Best name in the NBA? We’re going with Speedy

By Eli Altman
May 7, 2009
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Filed under Naming
Gotta get up to get down–Speedy Claxton taking it to the rim.

The NBA Playoffs are in full swing and I wanted to take a moment to discuss the player with the best name in the league. Jesus Shuttlesworth is fictional, so he’s out. It’s not Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Zaza Pachulia or Hedo Turkoglu—it’s the Atlanta Hawk’s own Speedy Claxton. How cool of a name is that? It sounds like he plays basketball for an inter-galactic league in the future. It’s too bad he wasn’t around when Space Jam was being made.

Craig “Speedy” Claxton was born in New York. He played high school ball on the same team as Lamar Odom and committed to Hofstra University. He was drafted 20th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2000 draft. Eventually he made his way to the Atlanta Hawks where he has been on and off the court with injuries.

We’re not sure when he dropped ‘Craig’, but that seems like a no-brainer.  We wish Speedy the best in the Hawks current series against Lebron James and the Cavaliers—he’ll need as much help as he can get.