The 13 Best Sports Nicknames of All Time
Some are earned in a ring, some handed over by a sportswriter, and a few were simply announced by the man himself. Which nickname has the best claim?
1Iron MikeMike Tyson's nickname, earned by the most explosive heavyweight start boxing has seen.
2The GreatestMuhammad Ali named himself, then spent two decades making it stick.
3His AirnessMichael Jordan, for a hang time that looked like a rules violation.
4The Great OneWayne Gretzky, the only nickname in hockey that needs no surname.
5The Black MambaKobe Bryant picked it himself after a Tarantino film.
6MagicEarvin Johnson got it from a sportswriter at 15 and never lost it.
7The Sultan of SwatBabe Ruth, the most gloriously overwritten nickname in American sport.
8Broadway JoeJoe Namath, for the fur coats as much as the arm.
9The AnswerAllen Iverson, six foot nothing and the whole offence.
10Smokin' JoeJoe Frazier, a nickname that described the left hook precisely.
11The Round Mound of ReboundCharles Barkley, the rare nickname that insults and compliments at once.
12The RefrigeratorWilliam Perry, 350 pounds of Chicago Bears defensive line.
13The Flying FinnPaavo Nurmi ran with a stopwatch in his hand.
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Comments
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