the 2016 champions.
Chicago Bulls:
NBA legend Michael Jordan's team owes its name to several events. On the one hand, one or two meat packing factories adorned the cityscape, and on the other, the Bulls played in the "Amphitheater" when they were founded in 1966.
Miami Heat:
The name was also the result of a fan poll. "Heat" prevailed against Vice, Sharks, Tornados, Barracudas and Beaches.
Denver Nuggets:
The squad around MVP Nikola Jokic plays under the name "Nuggets", as the franchise, originally called the "Rockets", had to change its name due to the Houston Rockets. "Nuggets" alludes to the gold rush that took place in Colorado in the 1850s.
Utah Jazz:
Utah and jazz? Wouldn't the name be more appropriate for New Orleans? Correct: Due to financial problems, the team was relocated from Louisiana in 1979, but the name was kept.
LA Lakers:
Los Angeles' basketball team also owes its name to a detail that Californians don't actually relate to. The franchise only moved to the "City of Angels" in 1960, before that they played in Minneapolis, a major city in Minnesota - the land of 10,000 lakes.
Houston Rockets:
"Houston, this is Armstrong." Why the Texans christened themselves "Rockets" is almost self-explanatory, as the headquarters of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is located in Houston.
Incidentally, the NBA's record player is Robert Panish with 1,611 games. Karrem Abdul-Jabar scored the most points in history with 38,387.
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