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220+ Slam Dunk Basketball Dog Names for Your NBA Star Pup

basketball on floor

If you are one of the legions of basketball fans around the globe, then there is no better way to pay homage to your favorite sport than by giving your dog a basketball related name. We have dived deep into the world of basketball and brought you a comprehensive list of all the best  basketball inspired monikers for your dog.

Whether you choose to go with a name inspired by your favorite team or player or whether you choose to go with some fun basketball lingo, giving your pup one of these basketball inspired dog names will leave the world in no doubt that you are a true and dedicated basketball fan.

So grab your basketball dog and join us for an in-depth play-by-play of all the best things the world of basketball has to offer – quick, before the buzzer sounds!

👩 Basketball Dog Names For Your Female Furry Friend

Naming your dog after one of these legendary female players is sure to get a conversation about your favorite sport started at the dog park. We love the basketball names “Swoopes” and “Birdie” for a sporty lady. 

Looking for a name for your pup? Try our brand new dog name generator!

Over the past few years, we have curated more than 20,000 dog names.

In just a few easy steps, you can discover a wide array of wonderful names, each selected to match your dog’s size, color, gender, personality, and beyond. Plus, there's the option to save your top picks and share them with friends or family.

It will only take two minutes and it's completely free!

A'jaA'ja Wilson plays for the Las Vegas Aces
BeckyBecky Hammon is a former player turned coach
BirdieSue Bird – was a basketball player for Seattle Storm
BonnerDeWanna Bonner plays in the WNBA
BreannaBreanna Stewart plays in the WNBA
BrittneyBrittney Griner plays for Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA
CheyenneCheyenne Parker plays for Atlanta Dream in the WNBA
CooperCynthia Cooper is a former basketball player who now coaches
CourtneyCourtney Vandersloot plays in the WNBA
Delle DonneElena Delle Donne plays for the Washington Mystics
DianaDiana Taurasi is a basketball player in the WNBA
GeorgeannGeorgeann Wells was the first woman to slam dunk a basketball in a college game
JewellJewell Lloyd plays for Seattle Storm in the WNBA
JonquelJonquel Jones plays in the WNBA
LizLiz Cambage is an Australian basketball player – she's 6 ft 9!
MayaMaya Moore played for the Seattle Redhawks basketball team
NatashaNatasha Howard is a basketball player in the WNBA
NnekaNneka Ogwumike plays for the LA Sparks in the WNBA
ParkerCandace Parker plays for the Las Vegas Aces team
SkylarSkylar Diggins-Smith is a basketball player in the WNBA
SwoopesSheryl Swoopes was the first to be signed to the WNBA
SylviaSylvia Fowles is a former basketball player
TamikaTamika Catchings played her whole career with Indiana Fever

More girl dog name ideas here

👨 Basketball Dog Names Inspired by Male Basketball Players

If your boy dog is a fan of chasing balls and jumping then giving him one of these basketball dog names that honor all these iconic male players is a no-brainer. We love the basketball dog names “Magic”, “Jordan” and “Pippen”.

BarkleyCharles Barkley played for a few NBA teams – this is a really fun dog name
DamienDamien Lillard plays for the Milwaukee Bucks
DavisAnthony Davis plays for the LA Lakers
DevinDevin Booker plays for the Phoenix Suns
DocDoc Rivers – a former NBA coach
DuncanTim Duncan played for the San Antonio Spurs basketball team for 19 years
GeorgePaul George plays for the LA Clippers
GiannisGiannis Antetokounmpo is an extremely athletic and agile player – he is nicknamed the Greek Freak which incidentally is also a great dog name (lol)
JabariJabari Smith Jr. plays for the Houston Rockets
JacksonPhil Jackson – has been the coach for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls basketball teams
JamesJames Harden plays for the Philadelphia 76ers
JerryJerry Lucas played on a few NBA teams
JimmyJimmy Butler plays for Miami Heat
JoelJoel Embiid plays for the Philadelphia 76ers
JordanMichael Jordan is one of the best basketball players of all time
KareemKareem Abdul Jabbar was named the NBA's most valuable player 6 times
KawhiKawhi Leonard plays for the LA Clippers
KlayKlay Thompson plays for the Golden State Warriors team
KobeKobe Bryant was a basketball player who was tragically killed in a helicopter crash
KyrieKyrie Irving plays for the Dallas Mavericks
LebronLebron James is the favorite player of many, consistently topping polls of the most popular NBA sports stars
LennyLenny Wilkins – has the most wins for an NBA head coach
MagicMagic Johnson is one of the best players of all time
MaloneKarl Malone is on of the greatest power forwards in NBA history
MettaRon Artest changed his name to Metta World Peace – he is a basketball player who plays for the LA Lakers
MichaelMichael Jordan is one of the best players of all time
NickNick Young is the captain of the team “The Enemies” who won the BIG3 tournament this year (a tournament started by Ice Cube in 2017)
OakleyCharles Oakley – played for the New York Knicks team
OscarOscar Robinson plays for the Sacramento Kings basketball team
PippenScottie Pippen – NBA icon who played for the Chicago Bulls basketball team
PopovichGregg Popovich – head coach for the San Antonio Spurs basketball team
RussellBill Russell is one of the Boston Celtics' most famous players
ScootScoot Henderson plays for the Portland Trail Blazers team
ScottieScottie Pippen – NBA icon who played for the Chicago Bulls basketball team
ShaqShaquille O'Neal is one of the best basketball players in NBA history
StephSteph Curry plays for the Golden State Warriors basketball team
TysonTyson Chandler was the team mate of Kobe Bryant on the Olympic Dream Team
WigginsAndrew Wiggins plays for the Golden State Warriors
WiltWilt Chamberlain is known for his rebounding ability in the game
WisemanJames Wiseman is the Center for the Detroit Pistons basketball team

More boy dog name ideas here

🏟️ Fun Basketball Dog Names That Pay Homage to Popular NBA Teams and Famous Stadiums

These basketball inspired dog names are all derived from the most famous teams and places that they play. We love the dog names “Grizzly” and “Warrior” for a boy basketball dog and if you have a girl we adore the basketball dog names “Jazz” and “Charlotte”.

BuckThe Milwaukee Bucks play basketball in the National Basketball Association
CelticThe Boston Celtics – NBA team that Larry Bird played for has won multiple championships
CharlotteThe Charlotte Hornets are a basketball team
Clipperthe Los Angeles Clippers are a basketball team that Russell Westbrook plays for
GrizzlyThe Memphis Grizzlies are a basketball team
HornetThe Charlotte Hornets are a basketball team
JazzUtah Jazz is one of those really fun team names
KingThe Sacramento Kings are a basketball team
KnicksThe New York Knicks – NBA team
LakerThe Los Angeles Lakers – Magic Johnson and Lebron James played for this team which has won multiple championships
MadisonMadison Square Gardens is the most famous NBA court, however it is not the only sport played at this venue
Maverickthe Dallas Mavericks basketball team
NuggetThe Denver Nuggets are a basketball team
OracleOracle Arena is a basketball court in California
PhoenixThe Phoenix Suns are an NBA team – Shaquille O'Neal played 2 seasons on this team
PistonThe Detroit Pistons basketball team
RaptorThe Toronto raptors are a basketball team from Canada
RedhawkThe Seattle Redhawks are a woman's basketball team – Maya Moore was a team member/Redhawk is also the name of a basketball maneuver that is used in man-to-man defense
RocketThe Houston Rockets are a basketball team
RuckerRucker Park is a popular basketball court for amateurs to try land a contract
ThunderOklahoma City Thunder are a team that compete in the NBA
WarriorThe Golden State Warriors – NBA team that Stephen Curry plays for

🗣️ Cool Basketball Dog Names Inspired by Basketball Lingo 

Any basketball fan worth their salt knows what all these of these terms mean and can use them correctly. We love the dog names “Ace” and “Rocker”, and “Swish” is a great name for a dog who loves to wag their tail.

Acethe best player on the team and a classic name for a dog
Alleyfor the alley-oop maneuver – one basketball player throws the ball up close to the basket and another jumps up and dunks it in
Bangerbanging the boards is an aggressive rebound
Cagera basketball player
Clanka misaimed shot that clanks off the rim
Dribblethe way you move the ball up and down the court – “Dribblebum” is the perfect name for any breed of slobbery dog
Dunkthe slam dunk is a hard shot to get right but the most epic type of shot to watch in the game
Floatera type of layup shot in the game where the ball is thrown in a high arc while jumping
Grannya granny shot is an underhand shot where the player holds the ball with 2 hands, bends at the knees and then throws it underhand – it is not often used in the game
Guardto stay so close to a player that they cannot get the ball or if they already have the ball, they cannot pass it – “Guardian” ia a great basketball related dog name
Hacka foul
Hashthe hash mark refers to the middle of the court
Hooka type of shot in the game where the player throws the ball by curving their arm outwards to send the ball to the hoop
Hopsrefers to the jumping ability of a basketball player
Horsea popular basketball game where one player makes a shot and the second player must copy the exact shot. If you can't replicate the play, you gain a letter – starting with H-O-R-S-E – first player to spell out “Horse” is the loser
Jaba jab step is a small sharp step
Kicksanother way to refer to basketball shoes/sneakers
Rockslang for ball
Rockera rocker step is when you step back after a jab step as you prepare to shoot the ball
Shooterthe basketball player who aims at the basket with the intent to score
Swishwhen a player scores with the ball going straight through without touching the rim or backboard – “Swishy” is the perfect name for a dog that loves to wag its tail
Treya goal scored from behind the three point arc
Veea V-cut is changing direction quickly to try get the shot

🤩 Dog Names Inspired By Basketball Players Nicknames 

Some of these nicknames are pure gold and translate really well into dog names. We adore all these names – they are so great!

AquamanSteve Adams' nickname
Big BabyGlen Davis' nickname
BoobieDaniel Gibson's nickname
Chocolate ThunderDarryl Dawkins' nickname
CP3Chris Paul's nickname
Dr. JJulius Erving
FlashDwayne Wade's nickname
HammerThe Akron Hammer is one of the nicknames for LeBron James
Jinglin JoeJoe Ingles' nickname
KDthis is what Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns basketball team is known as
Larry Legendthis is the nickname of Larry Bird, one of the greatest basketball players of all time
MeloCarmelo Anthony's nickname
Pistol Petethis was the nickname of Pete Maravich an American professional basketball player
Sir Charlesthis is one of the nicknames of Charles Barkley
SpidaDonovan Mitchell's nickname
The ClawKawhi Leonard's nickname
The Vanilla GorillaJoel Przybilla's nickname
Uncle DrewKyrie Irving's nickname
White ChocolateJason Williams' nickname
Wild ThingAnderson Varejao's nickname
Z-BoZack Randolph's nickname

😂 Funny Basketball Names For Your Brand New Puppy

No list of dog names would be complete without a bit of silly and this list doesn’t disappoint. “Netty” is a great basketball inspired name for girl dogs and we love “Hoops” for a boy.

More fun ideas for dog names here

Bouncyyou play the sport of basketball by bouncing a ball and trying to score
Buzzerthe buzzer sounds to signal the end of the basketball game – “Buzz” is a perfect name for a dog
Coachevery basketball team has a coach
Freeshotyou get a free shot at the hoops when a foul is committed in the game
Hoopsbasketball is often referred to as “shooting hoops”, because you play this sport by throwing a ball through a hoop – the team who does this the most wins
Nettyfor the basketball net
Sneakersall basketball players wear sneakers on the court

🏆 Basketball Related Names for Dogs Derived From Your Favorite Team Mascots

The game of basketball would not be nearly as much fun to watch if it weren’t for the crazy mascots who get the spectators all riled up. The mascots are almost as legendary as the players themselves. We adore all these basketball inspired names, but our top picks would have to be “Boomer” and “Turbo”.

BangoThe Milwaukee Bucks
BennyThe Chicago Bulls
BerserkerThe Golden State Warriors – retired
Big BenThe Philadelphia 76ers
BlazeThe Portland Trail Blazers
BoomerThe Indiana Pacers
BoosterThe Houston Rockets – retired
BowserThe Indiana Pacers – retired
BurnieMiami Heat
ChampThe Dallas Mavericks
ChuckThe Los Angeles Clippers
ClutchThe Houston Rockets
CrunchThe Minnesota Timberwolves
FranklinThe Philadelphia 76ers
G-WizThe Washington Wizards
GrizzThe Memphis Grizzlies
HenryThe Atlanta Hawks
Hip HopThe Philadelphia 76ers – retired
HooperThe Detroit Pistons
HugoThe Charlotte Hornets
JackThe Georgetown Hoyas
Jazz BearUtah Jazz
Little BenThe Philadelphia 76ers
LuckyThe Boston Celtics
MoondogThe Cleveland Cavaliers
PierreThe New Orleans Pelicans
RockyThe Denver Nuggets
RufusThe Charlotte Bobcats – retired
RumbleOklahoma City Thunder
Sir CCThe Cleveland Cavaliers
SlamsonThe Sacramento Kings
SlyThe New Jersey Nets – retired
SparkyArizona State Sun Devils
SquatchThe Seattle Supersonics – retired
SuperdunkThe New Jersey Nets – retired
The WheedleThe Seattle Supersonics – retired
TurboThe Houston Rockets – retired
WhammerThe Cleveland Cavaliers – retired
ZippyAkron University mascot

🏀 Dog Names Inspired by Basketball Brands 

All these basketball inspired names are derived from the top brands in the sport. We think the names “Puma” and “Rookie” are tops!

Adidasa popular basketball shoe brand
AirAir Jordan is a popular basketball shoe brand
All StarConverse All Star were the first basketball shoes released in 1917
Blazera brand of Nike basketball shoe
ChampionChampion Sports supply basketball gear
Chancethey make basketballs
MaxSportime Max make basketball gear
Moltenthey make basketballs
Nikea popular basketball shoe brand
Pumathey make basketball track pants, track suits and other sports gear
RookieSpalding have a line called Rookie Gear for kids
Spaldingthey make basketball gear
WeaponConverse Weapon were Magic Johnson's signature shoe
Wilsona popular sport brand – they make a lot of basketball gear
Zoom FreakGiannis Antetokounmpo's signature sneaker

🎬 Dog Names Inspired by Basketball Movies, TV Shows and Books

There are a number of cool movies that have been made in the name of basketball and they give us a great selection of basketball inspired dog names. Which character is your favorite? 

Aunt Sallyfrom the movie He Got Game
Betty Loufrom the movie Uncle Drew
Big Fellafrom the movie Uncle Drew
Big Shotfor the TV Show Big Shot
Big Time Williefrom the movie He Got Game
Billyfrom the movie White Men Can't Jump
Blinkiefrom the movie The Basketball Diaries
Bo Cruzfrom the movie Hustle
Bobbyfrom the movie The Way Back
Boogiefrom the movie Boogie
Bootsfrom the movie Uncle Drew
BuddyAir Bud movie
Butchfrom the movie Blue Chips
Changfrom the movie Chang can Dunk
Chubbsfrom the movie The Way Back
Danny Bluefrom the movie Hustle
Duke Tangofrom the movie Uncle Drew
Frankiefrom the movie The Basketball Diaries
Harukofrom the movie The First Slam Dunk
Jackie Moonfrom the movie Semi-Pro
Kaedefrom the movie The First Slam Dunk
Kermitfrom the movie Hustle
Mickeyfrom the movie Hustle
Mookiefrom the movie Uncle Drew
Murphfrom the movie Like Mike
Neutronfrom the movie The Basketball Diaries
Normanfrom the movie Hoosiers
Oxfrom the movie Like Mike
Quincyfrom the movie Love and Basketball
Rexfrom the movie Hustle
Rhondafrom the movie White Men Can't Jump
Shawneefrom the movie Love and Basketball
SnifferAir Buddies movie
Spencerfrom the movie High Flying Bird
Sugarmanfrom the movie Hustle
Swackhammerfrom the movie Space Jam
Swiftyfrom the movie The Basketball Diaries
Uncle Bubbafrom the movie He Got Game
Vincefrom the movie Hustle
Winkiefrom the movie The Basketball Diaries

 

Last Thoughts 

We hope you have enjoyed walking through the NBA with us and that you have found the perfect basketball inspired name for your pooch. Let us know which name you chose in the comments below.

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