Slam Dunk Central

On Monday, I began a series documenting the meaning behind the nickname of every NBA team. I went through the Southeast and now here is the Central. Give yourself ten dollars if you guessed the Atlantic is next.

Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavaliers began as a NBA expansion team in 1970. A tidbit on the Cavs page on sportsencyclopedia.com notes that the term Cavalier was the winner in an 11,000 entry contest that included choices such as Jays, Foresters and Presidents.It is difficult to find out exactly why Cavalier was chosen in the contest, but a look at Wikipedia shows that the word referred to supporters of King Charles I who enjoyed fashionable attire. The chaplain to King Charles stated that the name cavalier referred to a man as “a Child of Honour, a Gentleman well borne and bred, that loves his king for conscience sake, of a clearer countenance, and bolder look than other men, because of a more loyal Heart.”  That sounds much the way the current Cavaliers probably view their leader, “King” James.

Chicago Bulls: The Bulls formed in 1966 as the city’s third attempt at the NBA. The Stags played in Chicago in the late ‘40s and the Packers played for a few years in the early-‘60s before moving to Baltimore . A bull is a great name for a sports team as aggression and tenacity are the types of adjectives used to describe the hulking animal.  Blood-thirsty is another one, although that is a more appropriate designation for the late-‘80s Pistons or early-‘90s Knicks.  Apparently, Bulls owner Dick Klein wanted to properly represent the region in 1966 and named his basketball team the Bulls as an ode to the local livestock industry. It’s a good thing that yak aren’t raised in Illinois.

Detroit Pistons: The Pistons originated in Fort Wayne , Ind. as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons.  They began play in the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1946 under the ownership of Fred Zollner, whose company manufactured pistons for car, tuck and locomotive engines.  Zollner’s team moved to the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1948 and finally to the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949 after Zollner merge the NBL and BAA into the NBA.  In 1957, the team was moved to Detroit, a city that was, and still is in many ways, the mecca of automotive production. And the nickname Pistons was never more fitting.

Indiana Pacers: The team was created by a collaboration of investors in 1967 and placed in the American Basketball Association. Due to Indiana ’s rich automotive racing history, including the use of pace cars in the famous Indianapolis 500 race, the nickname Pacer became a natural fit.

Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks began their first season of existence in the NBA in 1968 and became relevant as soon as they drafted Lew Alcindor, now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in the 1969 NBA draft. It was a unique way in which the Bucks were coined with their nickname.  In a statewide naming contest, R.D. Trebilcox of Whitefish Bay, Wisc. stated that the team should be called the Bucks because they are spirited, good jumping, fast and agile animals.  Of course, it would make more sense if the franchise targeted players who displayed these characteristics (yes, that’s a direct shot at Andrew Bogut.)

Stumble it!