220+ Slam Dunk Basketball Dog Names for Your NBA Star Pup
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.
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'ja | A'ja Wilson plays for the Las Vegas Aces |
| Becky | Becky Hammon is a former player turned coach |
| Birdie | Sue Bird – was a basketball player for Seattle Storm |
| Bonner | DeWanna Bonner plays in the WNBA |
| Breanna | Breanna Stewart plays in the WNBA |
| Brittney | Brittney Griner plays for Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA |
| Cheyenne | Cheyenne Parker plays for Atlanta Dream in the WNBA |
| Cooper | Cynthia Cooper is a former basketball player who now coaches |
| Courtney | Courtney Vandersloot plays in the WNBA |
| Delle Donne | Elena Delle Donne plays for the Washington Mystics |
| Diana | Diana Taurasi is a basketball player in the WNBA |
| Georgeann | Georgeann Wells was the first woman to slam dunk a basketball in a college game |
| Jewell | Jewell Lloyd plays for Seattle Storm in the WNBA |
| Jonquel | Jonquel Jones plays in the WNBA |
| Liz | Liz Cambage is an Australian basketball player – she's 6 ft 9! |
| Maya | Maya Moore played for the Seattle Redhawks basketball team |
| Natasha | Natasha Howard is a basketball player in the WNBA |
| Nneka | Nneka Ogwumike plays for the LA Sparks in the WNBA |
| Parker | Candace Parker plays for the Las Vegas Aces team |
| Skylar | Skylar Diggins-Smith is a basketball player in the WNBA |
| Swoopes | Sheryl Swoopes was the first to be signed to the WNBA |
| Sylvia | Sylvia Fowles is a former basketball player |
| Tamika | Tamika Catchings played her whole career with Indiana Fever |
👨 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”.
| Barkley | Charles Barkley played for a few NBA teams – this is a really fun dog name |
| Damien | Damien Lillard plays for the Milwaukee Bucks |
| Davis | Anthony Davis plays for the LA Lakers |
| Devin | Devin Booker plays for the Phoenix Suns |
| Doc | Doc Rivers – a former NBA coach |
| Duncan | Tim Duncan played for the San Antonio Spurs basketball team for 19 years |
| George | Paul George plays for the LA Clippers |
| Giannis | Giannis Antetokounmpo is an extremely athletic and agile player – he is nicknamed the Greek Freak which incidentally is also a great dog name (lol) |
| Jabari | Jabari Smith Jr. plays for the Houston Rockets |
| Jackson | Phil Jackson – has been the coach for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls basketball teams |
| James | James Harden plays for the Philadelphia 76ers |
| Jerry | Jerry Lucas played on a few NBA teams |
| Jimmy | Jimmy Butler plays for Miami Heat |
| Joel | Joel Embiid plays for the Philadelphia 76ers |
| Jordan | Michael Jordan is one of the best basketball players of all time |
| Kareem | Kareem Abdul Jabbar was named the NBA's most valuable player 6 times |
| Kawhi | Kawhi Leonard plays for the LA Clippers |
| Klay | Klay Thompson plays for the Golden State Warriors team |
| Kobe | Kobe Bryant was a basketball player who was tragically killed in a helicopter crash |
| Kyrie | Kyrie Irving plays for the Dallas Mavericks |
| Lebron | Lebron James is the favorite player of many, consistently topping polls of the most popular NBA sports stars |
| Lenny | Lenny Wilkins – has the most wins for an NBA head coach |
| Magic | Magic Johnson is one of the best players of all time |
| Malone | Karl Malone is on of the greatest power forwards in NBA history |
| Metta | Ron Artest changed his name to Metta World Peace – he is a basketball player who plays for the LA Lakers |
| Michael | Michael Jordan is one of the best players of all time |
| Nick | Nick Young is the captain of the team “The Enemies” who won the BIG3 tournament this year (a tournament started by Ice Cube in 2017) |
| Oakley | Charles Oakley – played for the New York Knicks team |
| Oscar | Oscar Robinson plays for the Sacramento Kings basketball team |
| Pippen | Scottie Pippen – NBA icon who played for the Chicago Bulls basketball team |
| Popovich | Gregg Popovich – head coach for the San Antonio Spurs basketball team |
| Russell | Bill Russell is one of the Boston Celtics' most famous players |
| Scoot | Scoot Henderson plays for the Portland Trail Blazers team |
| Scottie | Scottie Pippen – NBA icon who played for the Chicago Bulls basketball team |
| Shaq | Shaquille O'Neal is one of the best basketball players in NBA history |
| Steph | Steph Curry plays for the Golden State Warriors basketball team |
| Tyson | Tyson Chandler was the team mate of Kobe Bryant on the Olympic Dream Team |
| Wiggins | Andrew Wiggins plays for the Golden State Warriors |
| Wilt | Wilt Chamberlain is known for his rebounding ability in the game |
| Wiseman | James Wiseman is the Center for the Detroit Pistons basketball team |
🏟️ 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”.
| Buck | The Milwaukee Bucks play basketball in the National Basketball Association |
| Celtic | The Boston Celtics – NBA team that Larry Bird played for has won multiple championships |
| Charlotte | The Charlotte Hornets are a basketball team |
| Clipper | the Los Angeles Clippers are a basketball team that Russell Westbrook plays for |
| Grizzly | The Memphis Grizzlies are a basketball team |
| Hornet | The Charlotte Hornets are a basketball team |
| Jazz | Utah Jazz is one of those really fun team names |
| King | The Sacramento Kings are a basketball team |
| Knicks | The New York Knicks – NBA team |
| Laker | The Los Angeles Lakers – Magic Johnson and Lebron James played for this team which has won multiple championships |
| Madison | Madison Square Gardens is the most famous NBA court, however it is not the only sport played at this venue |
| Maverick | the Dallas Mavericks basketball team |
| Nugget | The Denver Nuggets are a basketball team |
| Oracle | Oracle Arena is a basketball court in California |
| Phoenix | The Phoenix Suns are an NBA team – Shaquille O'Neal played 2 seasons on this team |
| Piston | The Detroit Pistons basketball team |
| Raptor | The Toronto raptors are a basketball team from Canada |
| Redhawk | The 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 |
| Rocket | The Houston Rockets are a basketball team |
| Rucker | Rucker Park is a popular basketball court for amateurs to try land a contract |
| Thunder | Oklahoma City Thunder are a team that compete in the NBA |
| Warrior | The 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.
| Ace | the best player on the team and a classic name for a dog |
| Alley | for the alley-oop maneuver – one basketball player throws the ball up close to the basket and another jumps up and dunks it in |
| Banger | banging the boards is an aggressive rebound |
| Cager | a basketball player |
| Clank | a misaimed shot that clanks off the rim |
| Dribble | the way you move the ball up and down the court – “Dribblebum” is the perfect name for any breed of slobbery dog |
| Dunk | the slam dunk is a hard shot to get right but the most epic type of shot to watch in the game |
| Floater | a type of layup shot in the game where the ball is thrown in a high arc while jumping |
| Granny | a 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 |
| Guard | to 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 |
| Hack | a foul |
| Hash | the hash mark refers to the middle of the court |
| Hook | a type of shot in the game where the player throws the ball by curving their arm outwards to send the ball to the hoop |
| Hops | refers to the jumping ability of a basketball player |
| Horse | a 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 |
| Jab | a jab step is a small sharp step |
| Kicks | another way to refer to basketball shoes/sneakers |
| Rock | slang for ball |
| Rocker | a rocker step is when you step back after a jab step as you prepare to shoot the ball |
| Shooter | the basketball player who aims at the basket with the intent to score |
| Swish | when 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 |
| Trey | a goal scored from behind the three point arc |
| Vee | a 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!
| Aquaman | Steve Adams' nickname |
| Big Baby | Glen Davis' nickname |
| Boobie | Daniel Gibson's nickname |
| Chocolate Thunder | Darryl Dawkins' nickname |
| CP3 | Chris Paul's nickname |
| Dr. J | Julius Erving |
| Flash | Dwayne Wade's nickname |
| Hammer | The Akron Hammer is one of the nicknames for LeBron James |
| Jinglin Joe | Joe Ingles' nickname |
| KD | this is what Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns basketball team is known as |
| Larry Legend | this is the nickname of Larry Bird, one of the greatest basketball players of all time |
| Melo | Carmelo Anthony's nickname |
| Pistol Pete | this was the nickname of Pete Maravich an American professional basketball player |
| Sir Charles | this is one of the nicknames of Charles Barkley |
| Spida | Donovan Mitchell's nickname |
| The Claw | Kawhi Leonard's nickname |
| The Vanilla Gorilla | Joel Przybilla's nickname |
| Uncle Drew | Kyrie Irving's nickname |
| White Chocolate | Jason Williams' nickname |
| Wild Thing | Anderson Varejao's nickname |
| Z-Bo | Zack 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
| Bouncy | you play the sport of basketball by bouncing a ball and trying to score |
| Buzzer | the buzzer sounds to signal the end of the basketball game – “Buzz” is a perfect name for a dog |
| Coach | every basketball team has a coach |
| Freeshot | you get a free shot at the hoops when a foul is committed in the game |
| Hoops | basketball 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 |
| Netty | for the basketball net |
| Sneakers | all 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”.
| Bango | The Milwaukee Bucks |
| Benny | The Chicago Bulls |
| Berserker | The Golden State Warriors – retired |
| Big Ben | The Philadelphia 76ers |
| Blaze | The Portland Trail Blazers |
| Boomer | The Indiana Pacers |
| Booster | The Houston Rockets – retired |
| Bowser | The Indiana Pacers – retired |
| Burnie | Miami Heat |
| Champ | The Dallas Mavericks |
| Chuck | The Los Angeles Clippers |
| Clutch | The Houston Rockets |
| Crunch | The Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Franklin | The Philadelphia 76ers |
| G-Wiz | The Washington Wizards |
| Grizz | The Memphis Grizzlies |
| Henry | The Atlanta Hawks |
| Hip Hop | The Philadelphia 76ers – retired |
| Hooper | The Detroit Pistons |
| Hugo | The Charlotte Hornets |
| Jack | The Georgetown Hoyas |
| Jazz Bear | Utah Jazz |
| Little Ben | The Philadelphia 76ers |
| Lucky | The Boston Celtics |
| Moondog | The Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Pierre | The New Orleans Pelicans |
| Rocky | The Denver Nuggets |
| Rufus | The Charlotte Bobcats – retired |
| Rumble | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Sir CC | The Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Slamson | The Sacramento Kings |
| Sly | The New Jersey Nets – retired |
| Sparky | Arizona State Sun Devils |
| Squatch | The Seattle Supersonics – retired |
| Superdunk | The New Jersey Nets – retired |
| The Wheedle | The Seattle Supersonics – retired |
| Turbo | The Houston Rockets – retired |
| Whammer | The Cleveland Cavaliers – retired |
| Zippy | Akron 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!
| Adidas | a popular basketball shoe brand |
| Air | Air Jordan is a popular basketball shoe brand |
| All Star | Converse All Star were the first basketball shoes released in 1917 |
| Blazer | a brand of Nike basketball shoe |
| Champion | Champion Sports supply basketball gear |
| Chance | they make basketballs |
| Max | Sportime Max make basketball gear |
| Molten | they make basketballs |
| Nike | a popular basketball shoe brand |
| Puma | they make basketball track pants, track suits and other sports gear |
| Rookie | Spalding have a line called Rookie Gear for kids |
| Spalding | they make basketball gear |
| Weapon | Converse Weapon were Magic Johnson's signature shoe |
| Wilson | a popular sport brand – they make a lot of basketball gear |
| Zoom Freak | Giannis 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 Sally | from the movie He Got Game |
| Betty Lou | from the movie Uncle Drew |
| Big Fella | from the movie Uncle Drew |
| Big Shot | for the TV Show Big Shot |
| Big Time Willie | from the movie He Got Game |
| Billy | from the movie White Men Can't Jump |
| Blinkie | from the movie The Basketball Diaries |
| Bo Cruz | from the movie Hustle |
| Bobby | from the movie The Way Back |
| Boogie | from the movie Boogie |
| Boots | from the movie Uncle Drew |
| Buddy | Air Bud movie |
| Butch | from the movie Blue Chips |
| Chang | from the movie Chang can Dunk |
| Chubbs | from the movie The Way Back |
| Danny Blue | from the movie Hustle |
| Duke Tango | from the movie Uncle Drew |
| Frankie | from the movie The Basketball Diaries |
| Haruko | from the movie The First Slam Dunk |
| Jackie Moon | from the movie Semi-Pro |
| Kaede | from the movie The First Slam Dunk |
| Kermit | from the movie Hustle |
| Mickey | from the movie Hustle |
| Mookie | from the movie Uncle Drew |
| Murph | from the movie Like Mike |
| Neutron | from the movie The Basketball Diaries |
| Norman | from the movie Hoosiers |
| Ox | from the movie Like Mike |
| Quincy | from the movie Love and Basketball |
| Rex | from the movie Hustle |
| Rhonda | from the movie White Men Can't Jump |
| Shawnee | from the movie Love and Basketball |
| Sniffer | Air Buddies movie |
| Spencer | from the movie High Flying Bird |
| Sugarman | from the movie Hustle |
| Swackhammer | from the movie Space Jam |
| Swifty | from the movie The Basketball Diaries |
| Uncle Bubba | from the movie He Got Game |
| Vince | from the movie Hustle |
| Winkie | from 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.
I’m Shelley, a content creator and copywriter from Wicklow in the Irish countryside. I am a big animal lover, so writing about dogs is a dream come true! I’m the crazy lady who will stop you in the street while you’re out walking your dog to give it cuddles. I adore all dogs, but I would have to say the big slobbery ones are my favorite.
