Origins of NBA Team Names

Brief origin stories for the NBA team names.

22 days ago Pelanderfunk 55 comments 3 recs |

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I wish they'd rename Utah to their rightful designation.

The Utah Stormin’ Mormons.

"Ain't nothin' in this world for free."

by Arby on Oct 29, 2009 11:19 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I've always liked "the Tabs"

short for the Tabernacles, naturally

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 29, 2009 1:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL right now Rasheed Wallace could be a Boston Unicorn.

Columbus til I die, Columbus til I die. I know I am, I swear I am, Columbus til I die!

by BLAZER_FAN_199 on Oct 29, 2009 11:32 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The Boston Unicorns is fantastic

I am an oasis of Blazer fandom in a bleak desert of Laker fans.

by RenoBlazerFan on Oct 29, 2009 11:54 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Poor Abe Polin

Changes name from Bullets to Wizards to avoid gun violence connotations, only to have the NAACP complain of relationship between Wizards and the KKK.

"I love me some mountain man." – ratbastird

by Devenex on Oct 29, 2009 11:41 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Poor guy can’t catch a break…sad.

Columbus til I die, Columbus til I die. I know I am, I swear I am, Columbus til I die!

by BLAZER_FAN_199 on Oct 29, 2009 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

then just call 'em "the Wiz"

and ease on down the road…oops, then he’ll be at risk of copyright infringment from the movie/studio execs

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 29, 2009 1:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Washington Politicians? No, then no one would want to see them…

Columbus til I die, Columbus til I die. I know I am, I swear I am, Columbus til I die!

by BLAZER_FAN_199 on Oct 29, 2009 2:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

"Senators" was already taken

and few baseball fans go watch them

maybe the name “Lobbyists” would be more popular?

How about “Interns”?

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 29, 2009 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The PACs

"And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make." -The Beatles

by 92wastheyear on Oct 30, 2009 11:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I always thought the Trail Blazers was kinda weak for a team name....

Don’t get me wrong, they are my team, but, y’know. Of course, Oregon also has Ducks, Beavers, etc., so a long tradition of terrible team names exists.

I am an oasis of Blazer fandom in a bleak desert of Laker fans.

by RenoBlazerFan on Oct 29, 2009 11:55 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Lets say they kept with the animal theme, and used the Platypus as their name. How would you feel then?

Columbus til I die, Columbus til I die. I know I am, I swear I am, Columbus til I die!

by BLAZER_FAN_199 on Oct 29, 2009 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Are there platypuses in Oregon?

How about the Oregon Opossums?

I am an oasis of Blazer fandom in a bleak desert of Laker fans.

by RenoBlazerFan on Oct 29, 2009 1:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

platypus is the award they used to give for the Civil war

half-Duck, half rat (or a different kind of aquatic mammal with buck teeth and flat tail…)

Unaffiliated Oregon college football fans (are there any of these?) may opt to call themselves “platypussies”

it’s kind of like being an “Independent”

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 29, 2009 2:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The society of 'possum lovers against animal tragedies

aka “SPLAAT”

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 29, 2009 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Even better...

The Portland Nutria!

by stonecoach on Oct 29, 2009 5:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Muskrat love

aka swamp bunny

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 30, 2009 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I disagree strongly on all counts

When it comes to team names, I put a lot of weight in three factors:

Originality –
- I know of no other "Duck" (save the weak-sauce century late "Mighty" NHL variety. Stupid Disney.)
- I know of no other “Trailblazer”
- I know of only one other "Beaver", but since it is also local, I feel okay about it.

Local significance –
- Ducks, Beavers, and Trailblazers are obvious.

Cool factor -
- Ducks are the only animal species I know that are masters of land, air and water. That = cool.
- Beavers can chew through a tree. That = cool
- Trailblazers undertook an amazing cross country journey that ended with their building the NW empire with only what they could take with them and the sweat of their brow. That = cool.

The real problem is that our mascot fails on all three counts. Blaze = sux.

Two points scored by GO’ = "thunderdunk"

by T$ 225 on Oct 29, 2009 1:48 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

nope--still weak

I am an oasis of Blazer fandom in a bleak desert of Laker fans.

by RenoBlazerFan on Oct 29, 2009 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If you're going with NW animals

how about Eagles or coyotes or cougars or pumas or rattlers or bears or anything. Ducks?

I am an oasis of Blazer fandom in a bleak desert of Laker fans.

by RenoBlazerFan on Oct 29, 2009 2:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’ll pass on some of these…

Minnesota Timberwolves (coyotes), Memphis Grizzlies (bears)

Something about rattlers just doesn’t sound right when talking about Portland.

Eagles sounds ok, and Pumas sounds a little high schoolish

Columbus til I die, Columbus til I die. I know I am, I swear I am, Columbus til I die!

by BLAZER_FAN_199 on Oct 29, 2009 2:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

How about Cougars?

You would have to rethink the entire roster of the Blazerdancers…..

I am an oasis of Blazer fandom in a bleak desert of Laker fans.

by RenoBlazerFan on Oct 29, 2009 2:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No.

No on the cougars name.
No on replacing the Blazerdancers with 50 somethings.

Two points scored by GO’ = "thunderdunk"

by T$ 225 on Oct 29, 2009 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

AGREE!!

Columbus til I die, Columbus til I die. I know I am, I swear I am, Columbus til I die!

by BLAZER_FAN_199 on Oct 30, 2009 5:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nothing wrong with those choices

if you want something totally generic and void of creativity.

There are dozens of eagles, coyotes, cougars, rattlers, & bears mascots at every level of the sporting world, only because they have sharp teeth. For me, I prefer something unique.

Two points scored by GO’ = "thunderdunk"

by T$ 225 on Oct 29, 2009 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I see your point--I'm just funnin with ya

I am an oasis of Blazer fandom in a bleak desert of Laker fans.

by RenoBlazerFan on Oct 29, 2009 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

How about the Huckleberries? Or the Hazelnuts? Aren't they Oregon-exclusive?

Or northwest-exclusive, anyway

I am an oasis of Blazer fandom in a bleak desert of Laker fans.

by RenoBlazerFan on Oct 29, 2009 2:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Huckleberry is plausable

but only if you go overboard with the Doc Holiday angle

How about Portland Pinot Snobs? Oregon Hydros? Or my favorite, the Portland Weirdos?

Two points scored by GO’ = "thunderdunk"

by T$ 225 on Oct 29, 2009 2:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Now you are on to something

I am an oasis of Blazer fandom in a bleak desert of Laker fans.

by RenoBlazerFan on Oct 29, 2009 2:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oregon is the biggest raspberry producer in the country

and oh, the possibilities of being the “Raspberries”!

by Section323 on Oct 29, 2009 7:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

do you mean

these Raspberries?

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 30, 2009 12:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

the slugs?

Oregon Slug Festival: January 1st to December 31st

never to be confused with these

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 29, 2009 4:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ducks are also Disney

Yes, I root for a school whose mascot is named after Donald Duck and who is basically an unofficial subsidiary of Nike, and I love it!

"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely

by skywaker9 on Oct 29, 2009 2:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ducks are the only animal species I know that are masters of land…

On your mark, get set…waddle!

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 29, 2009 2:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

eh... "masters" might be a stretch

how about “marginally competent”?

Two points scored by GO’ = "thunderdunk"

by T$ 225 on Oct 29, 2009 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

less likely to be run over

than a certain buck-toothed, flat-tailed, tree-biting water mammal

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 29, 2009 4:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You've seen a duck waddle on land, right?

I wouldn’t exactly say they’re “masters” of land navigation.

"Ain't nothin' in this world for free."

by Arby on Oct 29, 2009 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know of only one other “Beaver”, but since it is also local, I feel okay about it.

My wife (who is from Tacoma) thought it was so cheesy that Beaverton high school’s nickname is the "Be*vers and the Tigard HS mascot is…the Tiger

Beaverton Be*vers AAA baseball is coming to a westside stadium, soon

thank you, PDX protesters

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 30, 2009 12:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Portland Pioneers

my family’s been in the Willamette valley for 120+ years, I like this one

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 29, 2009 1:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

actually

Oregon Pioneers would be better, there’s a whole lot of folks in this state besides the ones who live in Multnomah County

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 29, 2009 2:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

YEAH!!!

Like….what about Washington County…you guys ever think about THAT?!

"And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make." -The Beatles

by 92wastheyear on Oct 30, 2009 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

grew up and still work in WA

live in Yamhill

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 30, 2009 12:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

lol...I was being sarcastic

"And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make." -The Beatles

by 92wastheyear on Oct 30, 2009 12:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Portland Pioneers

has a nice ring to it

bayless leaves over my dead body
andre miller>hedo, blake

by thomasikehara on Oct 29, 2009 12:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

by skywaker9 on Oct 29, 2009 2:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I always thought it symbolized five on offense, five on defense.

"Rudy is not everyday a shooter," Fernandez said. "He's defense. He's passes. He's assists."

by jebuz on Oct 29, 2009 2:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's suspiciously close to a sexual reference

“sixty nine”…I guess the basketball players just reeeeally enjoy each other.

"Ain't nothin' in this world for free."

by Arby on Oct 29, 2009 4:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I always thought it worked for

p and b, portland blazers. Meh. Could work.

Andre to Roy alley oops = 24-7 = All day every day

by dpnim on Oct 30, 2009 12:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oops that would be a q, not a p.

Guess it doesn’t work.

Andre to Roy alley oops = 24-7 = All day every day

by dpnim on Oct 30, 2009 12:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nor me. Nice to know.

by dario argento on Oct 30, 2009 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Where did they get that story from?

I’ve always been told that the Blazer logo doesn’t have any real meaning behind it. It was just something that Harry Glickman’s daughter came up with.

"We didn't start the fire. It was always burning. Since the world's been turning." - E. E. Cummings

by Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Oct 30, 2009 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs