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Nicknames: basketball quiz

4 October 2026 · Mailmen, microwaves and legends: ten questions about nicknames and the stories behind them.

Quiz questions

  1. Karl Malone spent 18 seasons with the Utah Jazz and scored nearly 37,000 career points. Why was he called 'The Mailman'?

    • He worked as a mail carrier in his home town before college
    • His father ran the local post office
    • He always delivered, night after night
    • He always arrived at the arena first, like the morning post
    Answer

    He always delivered, night after night. The nickname was born at Louisiana Tech, because Malone always delivered. He scored 36,928 points, and when he retired only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had scored more.

  2. In Greece he was known as 'Kill Bill', the man no opponent wanted to see with the ball in the last minute. Who is he?

    • Vassilis Spanoulis
    • Theodoros Papaloukas
    • Nikos Zisis
    • Kostas Sloukas
    Answer

    Vassilis Spanoulis won the EuroLeague three times, with Panathinaikos in 2009 and with Olympiacos in 2012 and 2013. He was also known as 'V-Span'.

  3. Boston's Danny Ainge said this Detroit guard heated up faster than a microwave, and 'The Microwave' stuck. In Game 5 of the 1990 Finals in Portland, he hit the shot that gave the Pistons their second straight title, with 0.7 seconds left. Who was he?

    • Joe Dumars
    • Isiah Thomas
    • Mark Aguirre
    • Vinnie Johnson
    Answer

    Vinnie Johnson's 14-foot jumper made it 92-90. He came off the bench for most of his career, which is exactly why the nickname fitted so well.

  4. His initials and his jersey number, put together, gave him the name of a famous rifle. On top of that, he was born in Izhevsk, the city where that rifle is made. Who is he?

    • Aleksandr Kaun
    • Andrei Kirilenko
    • Timofey Mozgov
    • Viktor Khryapa
    Answer

    Andrei Kirilenko wore 47 for the Utah Jazz for ten seasons and was an All-Star in 2004. In 2015 he became president of the Russian Basketball Federation.

  5. In Greece this guard was known as 'The Gangster'. He was born in New Jersey and drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1979, but a badly sprained ankle in training camp cost him a contract. He moved to his parents' homeland instead and became a legend there. Who is he?

    • Panagiotis Giannakis
    • Fanis Christodoulou
    • Nikos Galis
    • Panagiotis Fasoulas
    Answer

    Nikos Galis took Aris to three straight Final Fours and entered the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2017. His place on the 1979 Celtics roster went to Gerald Henderson.

  6. Shaquille O'Neal collected nicknames the way other players collect rings. Three of these belong to him. Which one belongs to a different big man?

    • The Big Ticket
    • The Diesel
    • The Big Aristotle
    • The Big Cactus
    Answer

    'The Big Ticket' is Kevin Garnett. Shaq gave himself 'The Big Aristotle', and 'The Big Cactus' arrived with his move to Phoenix in 2008.

  7. His nickname was 'Tiny', but this season was anything but small. Nobody else has led the NBA in both points and assists in the same season. Who is he?

    • Oscar Robertson
    • Pete Maravich
    • Isiah Thomas
    • Nate Archibald
    Answer

    Nate Archibald averaged 34.0 points and 11.4 assists for the Kansas City-Omaha Kings in 1972-73. He stood 185 cm tall, and in 1981 he won the title with Larry Bird's Celtics.

  8. In Greece one club is simply called 'Thrylos', which means 'The Legend'. Which one?

    • Panathinaikos
    • Olympiacos
    • AEK Athens
    • Aris Thessaloniki
    Answer

    Olympiacos carry the nickname in every sport they play. In May 2026 they beat Real Madrid 92-85 in the EuroLeague final in Athens.

  9. In Yugoslav basketball everyone simply called him 'Duda'. He led Yugoslavia to EuroBasket gold in 1989 and 1991 and to the 1990 world title, and then won EuroBasket again in 1995. Who was he?

    • Dušan Ivković
    • Božidar Maljković
    • Svetislav Pešić
    • Željko Obradović
    Answer

    Dušan Ivković coached Yugoslavia's last great generation, with Petrović, Divac, Kukoč and Rađa. The 1995 gold in Athens came with FR Yugoslavia, after the old country had broken up.

  10. In the late 1960s a young Knicks guard started wearing wide-brimmed fedoras like the one Warren Beatty wore in a 1967 gangster film. His teammates named him after that gangster: Clyde. Who was he?

    • Earl Monroe
    • Willis Reed
    • Walt Frazier
    • Dave DeBusschere
    Answer

    Walt Frazier's hat looked just like Clyde Barrow's in 'Bonnie and Clyde'. Years later he became the Knicks' TV voice, famous for his rhymes and his loud suits.

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