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So long, James, Allen, Pierce and Garnett. King James, Jesus Shuttlesworth, The Truth and KG may be headed to the backs of NBA jerseys.
Some members of the Miami Heat have been told the NBA was considering having them and the Brooklyn Nets wear "nickname jerseys" in at least one of their four match-ups this season.
The NBA has not announced the plan, but teams have been aware of the likelihood of it happening for several weeks.
For now, only the Heat and the Nets would be taking part. It's unclear how many times those teams would wear the nickname jerseys, or if they would ever wear them against other opponents.
"It shows growth in our league and it shows we do adapt to what's going on around us," said Allen, the Heat guard who plans to wear Shuttlesworth on his jersey, a nod to his character from the He Got Game film.
"And we're still kids, playing a kids' game. Even though we're now men playing a kids' game, we still remember where we come from. Everybody had a nickname and it's a way to let the fans in a little bit more."
Players were asked to submit what names they would want on the jerseys.
Four-time NBA most-valuable-player LeBron James is expected to wear "King James". Heat guard Dwyane Wade would have any number of nicknames to choose from, with "Three" - both his jersey number and championship-ring total - being his favourite. He could also go with his more commonly known name, "D-Wade".
Brooklyn forward Paul Pierce has been called "The Truth" for many years, and fellow Nets forward Kevin Garnett has long been known by his initials, or "The Big Ticket".
The Heat and Nets are among the pre-season favourites in the Eastern Conference, which Miami has won in each of the past three seasons.
Miami forward Shane Battier - who wasn't exactly thrilled about the nickname idea - said he wanted to wear "Batman" on his jersey, but was told that Warner Brothers held the rights to that name, and other players have also had to deal with copyright-related issues with their suggested monikers. Battier said he would go with "Shaneo" instead.
"Fans will like it and so will a lot of the players," Allen said. "Guys will get a good kick out of it."
Some of the reaction around the league wasn't supportive of the idea.
"The nickname makes it more about the individual," Kendall Marshall of the Phoenix Suns wrote on Twitter. "It's still a team sport. Represent your team."


NBA reportedly ready to allow nicknames on match jerseys

LeBron "King" James relaxes at an NFL match. Photo: AFP

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Officials reportedly ready to allow players to sport nicknames on their match-day jerseys


Some members of the Miami Heat have been told the NBA was considering having them and the Brooklyn Nets wear "nickname jerseys" in at least one of their four match-ups this season.
