Nicknames

More often than not you are handed with nicknames, but some of them have to be earned. It reminds me of how many nicknames that i have, whether it be good or bad, they are still my tags, my identities, my images.

Are you always handed with nicknames? As a baller, you earn positive nicks if you perform your uniqueness and strengths on the playground.

Let me tell you the stories behind all my nicknames.

Fat Chung (肥鍾) - Chung is my surname and i was really fat when i was a kid, that's how i got it. Actually, i earned it, literally.

Antonie Walker - remember him? The fatty point-forward who had some game but famous for his ugly shoulder-dance. Not suggesting i have shoulder-dance as well but someone called me A. Walker because i was fat yet a fairly big point guard. I was not offended by it but i was not pleased to receive such name. Did not like him.

Big Banger - when i first played basketball about 10 years ago, all i knew was to use my fat body to destroy my peers in the paint. That was all i knew, i did not shoot well, nor drive in the lane. Though it actually developed my post-up moves which have greatly benefited my current game.

The Captain - the name that i use to write here. Why? Widely-spread, most well-known nickname amongst the ballers around me in HK. I was the captain of my middle school basketball team in HK for 5 years and i have always been the captain for every team that i set up. Natural leader. Period.

Jason Kidd - what a compliment! To be called after this exceptional point guard is phenomenal and i have always patterned my game after JKidd. The reason that the ballers call me JKidd is because 1) i am a big point guard (in Asia), 2) i have fancy passes and dribbles, 3) i not only assist but also rebound and 4) we both don't shoot very well. I have earned it.

True Point Guard - TPG, an ultimate praise on my game. I still appreciate my friend who gave me this nick. My friend, who has once been the 2nd overall draft pick in high school draft of Wu Han province (武漢) in China, so you could imagine he was a future prospect of Chinese National Team. Things don't always go so smooth, he has been given a suspension of lifetime to play on any level of basketball in China after punching the star player of the opposition during a game. Then he went to Australia for studies and we met each other at high school. We got allocated to play on the same team in the intra-school tournament and we clicked, our chemistry was unbelivable. Anyway, he once said to me, '(before we met)i just knew you could play ball as soon as i heard the sound and rhythm from your dribbles.'

Lokness Monster - one of my best friends, Khanh aka Rorschach has given me this awesome nickname. Since then, i have been going by the name of Lokness / Lokness Monster. Apart from the rhyme with the name of the water dragon, Khanh thinks the completeness of my game, my explosiveness, strength and speed combine give me a monstrous-like impact on the game. Best nickname i have ever received, and earned.

What are your nicknames? Share with The Captain!

At last, The Captain would like to share this commercial clip with you all, i am really digging this. Got you back, Jin!