Dyson Daniels was given the chance to blind rank several NBA nicknames for the league’s socials. The Hawks wing gave props to several nicknames, including LeBron’s “King James” and Steph’s “Chef Curry”, but still showed where his bias lies in his ranking.
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The 22-year-old originally gave the top spot to his teammate, Trae Young’s nickname, “Ice Trae”. Considering their close connection as backcourt mates, it’s no surprise that Young beat out James and Curry. Daniels praised Young’s memorable celebration while lauding his clutch abilities, but a wrench was eventually thrown into his ranking.
In a twist ending to the ranking, Daniels was asked about his own nickname, prompting him to move the rest of the list down in favor of “The Great Barrier Thief.” The third-year guard has embraced the name amidst his rise to becoming one of the NBA’s premier defenders.
Daniels would go on to rank his nickname first, followed by “Ice Trae”, “King James”, “Chef Curry”, and “Greek Freak,” respectively. He showed respect for all three future Hall of Famers, but his loyalties lie with the Hawks.
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Kevin Durant is another player who was keen on singling out ‘Chef Curry’ and ‘King James’. He did so during a video at the 2024 Paris Olympics with Derrick White following suit.
While Daniels did refer to LBJ’s nickname as iconic, but it wasn’t enough to beat out two of the more creative nicknames in the association. The Atlanta Hawks may be struggling to hold on to a play-in spot in the mediocre Eastern Conference, but the franchise knows how to give out nicknames to their stars.
Dyson Daniels’ defense earned him a new nickname
The ‘Great Barrier Reef’ is one of Australia’s most vivid tourist attractions. Pair his tenacious defense paired with his Australian background and it makes “The Great Barrier Thief” a perfect nickname for the up-and-coming star. Dyson Daniels has experienced a breakout season with Atlanta this season, leading the NBA in steals by a wide margin.
Daniels has also cemented himself in this year’s Most Improved Player race as he currently only trails Detroit’s Cade Cunningham. Considering Cunningham was already a high-level talent while Daniels has increased his scoring average by nearly 10 points per game, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him eventually become the favorite.
Daniels has impressively built in what was a mostly underwhelming start to his NBA career. His inspired play to start the season earned him his nickname, which originated from his Hawks teammate, Larry Nance Jr. The two were traded together from New Orleans, but the veteran big man clearly saw something special in Daniels.
Averaging 3.0 steals and nearly a block per game, Daniels is a real threat to win Defensive Player of the Year, as well. With 194 steals logged for the season thus far, this is the highest number reached since Chris Paul in the 1008-09 season.
He likely won’t sway voters away from Evan Mobley however. Especially considering how big men are usually favored for the award, his inclusion alone in the race is impressive, nonetheless.
