Jazz bringing back the mountains?

[Delux247]

This conversation got me to thinking about other NBA teams without appropriate names for thier respective cities:

-Lakers (like the Jazz, a move w/o a name change is confusing), should be 'Stars', 'Cashmoney', or 'Celebs'.

-Hornets (neither Charlotte, New Orleans, nor OKC have significant relevance), should be 'Beads', 'Spice', or even 'Jazz'.

-Raptors (what?), I don't even know Toronto well enough to propose names.

Of course, there are those with names that do match:

-Celtics (there's a reason I heard once but can't remember it)

-Mavericks (cowboys)

-Nuggets (gold rush)

-Pistons (automobile industry)

-Rockets ("Houston, we have a problem")

-Pacers (Indy 500)

-Heat (its Florida)

-Timberwolves (northern MN natives)

-Magic (Disney World)

-76ers (nation's history)

-Suns (dry, hot southwest)

-Spurs (Alamo/cowboy history)

...and then the ones with just a run-of-the-mill name:

-Hawks

-Bobcats

-Bulls

-Cavaliers

-Warriors

-Clippers

-Grizzlies

-Bucks

-Nets (I suppose to keep with the Mets & Jets of east Rutherford area)

-Knicks

-Blazers

-Kings

-Sonics

-Wizards

[Tazz013]

...and then the ones with just a run-of-the-mill name:

-Hawks

-Bobcats

-Bulls

-Cavaliers

-Warriors

-Clippers

-Grizzlies

-Bucks

-Nets (I suppose to keep with the Mets & Jets of east Rutherford area)

-Knicks

-Blazers

-Kings

-Sonics

-Wizards

The Hawks (originally the Tri-City Blackhawks located in Illinois) were named after Sauk Chief Black Hawk.

I always thought the Bulls nickname was because of the CHX.

The Warriors get their name from the Native American tribe in their area.

The Los Angeles (originally San Diego) Clippers name is because of the city's proximity to the harbor.

The Memphis (originally Vancouver) Grizzlies have their name because Grizzly Bears live in the wild of British Columbia, Canada.

Wisconsin has one of the largest populations of white tailed deer in the nation, thus the reasoning behind the Bucks' name.

Nets may have something to do with the off shore fishing economy of the north east coast.

Knickerbockers (Knicks for short) is because of the style of pants worn by settlers to the area.

The Portland Trail Blazers name is because of the Oregon Trail and Lewis and Clark expedition.

The Seattle Supersonics got their name because Boeing (who was developing a supersonic jet to compete with the Concorde) was HQed in the area.

[Krona]

New Jersey was originally new york.

[winghaz]

This conversation got me to thinking about other NBA teams without appropriate names for thier respective cities:

-Lakers (like the Jazz, a move w/o a name change is confusing), should be 'Stars', 'Cashmoney', or 'Celebs'.

-Hornets (neither Charlotte, New Orleans, nor OKC have significant relevance), should be 'Beads', 'Spice', or even 'Jazz'.

-Raptors (what?), I don't even know Toronto well enough to propose names.

Of course, there are those with names that do match:

-Celtics (there's a reason I heard once but can't remember it)

-Mavericks (cowboys)

-Nuggets (gold rush)

-Pistons (automobile industry)

-Rockets ("Houston, we have a problem")

-Pacers (Indy 500)

-Heat (its Florida)

-Timberwolves (northern MN natives)

-Magic (Disney World)

-76ers (nation's history)

-Suns (dry, hot southwest)

-Spurs (Alamo/cowboy history)

...and then the ones with just a run-of-the-mill name:

-Hawks

-Bobcats

-Bulls

-Cavaliers

-Warriors

-Clippers

-Grizzlies

-Bucks

-Nets (I suppose to keep with the Mets & Jets of east Rutherford area)

-Knicks

-Blazers

-Kings

-Sonics

-Wizards

There are some mistakes here:

Hornets definitely has a Carolina connotation. The nickname refers to what Cornwallis said about Carolina Patriots. Many Charlotte teams over the years have been called Hornets.

Blazers, as in Trail Blazers, stands for the Oregon Trail and the Lewis and Clark Trail. Very Oregonian.

Sonics, as in SuperSonics, were named for Seattle's aerospace industry, specifically its Boeing plant.

Knicks? My gosh, don't you know anything about New York?

Bulls were named for Chicago's livestock industry.

Others have been mentioned, such as Clippers and Grizzlies.

Probably the best of all the moved nicknames was the Detroit Pistons. They went from Fort Wayne, where Zollner pistons were made, to Motor City.

And Celtics, the reason which you forgot happens to be all the Irish in Boston. Kind of like Minnesota's NFL team being the Vikings because of all the Norwegians in Minnesota.

Now, about Warriors. That name has nothing to do with tribes around California, since the team was moved there from Philadelphia.

[whitedawg22]

Still other nickname explanations...

Bobcats: The bobcat is one of the few indigenous predators to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County area of North Carolina. That paired with the fact that Charlotte is home to the NFL's Carolina Panthers made the cat-theme a natural choice to carry over to its new basketball team (in keeping up with the cat theme, the city's public-transit system is called CATS, short for "Charlotte Area Transit System").

Cavaliers: Named Cavaliers as an expansion team in 1970. The name Cavaliers came from a 'name the team' contest run by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The fan's top five choices were Cavaliers, Jays, Foresters, Towers, and Presidents.

Kings: The Rochester Royals began play in the National Basketball League in 1946. In 1948 they joined the Basketball Association of America. The team joined the NBA in 1949. When the franchise moved from Cincinatti to Kansas City-Omaha in 1972, the name was changed to Kings because there was already a Kansas City Royals baseball team. The team moved to Sacramento in 1985.

Warriors: The Philadelphia Warriors played in the Basketball Association of America beginning in 1946. They were named after an earlier incarnation of the Philadelphis Warriors, that played in the American Basketball League. That team folded in 1928. The team moved to the Bay Area in 1962.

Nets: Originally New Jersey Americans. The ABA's New Jersey Americans started play in 1967. When the franchise moved to Long Island, NY, a year later the name was changed to Nets. It was picked because nets are an integral part of basketball and the name also fit well with other NY pro teams, the Jets and Mets. The team returned to New Jersey in 1977.

Almost all these are verbatim from a great site, http://www.funtrivia.com/en/Sports/Old-Nam...eams-11247.html

[rvrdgsfn]

those are super fugly

Yeah they are ugly

Very ugly

[Carter23]

i actually really like the main and secondary logos, and the colors fit, but the uniform is just horrible, there really is no connection to the logos except for the elastic on the shorts. the fonts aren't even the same! ugh

[VC//]

I threw up a little bit in my mouth just now when i saw those shorts.

[DomTheAthlete29]

those are super fugly

dido, thats all we need to say

[Gothamite]

those are super fugly

dido, thats all we need to say

Dido? Where?

I love that little gal.

[Eye]

those are super fugly

dido, thats all we need to say

Dido? Where?

I love that little gal.

el oh el. ditto?

[pcgd]

Still other nickname explanations...

Bobcats: The bobcat is one of the few indigenous predators to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County area of North Carolina. That paired with the fact that Charlotte is home to the NFL's Carolina Panthers made the cat-theme a natural choice to carry over to its new basketball team (in keeping up with the cat theme, the city's public-transit system is called CATS, short for "Charlotte Area Transit System").

Also a nod to BOB Johnson, owner of the team.

Just think if they went with Flight instead. (one of the proposed nicknames) It would have taken a season, but it still would have been named after one of their owners...

[IceCap]

Cavaliers: Named Cavaliers as an expansion team in 1970. The name Cavaliers came from a 'name the team' contest run by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The fan's top five choices were Cavaliers, Jays, Foresters, Towers, and Presidents.

Point of refrence:

Cavaliers is a nod to the supporters of King Charles I of Britain during the British Civil War. The war was fought between Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell, and the royalists, lead by Charles I. The royalist forces were nicknamed cavaliers, and the parliamentry forces were nicknamed roundheads. After Parliament won the war and beheaded Charles I they declared Britain a commonwealth (back then commonwealth ment republic). The majority of cavaliers fled, fearing for their lives. Many fled to the American colonies, a large number of them setteling in Ohio.

[Blue Falcon]

If the Jazz were to change their name to fit better with the area they represent, their new name would be:

Utah Polygamists.

[pittfan11]

I'd say the Jazz were going back to that if those shorts were adidas brand.

[leedsunited]

Just go back to the musical note logo and end all discussion.

Amen to this. The Jazz have been junk ever since they dropped that one.

Mountains or no mountains, looks ridiculous.

[The_Admiral]

If the Jazz were to change their name to fit better with the area they represent, their new name would be:

Utah Polygamists. 

You're really keepin' with the times

The Jazz have been junk ever since they dropped that one.

They went to the finals twice

[AAO]

these are the same exact shorts previous to what they currently wear. that snowflake logo has been around forever. false alarm folks.

[leedsunited]

If the Jazz were to change their name to fit better with the area they represent, their new name would be:

Utah Polygamists. 

You're really keepin' with the times

The Jazz have been junk ever since they dropped that one.

They went to the finals twice

The Jazz LOOK has been junk.

I couldnt care less how they do on the court.