Renaming NBA Franchises
- Thread starter Marbleheader
- Start date
Magic is definitely a reference to Disney. It could probably work with other cities too since it’s so generic but still
They are names with strong regional ties - they just don't make sense. As we've been discussing, the Jazz should go back to New Orleans. The Lakers going to Minnesota is never going to happen. But, they have one of the strongest name associations with a city, but one that doesn't make any sense.
You could make a good argument for the Boston Clippers, as more of them were built in Boston (and north of Boston) than anywhere else in the U.S.
Chicago's Bulls (and Bears) references the city's commodity exchanges -- a big historical deal esp. in the late-19th/early-20th centuries
Bears is a nod to the team that was already in Chicago, the Cubs. (We're a bigger and meaner version!)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Bears
The Rockets “regional tie” is a happy accident. They were originally the San Diego Rockets. When they moved to Houston it was just coincidental that the nickname fit that city.
I know why Washington changed their name, but why did they pick the Wizard? That wasn't so, uh... wizard.
The dark side of me wishes they were still the Bullets when Agent Zero and Javaris C. were having their gun fight in the locker room. Still, probably the best name change the league has ever seen.
"The name depicts energy and an omnipresent power, and brings to light what is hoped to be the wise and magical nature of the team."
If they wanted a symbol of DC I think the Washington Half-Smokes would’ve been a really cool name
