Ten Best Utah Jazz Nicknames

Mar 7, 2019, 2:18 PM

Darrell Griffith #35 of the Utah Jazz dribbles the ball during an NBA game at The Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1988. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

BY TREVOR ALLEN & NATE DOWDLE, KSL SPORTS

KSL Sports

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors is possibly playing his best basketball as he has had two games with outstanding performances, which were much needed for the Jazz.

After Favors dropped 23 points, 18 rebounds and three blocks, while shooting 10-for-12 from the field, Favors sent out a tweet that put a picture of him next to the Hulk.

pic.twitter.com/vHITOcMpN0

— Derrick Favors (@dfavors14) March 3, 2019

Most recently, Favors had a season-high 25 points to go with his 5 rebounds and 2 blocks, while hitting 9-of-11 from the field in their win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

This season, Favors is averaging 11.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

The Hulk comparison led KSL Sports to go back in Jazz history and rank the best nicknames for players in history of the franchise.

T-10. Big Dawg

Antoine Carr joined the Jazz in 1994 and played with the team until 1998, where he was in a Jazz uniform when they face the Bulls in the NBA Finals. Fans would bark like a dog when he was on the floor and around town. He averaged 9.3 points per game in his 17-year NBA career.

T-10. Hot Rod Hundley

One of the best broadcasters in all of sports was the play-by-play voice of the Jazz since 1974, when they were in New Orleans. He made the move with the team to Salt Lake City. Hundley retired in 2009, but before every broadcast, he was always known as “Hot Rod Hundley.” Hundley called 3,051 games for the Jazz. He passed away at age 80 in 2015.

9. Horny

Jeff “Horny” Hornacek was a prolific shooter in the 90’s with Stockton and Malone when the Jazz made their run to back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals. He spent six seasons with the Jazz before retiring from basketball in 2000.

8. Slow-Moe Joe

Joe Ingles has many nicknames that include “headband Joe” or “Jinglin’ Joe” that he has received through his five seasons with the Jazz. The slow-Moe Joe reference comes from his style on the floor. Not the quickest player but very efficient.

7. Money Memo

Mehmet Okur was a fan favorite for hitting big shots in clutch moments for the Jazz. That’s where “Money Memo” came from. He played for the Jazz from 2004-11, where he was named an all-star in 2007.

6. Pistol Pete

An NBA legend in “Pistol” Pete Maravich was in a Jazz uniform from 1974-80, where he played for both New Orleans and the Utah Jazz. He spent 10 years in the NBA and scored almost 16,000 points in his career that included three different teams. Maravich died at the age of 40 from heart failure.

5. AK-47

The initials and the number he wore made the Russian Andrei Kirilenko “AK-47.” Fun fact, he was born in the city Izhevsk in Russia, where the weapon was first manufactured. Kirilenko spent 10 years with the Jazz before going back to Russia for one season. He returned to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets from 2012-14 before ending his career in Russia back in 2015. During his time in Utah, Kirilenko was named an all-star in 2004, NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2006 and named to the second team twice.

4. Spida

The second year Utah Jazz superstar has already become a fan favorite in Salt Lake City. The Spida nickname was already with Mitchell before he was drafted to the Jazz in 2017. It’s even on his Twitter handle and will be a part of his signature shoe from Adidas. The nickname has also been added to Dictionary.com.

“A basketball species usually found above the rim; equipped with superhuman senses, shot-slinging abilities and unrivaled balance.” It’s also cited as the “nickname of Donovan Mitchell, record-breaking shooting guard for the Utah Jazz and contender for NBA’s 2018 Rookie of the Year.”

3. Stifle Tower

Rudy Gobert was given the nickname “Stifle Tower” from his NBA Draft Combine dimensions that included a 7’8 and a half inch wingspan and a 9’7 standing reach. The Frenchman was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year last season and is considered one of the best rim protectors in the league.

2. Dr. Dunkenstein

Darrell Griffith spent his entire with the Utah Jazz from 1980-91, where he was most known for rattling the rim and picked up the nickname Dr. Dunkenstein. He was the second overall pick in the 1980 draft and won Rookie of the Year in 1981.

1. The Mailman

Karl Malone was given the nickname “The Mailman” for his consistent delivery. He is regarded as one of the best power forwards in the NBA. Malone is second all-time in NBA history in scoring. He spent 18 of his 19 years in the league with the Utah Jazz.