Every NBA team nickname carries a backstory rooted in local culture, accidental lottery draws, or historical accidents. Understanding how these monikers came to be reveals a fascinating look at professional sports branding, long before focus groups and digital marketing departments streamlined every logo in the league.
Some franchises wear names that no longer fit their geography, while others preserve hyper-local historical moments. Let's break down how every NBA team got its name, separating verified franchise archives from urban legends.
The Relocated Anomalies: Names That Left Home
The most confusing NBA monikers belong to franchises that packed up and moved across the country, leaving their original geographic context behind.
- Los Angeles Lakers: Founded in 1947 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the team drew its identity from the state's famous moniker as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes." When owner Bob Short moved the franchise to Southern California in 1960, the name made zero geographic sense for a sprawling desert metropolis, but the brand equity was already too valuable to drop.
- Utah Jazz: Established in New Orleans in 1974, the franchise naturally honored the birthplace of jazz music. When the team relocated to Salt Lake City in 1979, management kept the moniker and its vibrant Mardi Gras color scheme, creating one of the league's most ironic geographical mismatches.
- Memphis Grizzlies: Born in 1995 as the Vancouver Grizzlies during the NBA's expansion into Canada, the team was originally slated to be called the Vancouver Mounties. After the Royal Canadian Mounted Police objected to the commercial use of their image, organizers pivoted to the grizzly bear native to western Canada. When the franchise moved to Tennessee in 2001, the name stayed.
- Brooklyn Nets: Starting out in 1967 as the New Jersey Americans in the ABA, the franchise bounced to New York, became the Nets because it rhymed with local teams like the Mets and Jets, returned to New Jersey for decades, and eventually landed in Brooklyn.
Hat Draws and Fan Contests
A surprising number of franchises bypassed corporate naming agencies entirely, leaving their fate up to random lottery draws or public submissions.
- Phoenix Suns: In 1968, general manager Jerry Colangelo ran a public naming contest through The Arizona Republic. More than 28,000 entries poured in, featuring options like the Scorpions, Tumbleweeds, and Cactus Cowboys. Over 300 people suggested variants of "Suns," so Colangelo drew the winning submission out of a hat.
- New York Knicks: Short for Knickerbockers, this historic name references the traditional Dutch settlers of New York who wore rolled-up trousers called knickerbockers. According to franchise lore, founder Ned Irish and his staff literally pulled names out of a hat during a brainstorming meeting in 1946.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: In 1970, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer hosted a fan poll to name the city's new expansion team. Fans selected Cavaliers over alternatives like the Foresters and Presidents. The winning submission defined cavaliers as a group of fearless men dedicated to never surrendering.
- Dallas Mavericks: A local radio station sponsored a contest in 1980, submitting finalists to owner Donald Carter. Carter chose Mavericks over Wranglers and Express, locking in a tribute to independent, flamboyant local spirits.
Revolutionary History and Regional Insults
Certain team names draw directly from local historical events, transforming old conflicts or regional industries into modern sports branding.
- Charlotte Hornets: The identity dates back to the American Revolutionary War. British General Lord Cornwallis grew so frustrated by the fierce resistance of local Patriots in 1780 that he reportedly described Charlotte as a rebellious "hornet's nest". The city embraced the insult, placing a hornet's nest on its official seal. After a stint as the Bobcats, the city reclaimed the Hornets moniker in 2014.
- Detroit Pistons: Founder Fred Zollner originally established the franchise in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1941 as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons because his factory manufactured automotive pistons. When the team relocated to the heart of the American automotive industry in Detroit in 1957, the industrial moniker proved prophetic.
- Philadelphia 76ers: The name honors the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776, cementing one of the most historically resonant titles in professional sports.
- Boston Celtics: Owner Walter Brown chose Celtics in 1946, channeling the successful New York Celtics barnstorming basketball teams of the 1920s while nodding to Boston's large Irish-American population.
Common Mistakes in NBA Naming History
When casual fans or trivia writers explore team histories, several persistent myths frequently pop up:
- Assuming all modern names are corporate focus-group creations: Many modern teams, such as the Toronto Raptors (inspired by the massive cultural footprint of Jurassic Park in 1994), came straight from grassroots fan votes.
- Confusing the Oklahoma City Thunder lineage: The Thunder franchise originated as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1967, named after Boeing's supersonic jet development project. When the team moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, the Supersonics identity stayed behind in legal limbo, prompting the fresh weather-themed rebrand.
- Believing the Chicago Bulls was a boardroom decision: Team founder Richard Klein was originally considering names like the Matadors before his young son reportedly declared that his ideas were "a bunch of bull," inspiring the iconic moniker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which NBA team names are the oldest?
The Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Golden State Warriors (originally the Philadelphia Warriors) are the oldest continuous nicknames in the league, all dating back to the league's inaugural 1946 season.
Why did the New Orleans Pelicans rebrand?
After Tom Benson purchased the franchise, he wanted a local identity more authentically tied to Louisiana wildlife and culture than the Hornets name, which originally belonged to Charlotte. The brown pelican serves as the state bird.
Are there any NBA team names derived from literature or movies?
The Orlando Magic draw their name from the city's massive tourism industry and theme parks, earning the early nickname "Magic City," which fans cemented during a name-the-team contest.
What was the original name of the Washington Wizards?
The franchise began in 1961 as the Chicago Packers, cycled through Zephyrs and Baltimore Bullets, and played for decades as the Washington Bullets before owner Abe Pollin changed the name to Wizards in 1997 due to increasing concerns over local gun violence.
