Nicknames have become few and far between in hoops, aside from the ones Basketball Reference lists and no one actually uses — apologies to those who call Julius Randle “Don Julio,” “Goosebumps” or “The Sergeant.”
In that respect, Robbie Avila is a breath of fresh air. The Saint Louis star has become a viral sensation during March Madness, as he helped the Billikens knock off Georgia to reach a bout with No. 1 seed Michigan. Avila has not one but several nicknames, each with their own merits.
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In a recent interview with MLive, Avila has said Rob Wave is his favorite because it’s a reference to one of his favorite rappers, the Florida trap-soul artist Rod Wave. He admits, however, it’s hard to top Cream Abdul-Jabbar. The nicknames only begin there, so we’ve made a list of the top ones we’ve seen with the first round of the NCAA Tournament in the rearview mirror:
Here’s hoping Avila can inspire a comeback for basketball nicknames.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Best Robbie Avila nicknames, from Cream Abdul-Jabbar to Rob Wave
