Gretzky won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers during the 1980s, before he was dealt in a blockbuster deal to the Los Angeles Kings. Before these famous images went viral, Oscar De La Hoya was boxing's "Golden Boy," a heavy-hitter with a squeaky-clean image. He appeared in six postseasons with the Dodgers (1949, 195253, 195556, 1959), facing theNew York Yankeesin the first five and theChicago White Soxin the final. The Neon legend was born in Tallahassee, where Sanders was a two-time consensus All-America, and a Jim Thorpe . The best players to wear 18 as their jersey numbers are sprinkled across all major sports. Over the course of his prolific career, he wore the #80 for three different teams, but is best remembered for wearing it in the red and gold of the San Francisco 49ers. The 6'9", 271lb lineman recorded 57 sacks in his career but played before the sack became an official stat in 1982. With arguably the most famous nickname in the history of media, Dwayne Johnson is built like a rock and wrestled like a rock. 2. Full list of Olympic athletes, including Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka and Michael Phelps. During theWorld Seriesagainst theDodgers, Munson was interviewed and suggested that Jackson, because of his past postseason performances, might be the better interview subject. Payton is no exception and quickly garnered the nickname "Sweetness" for his ability to make plays, and slide through the defense with ease. Fans of this era only know his name as the legend, but quotes from players of his day tell the story of Wagner as a dirty player, often clueing infielders and holding baserunners by the jersey as they attempted to round a base. Wooden disapproved so mightily of individual achievement, he wouldn't even allow his players to dunk the ball. Applicants are ranked on creativity, unique jargon and consideration of prominence. As of 1999 . Not only is Wei a three-time Olympic silver medalist, he is also the first badminton player to have kept the #1 world ranking for three years. 4 in assists and Nash, another who wore No. The Rock is just too famous of a nickname to not put on this list. Jeter was named to fourteen All-Star teams and won the World Series five times during his career with the Bronx Bombers. By the 1930s numbers on uniforms were standard practice for Major League Baseball teams and were common in other sports like football and hockey. Each sprin Ryan recorded 5,714 strikeouts, 324 wins and a TKO of Robin Ventura in his 27-year career. Legendary NFL players with number 18 jerseys include Peyton Manning, Charlie Joiner, and Emmitt Thomas, all Hall of Fame-level players whose career . It has been said that Floyd actually fell asleep several times during games in his career, and his hooded eyelids certainly didn't help refute the claims. Also called "The Boilermaker," Jeffries was a world heavyweight boxing champion just before the turn of the 20th century. The wily pitcher was a fan favorite despite his volatile personality, and his moniker is indicative of his aggressive pitching style. 6. Gabby Douglas (Gymnastics)- Flying Squirrel. Muhammad Ali. The Team clue is for the team that that athlete is most notable for while wearing the #23, not their current teams. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Jim Umbricht (Houston Astros) 10. During and following his boxing career, Tyson is known for his unusual and often frightening quotes and taunts and also several run-ins with law enforcement. That brings his total annual income to roughly $80 million. No. Seriously, the man eclipsed Rosie O'Donnell. 13, is right above him at the No. 3 He was known as the 'Splendid Splinter' and is considered one of baseball's greatest hitters. Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd In 1993, Williams started wearing the No. Lee Chong Wei. Kuko is considered one of the best wingmen to ever play the game, and therefore might be the only man on the planet capable of gettingFranck Ribry a real date. Quite possibly the athlete with the most nicknames in sports history, Shaquille O'Neal seems to be a fan favorite wherever he goes, and his outgoing personality has earned him numerous sponsorships and TV/Film appearances. A sporty name from a Paralympic athlete can remind children to never give up. There are a couple of stories regarding the origin of Randy Johnson's nickname. 6 - Bill Russell, with special mention to Stan "the Man" Musial and Julius Erving, basketball's "Dr. J.". 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"Hammerin' Hank" played 23 seasons and recorded 755 career home runs and 3,771 hits. "The Great One" is the simplest way to describe his talents, although a more creative moniker would gain more points. Tiger Woods is a professional golfer and tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds multiple golf records. When the Reading Red Roses took the field in 1907, they changed sports history forever. The defensive back has become known for two things: His "bump-and-run" coverage on receivers that earned him the nickname "Molester" for the brutal way he treated receivers coming off the line of scrimmage and for using Stick 'Em on his hands before the league banned the substance and named the rule after Hayes. A power reliever, he put his full weight behind every pitch, so that he dropped hard to the right, sometimes falling off the mound. Hirsch made his NFL debut for the Chicago Rockets before finishing his career with the Los Angeles Rams. Penny has attributed his successes in life to his grandma, who raised him up as a child while his mother was away working. Like English . Gordie Howe is considered one of the best hockey players in history but is also known for his friendly personality, kind demeanor, longevity as a player and prolific goal-scoring. He has been inducted into the Pro and College Football Hall of Fames as well as the Atlanta Falcons ring of honor. Manager Alfred Lawson chose to put numbers on his teams jerseys in order for fans to easily identify each of th. The running back/receiver was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and named to the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team. No. John G. Zimmerman/SI. 99. Joel Mason, an Iron River native who was born March 12, 1912 and died Oct. 31, 1995 at the age of 83, was a professional football and basketball player. The Dodgers won theWorld Series in 1955and in1959. Other nicknames include "Pillsbury Throwboy," "J. As time passes, these athletes will be remembered for the accomplishments achieved while wearing their preferred numbers. Thomas was a dominant hitter and an icon during his playing days with the Chicago White Sox. The Wu-Tang Clan references are as . The program will chronicle Tyson's love for pigeon racing. He wore the #3 for his entire baseball career and has had that number retired by the New York Yankees. If the Cuban pitcher ever wanted to sue the founder of Pilates, he may have a solid case. Jackson spent 12 years in the majors with thePhiladelphia Athletics(19081909),Cleveland Naps/Indians(19101915) andChicago White Sox(19151920). Davis would often cry to his coach, begging the man to let him play with his friends and the coach would say, "stop crying, you big baby!" Here's a look at 19 of the most famous athletes in the world. Smith is a 15-time All-Star, 13-time Gold Glove Winner and a 1982 World Series Champion with the St. Louis Cardinals. He did however appear in summerstock productions ofDamn YankeesandFiddler on the Roof.". 1 1. For most of his career, Jordan sported the #23, except for one season during which he donned #45 after his return from retirement. Jeffries boxed in a time where blacks were heavily persecuted, and "The Great White Hope" was a moniker for his desire to destroy all blacks with his boxing abilities. The most frequent answer was Michael Jordan (23%), followed by Cristiano Ronaldo (15%) in second, and Muhammad Ali (12%) in third. Michael Jordan's #23. The nickname literally translated means "The Duke," but his moniker is in reference to a tropical hurricane, which he is said to have brought on his opponents while pitching on the mound. Emmitt Smith. 99 (he originally wore the No. Glen Davis was a big kid. Triskaidekaphobic football fans dreaded the Sundays when Marino and the Miami Dolphins rolled into town, because it usually meant their defense was in for a long day. Right after the Bulls and Michael Jordan won the 1991 NBA title, Gatorade la When Stewart entered the NFL, he was moved from quarterback to receiver, but was often placed under center for certain plays by head coach Bill Cowher. The former Super Bowl champion New York Giant gained the nickname due to his large stature and semi-rare left-handedness. Other nicknames, aliases, and monikers include: "Shaq," "Shaq Fu," "The BigAristotle," "The Big Daddy," "Superman," "The BigAgave," "The Big Cactus," "The Big Shaqtus," "The BigGalactus," "Wilt Chamberneezy," "The BigBaryshnikov," "The Real Deal," "Dr. Shaq,""The BigShamrock," "The BigLeprechaun," "Shaqovic,"and the most recent, "The Big Conductor.". Clayton Kershaw. In true legendary boxer style, Ali gave himself the nickname "The Greatest," but also deserves it. Venus Williams has seven grand slam titles, of which 5 are at Wimbledon, making her one of the best in the game. #23 is now retired by both the Chicago Bulls and North Carolina Tar Heels. Marino is one of the most prolific passers in the history of the NFL, amassing 61,361 yards during his seventeen seasons in the league. Payton's defense is the stuff of NBA legend. It seemed so right to give him the nickname, giventhe man many consider to be the best boxer of all-time is also named "Sugar Ray" (Robinson). The Pro Football Hall of Famer has 16,726 career yards, along with 110 TDs on the ground. legendary athlete number 23 nicknamepeinture gris mtallis voiturepeinture gris mtallis voiture Wilkins played 11 seasons of NBA basketball with the Atlanta Hawks and was a nine-time NBA All-Star. "The Glide" is a member of the Hall of Fame and captured the 1995 NBA championship with the Houston Rockets. Naim Sleymanolu (Weightlifting)- Pocket Hercules. Hall of Fame linebacker got the nickname Mad Stork for his gangly frame (6-7, 220-pounds). Elway retired following two consecutive Super Bowl wins and appeared in five Super Bowls. Either way, the nickname is very fitting of one of the most dominant strike-out pitchers the game has ever seen. Magics versatility allowed him to play all five positions on the court, and he earned three MVP Awards in both the regular season and NBA Finals. He retired as the all-time leader in goals scored with 894 and holds the all-time lead in assists with 1,963. Kukowas a member of the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the late '90s, where he gained his nickname for his superb play and country of origin. 10 Tiger Woods Image Credit- PGA Tour. This nickname was bound to happen, seeing as how his last name is so closely spelled to "goose," and there were no other candidates that could top it. The iconic hitter earned the nickname "The Flying Dutchman" in his playing days for his speed and nationality. He is the only player in the history of the league to receive this honor. Fisk held the MLB record for games played at the catcher position (2,226) until Rodriguez broke it in 2009 with the Texas Rangers. These individuals are synonymous with these names and will always remember their playing days and the monikers we used to make them legends of the lingo. Also known as simply "A.I.," Iverson became known as "The Answer" in his first tour of duty with the Philadelphia 76ers. It has been said that he could run 100 yards in 10 seconds and high jump over six feet. He has a career batting average of .356 and 1,772 hits.