Dillon Brooks and the worst self-promoted NBA nicknames

Brooks told reporters, “My name is Dillon the Villain,” after referees ejected him from the Houston Rockets’ first preseason game for hitting Daniel Theis below the belt. He also complained that he had “a target on his back,” though his on-court behavior seems like he sees a target on every other player’s groin.

While Brooks clearly decided to embrace the nickname, one that is rarely used by media or fans, it’s unlikely to catch on, except maybe in a sarcastic way. Here are some other NBA players who tried to promote their own nicknames.

Kevin Durant: “The Servant”

Kevin Durant didn’t like that fans were calling him the “Slim Reaper,” back in 2014, telling Bill Simmons, “I’m not here to be a guy of, I guess, death.” His alternative? “The Servant,” because as Durant said, "I like to serve everybody. My teammates. Ushers at the game. The fans."

Ultimately, Durant preferred people call him “KD,” which he liked for its simplicity and its similarity to Allen Iverson being called “AI.” “Durantula,” was a non-starter for KD, just like “The Servant” was for the public.

Austin Rivers: “Subzero”

Before Rivers arrived at Duke, he told fans his nickname was “Subzero,” stating:

"Wearing number 0 next year! My nick name is going to be subzero! Cause of number and because my moves freeze people, got ice in my veins!!”

No one called Austin “Subzero,” nor did Rivers wear No. 0 in the NBA. While he had a long NBA career, his moves weren’t exactly freezing people.

However, the Denver Nuggets did start calling him “Macaroni Toni” in 2021-22, simply because Anthony Edwards decided it was Rivers’ nickname. “I don’t even like it, but it is what it is. The whole team calls me it,” Rivers explained.

Paul George: “PG-13” and “Playoff P”

Sometimes a nickname instantly backfires. That’s what happened with Paul George when he called himself “Playoff P” in 2018 before his Oklahoma City Thunder took on the Utah Jazz in the first round. George scored 36 points in the first game and sported slides that read "PLAY" on one and "OFF P" on the other. But the Thunder were eliminated in six games, with Playoff P scoring five points in the final game.

In 2019, the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Thunder in five games, with Dame Lillard hitting the game-winning shot in front of Playoff P. After the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in 2020, fans derisively started calling George "Pandemic P."

In 2014, George changed his uniform number from No. 24 to No. 13, in order to facilitate the nickname "PG-13." While that one caught on a little more, it's not the most flattering nickname. A PG-13 film is defined by being less intense and less grown-up than an R-rated movie — it's softer.

George hasn't let the teasing get to him. His new podcast is called "Podcast P."

Dwyane Wade: “WOW” and “Three”

Wade has tried and failed to kickstart a new nickname on two separate occasions, even though he already has the perfectly fine moniker of "D-Wade," along with the nickname "Flash" which Wade "discarded" in 2011. His problem is that he overthinks it. In Feb. 2013, Wade announced he wanted to be known as "WOW," which stood for "Way of Wade," also the name of his Li-Ning shoe line.

Even his good friend LeBron James couldn't support that, saying, "I think it's corny."

The "WOW" debacle didn't deter Wade. Four months later, after the Miami Heat won their second straight title and Wade's third overall, the guard declared, "My name is 'Three,' not Dwyane." Three was Wade's number in college and the NBA, he won three titles, and that day, he would only answer reporters if they called him "Three." That was the last day anyone did, however.  

Kobe Bryant: “Vino”

While the late Lakers legend has perhaps the most successful self-created nickname “Black Mamba,” Kobe did have some misses. Late in his career, Bryant pushed for the nickname “Vino” — because he "got better with age." Unfortunately, a month later Bryant tore his Achilles, putting a lie to the aging sentiment almost immediately.

Bryant pushed the nickname for a while, even inventing “#VinoClub” and inducting boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., quarterback Peyton Manning and Justin Timberlake.

It still didn't make "Vino" take off, mainly because "Black Mamba" already existed. Even three years after Bryant's death, "#MambaMentality" is still going strong, while "#VinoClub" never really made it.