Shaq in Chinese
Heat center Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal's first and middle name are said to mean "little warrior" in Islam, but in China, he's just known as "Warrior."
With the announcement this week that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic will play two preseason games and the Magic will play an exhibition game against the Chinese men's national team in China in October, the NBA released a list of nicknames Chinese fans have given NBA players. China is the NBA's second largest market after the U.S. The U.S. men's national team played there last summer and O'Neal, who signed a five-year endorsement deal last year with Chinese sporting goods company Li-Ning to market his Dunkman shoes in China, visited in August.
According to the NBA's nicknames list, the Cavaliers' "King James" LeBron James is known as "Little Emperor." Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets is called "Sweet Melon" because Melo is similar to melon, the league says. Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki is known as "German Racecar." Houston's Dikembe Mutombo is called "Africa's Big Mountain." And the Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett? "King of the Wolves."
CRAIG DAVIS In more than 33 years at the Sun Sentinel, Craig Davis has written about a wide variety of sports topics from baseball to yachting, fishing to triathlons, and also worked as a copy editor and page designer. Recently he reported on local sports, including running, swimming, cycling, equestrian and beach volleyball. He enjoys sports as a participant as well as a spectator, is active in the South Florida running scene plays in the curling club at Saveology Iceplex. This blog offers a glimpse at the business side of sports in the interest of enhancing enjoyment of the games and sporting options as a spectator as well as a participant.
