I have chosen the best nicknames of all time, strictly based on my personal opinions on how they sound. If you have any other nicknames you would like to see explained, email or come talk to me about it. These nicknames are not in any particular order. Starting with number one, Eric Esch, a.k.a Butterbean.

Eric Esch—Butterbean

Eric Esch was a professional boxer, kickboxer, and wrestler who had to go on a diet, which consisted of butter beans, chicken, and more butter beans.

Calvin Johnson—Megatron

Calvin Johnson was an NFL player who played for the Detroit Lions. He was nicknamed Megatron for his abnormally huge hands.

Andrei Kirilenko—AK-47

Kirilenko was an NBA player who played for the Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. His nickname formed when his preferred number was taken and his teammate suggested that he chose the number 47, so his initials and number would combine to be AK-47.

Deion Sanders—Prime Time

Deion Sanders was an MLB and NFL player who played for the Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Baltimore Ravens. He got his name in an interview after he did well at a high school basketball game.

Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon

Hakeem Olajuwon was an NBA player who played for the Toronto Raptors and the Houston Rockets. He got his nickname from his college coach who said when he dunked it looked like a dream.

Dale Earnhardt Sr—The Intimidator

Dale Earnhardt Sr was a professional NASCAR driver. His aggressive style of driving gave him many nicknames, my favorite being “The Intimidator”.

Gary Payton—The Glove

Gary Payton was an NBA player who played for the Seattle Supersonics, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics, and the Miami Heat. His nickname came from his cousin when he was guarding Kevin Johnson for the Phoenix Suns. His cousin started calling him glove on the sideline, and at first Payton was confused. His cousin explained that he was holding Kevin Johnson like a baseball in a glove. The rest is history.

Hector “Macho” Camacho 

Hector Camacho was a Puerto Rican professional boxer. His nickname was allegedly coined by himself and then used for the rest of his life. He had a big ego, which explains the “Macho”.

Ozzie Smith—The Wizard of Oz

Ozzie Smith was an MLB player who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Diego Padres. His nickname was widely attributed to his amazing defensive and acrobatic abilities at shortstop.

David Ortiz—Big Papi

David Ortiz was an MLB player who played for the Minnesota Twins and the Boston Red Sox. When Ortiz couldn’t remember someone’s name, he always referred to them as “Papi”. Jerry Remy, and former Red Sox second baseman, then started to call Ortiz “Big Papi”.

Fred McGriff—The Crime Dog

Fred McGriff was an MLB player who played for the Toronto Blue Jays, the San Diego Padres, the Atlanta Braves, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the Chicago Cubs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. His nickname came from McGruff, a crime dog from a cartoon series.

Charles Barkley—The Round Mound of Rebound
Charles Barkley was an NBA player who played for the Phoenix Suns, the Houston Rockets, and the Philadelphia 76ers. His nickname was a tribute to his physical size and athletic ability.

James Thomas “Cool Papa” Bell

Cool Papa Bell was a baseball player who played in the Negro Leagues. “Cool” came from when he struck out Oscar Charleston, a superstar in the Negro Leagues. “Papa” came from his maturity on the diamond. 

Pistol Pete Maravich

Pete Maravich was an NBA player who played for the Atlanta Hawks and the Utah Jazz. His nickname came from his shooting form, where he held the ball close to his side and shot his arm out when he wanted to shoot. This reminded people of a pistol.

George Gervin—The Iceman

George Gervin was an NBA player who played for the Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs. Gervin got his nickname from never sweating in a game and being cool under pressure. His teammate always called him Iceman because he was never sweating.

Red Grange—The Galloping Ghost

Red Grange was an NFL player who played for the Chicago Bears. After an amazing game in college against Michigan, he was called “The Galloping Ghost” because no one could touch him.

Julius Erving—Dr. J

Julius Erving was an NBA player who played for the New York (Brooklyn) Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers. Erving’s nickname came from a high school friend who called Erving Doctor because Erving called him Professor.

Shoeless Joe Jackson

Shoeless Joe Jackson was an MLB player who played for the Chicago White Sox, the Cleveland Indians, and the Kansas City Royals. His nickname came from infamously playing a game without shoes because they had been giving him blisters.

Elroy Hirsch—Crazylegs

Elroy Hirsch was an NFL player who played for the Chicago Rockets and the Los Angeles Rams. His nickname came from his running style, where his legs twisted as he ran. 

Willie Mays—The Say Hey Kid

Willie Mays was an MLB player who played for the New York/San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets. Mays would, at times, blurt out, “Say who, say what, say where, say hey”. A sportswriter who had caught onto this nicknamed him “The Say Hey Kid”.