Kristaps Porzingis Nickname Not Good Enough


A new Kristaps Porzingis nickname is needed, as the New York Knicks forward is not pleased with his current one, according to a report from the New York Daily News.

Scott Roth is the man responsible for the current Kristaps Porzingis nickname of “Zinger.” It was something that he came up with when the former was coaching the latter in Spain. Porzingis admitted that he felt indifferent towards the moniker from the moment that Roth bestowed it upon him. He just never bothered to tell his coach out of respect.

There are other Kristaps Porzingis nicknames. The Latvian native calls himself, “K.P.,” which he prefers over “Zinger.” People in China are calling him, “Po-God.” Many on social media are calling him, “Godzingis.” Thanks to his thunderous and crowd appeasing dunks on offensive rebounds, some are affectionately calling him, “THORzingis!”

A new Kristaps Porzingis nickname is going to be needed soon. The hype behind the seven-foot, three-inch, 240 pound forward is growing by the minute. When Porzingis recently scored 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against the Charlotte Hornets earlier this week, he wasn’t just the hot topic in New York City. He was the hot topic in the entire NBA.

Jeremy Lin
The new Kristaps Porzingis nickname needs to be as good as Linsanity. [ Photo by Elsa / Getty Images ]
In less than a dozen games, Porzingis has established himself as the most-hyped member of the 2015 NBA Draft class. Other rookies from that draft class are also doing well. Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor is averaging 18.8 points and 7.5 rebounds. Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 15.8 points and 10.7 rebounds. Neither guy is receiving as much attention from the media, and on social media, as Kristaps.

Porzingis is the breath of fresh air for the Knicks and their long-suffering fan base. The 20-year-old has brought excitement back to New York City in much the same way that Jeremy Lin energized the city for approximately two weeks. The “Linsanity” nickname was created, and it spread all over the world. The power of a nickname was clearly evident.

Since the Knicks have gone through several draft busts, Porzingis also brings hope. Fans at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn showered him with boos when he was drafted with the fourth pick overall back in June. Many were certain that he was going to become a draft bust. Comparisons to Frederic Weis began to spread on social media.

Carmelo Anthony
The need for a new Kristaps Porzingis nickname will increase as the Latvian star slowly overtakes Carmelo Anthony as the star of the team. [ Photo by Elsa / Getty Images ]
While it is extremely early in his career, Porzingis has shown enough to let people know that he has a chance at a good NBA career. His averages of 12.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks are numbers that a lot of players in the league would be envious of. Kristaps is the first player in the history of the NBA to score 100 points, grab 80 rebounds, and hit five three-point shots in the first nine games of their career.

The rise of Porzingis has silenced the talks about Carmelo Anthony wanting to leave New York. The continued development of Kristaps is a perfect complement for the underrated free agent class that Phil Jackson brought in during the summer. Derrick Williams, Kyle O’Quinn, Kevin Seraphin, and Robin Lopez have provided the Knicks with an improved front line.

If everything goes as planned, the new Kristaps Porzingis nickname should be created and approved before the NBA All-Star break. Porzingis will more than likely be participating in the festivities taking place at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. An appearance in the big game is a small possibility, but Porzingis will more than likely be on one of the rookie teams.

Porzingis has arrived in the NBA. His nickname will soon follow.

[ Featured Photo by Elsa/Getty Images ]

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