How It Was Named | NBA Teams

Music by Evan Schaeffer, / evanschaeffer.
Have you ever wondered how every NBA team got its name? Well I did too!
I wanted to know how every Basketball Name changed through the years, so I decided to take an unreasonably long time to research each team and create this video. Hopefully you learn a thing or two, too! Each team is listed in the order that they were founded or became a part of the NBA. And since location plays a huge role in the team name (like 50%) I also hit every move as a part of this video!
#Basketball #NBA #Sports #History
-----------------
0:00 Intro
0:20 Sacramento Kings
1:47 Detroit Pistons
2:41 Atlanta Hawks
3:44 Boston Celtics
4:11 Golden State Warriors
4:48 New York Knicks
5:12 Philadelphia 76ers
5:49 Los Angeles Lakers
6:29 Washington Wizards
8:30 Chicago Bulls
9:01 Brooklyn Nets
10:04 Denver Nuggets
11:18 Houston Rockets
11:54 Indiana Pacers
12:16 Oklahoma City Thunder
12:54 San Antonio Spurs
14:01 Milwaukee Bucks
14:28 Phoenix Suns
14:56 Cleveland Cavaliers
15:23 Portland Trailblazers
15:56 Los Angeles Clippers
17:35 Utah Jazz
18:43 Dallas Mavericks
19:16 Charlotte Hornets
20:22 Miami Heat
20:44 Minnesota Timberwolves
21:12 Orlando Magic
21:37 Toronto Raptors
22:14 Memphis Grizzlies
22:46 New Orleans Pelicans
22:36 Outro
-----------------
Dan Gilbert Photo:
By Steve Jennings [CC BY 2.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)], via Wikimedia Commons

[@saintarkweather]

Pretty crazy that the Rockets and Pistons names originated elsewhere but ended up fitting even better in their new cities

[@wilderac2250]

San Diego Rockets also fit because there was a rise in space Engineering industry In San Diego at the time.

[@cutc2k764]

@@wilderac2250 Miami rockets or Orlando rockets

[@bubbaandotis]

like what are the odds that the motor city got the “pistons” lmaoo

[@Jiltedin2007]

Obviously! Tell me, would you rather be playing in Fort Wayne, Indiana, or Detroit? Considering that Detroit is “The Motor City”, the name “Pistons” suits them to a tee. As for the Rockets, it is clear cut obvious that San Diego is not a Basketball Town. Considering that NASA is located in Houston, I could not have picked a better city to put the Rockets.

[@Jiltedin2007]

@@bubbaandotis I’m quite sure playing in Detroit was far better than playing in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

[@andymarkblanco5720]

I feel like there is a quiz right after this video.

[@Xanozzzz]

Fr

[@tysjustvibinb931]

Fr, and the questions will be way different than what we watched.

[@kahlifosman8727]

0 points for originality

[@jakeozzy4776]

Question 1 - Define the word "Chaparall" and use it in a sentence.

[@rp-ze3bp]

GO MAVS!!

[@shanenackerud4448]

The Minnesota Timberwolves are also named as such because Minnesota is the only state in the Lower 48 to never try to fully exterminate wolves. In fact, Minnesota has as many wolves (around 3,000) as the rest of the Lower 48 combined, and biologists have flocked to the state for decades to study how they behave and survive.

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Nice! Thanks for sharing!

[@Eko58]

A+ job explaining the name. The video barely bothered. Spent as much time explaining the Heat and Magic lmao.

[@caidendaniel4537]

Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 ❤

[@JeffWinters-cd1mt]

Only Alaska has more wolves then Minnesota

[@infinitecontent8001]

Additional fun fact: As Chicago had its own stock exchange, the name Bulls also dovetailed with the Bears to describe different market trends (Bull and Bear markets).

[@LeonardStauffer]

Absolutely! Good call.

[@johnhardman825]

Bulls are not sent to the meat packers. Bulls are the studs to increase the herd. Baby male cows have their nuts cut off and they are sent to the meat packers when they become fully grown.

[@wiseguy617]

Hmmm, that makes perfect sense!

[@doomassasin9233]

And my dumbass always thought the theme was bears, cubs 😂

[@Loquacious_Jackson]

White people are so lame 😂😂😂

[@lukeh4946]

They were called the Zephyrs because Chicago is known as the Windy City so it makes sense

[@aarone.657]

Also Zephyr was a Greek God, the personification of the West Wind, so not just a gentle breeze, but a unique name tied to the city's nickname.

[@aditc2853]

As well as that, the Zephyr is the name of a higher-speed train (currently stored in the Museum of Science and Industry) There are multiple murals of it throughout Chicagoland

[@cashbyrd781]

But zephyr is a light breeze so it doesn't make much sense being that Chicago is windy

[@aarone.657]

@@cashbyrd781 The windy nickname actually came from politicians.

[@zeflr122]

Woah zephyrs my name

[@ltoz77]

i miss the Seattle Supersonics

[@shattersucks6270]

I have hope for you and your new stadium.

[@bigtakeshi]

@@shattersucks6270 it's for their new NHL team, Seattle Kraken.

[@shattersucks6270]

@@bigtakeshi I know. But with a new stadium it will get the NBA to consider an expansion team.

[@XaviRonaldo0]

@@bigtakeshi it still makes it easier for an NBA team to be setup/moved there.

[@not_tt]

NHL is gay I want the supersonics back

[@racewiththefalcons1]

I'm surprised Chicago is not the home of the financial industry and US stock exchanges. They have the Bulls AND the Bears.

[@Ro-68]

What you mean by that? I'm from here

[@racewiththefalcons1]

@@Ro-68, look up bull market and bear market.

[@JDMatthias]

And the baby bears

[@monty3281]

thats not how industries operate big bro

[@racewiththefalcons1]

@@monty3281, how do jokes operate?

[@createmistakes]

As a British person the idea of moving a sports team from its community to another community is really alien to me but i still find it fascinating to see where the clubs started and were they ended up.

[@jimj4583]

I guess you’re too young to remember when the Wimbledon Dons became the Milton Keynes Dons ⚽️. But it’s the only instance in British pro sports I can think of.

[@createmistakes]

@@jimj4583 am not too young to remember it but it’s the only time it’s happened to a professional team so the concept of moving a team is still a weird one to me.

[@FFriday]

Well you have to remember that football clubs through out europe are traditional teams while NBA clubs are franchises that can be changed in a second. Its more business than it is tradition.

[@daviddorger9207]

I know nothing about the business side of sports in Britain but here, professional teams are all franchises with private owners who have revenue sharing agreements with the leagues but also are partly in control of certain sources of income related to their team and if they see greener pastures elsewhere, there is a process in which they can relocate. The only exception is the Green Bay Packers football team, which is publicly owned by all citizens of Brown County Wisconsin.

[@TOTN17]

@@createmistakes Wasps RFC moved from London to High Wycombe in 2002 then moved to Coventry in 2014

[@forshin5365]

The Charlotte hornets is a reference to how British General Cornwallis described Charlotte as a hornets nest of rebellion

[@johnanderson9765]

I was about to say the exact same thing! As for Bobcats, it was named to honor the team's owner, BET founder Robert "Bob" Johnson and also to connect with the NFL's Carolina Panthers, who play in Charlotte.

[@aarone.657]

It's frustrating how the origin of the Hornet name wasn't mentioned, nor how the Bobcats were named, assumed to be in reference to the owner's name.

[@doah2343]

Maybe they just liked the name hornets ion think jordan cares about all that

[@johnanderson9765]

@@doah2343 I'm positive it was a reference to what Cornwallis said. The name "Tarheels" (UNC's college teams) also has historical wartime significance. It was said during the Civil War that our soldiers did back down, as if they had tar their heels. North Carolina's nickname is "The Tarheel State"

[@aarone.657]

@@johnanderson9765 Also, North Carolina was the major producer of tar at the time, which was vital to the maritime industry.

[@TomDavis7]

Ironically a more fitting name for the Utah Jazz would be the Utah Saints (Latter Day Saints), and what other city has a team named The Saints? New Orleans!

[@mestillme1855]

True! But New Orleans is pretty religious and has deep roots with the Catholic church. It’s kind of weird that they’re so religious, especially since it’s a super liberal city, but it’s whatever.

[@timothyjackson1981]

Cool coincidence. But the Saints were named after the song 'When the Saints Go Marching in', not to mention that they were founded on All Saints Day (November 1st)

[@FIeeceJohnson]

Utah Hornets. Utah is the “Beehive State,” so it would accommodate the state’s theme quite well. In turn, New Orleans can retain the Jazz nickname, and I guess Charlotte gets stuck with the Pelicans moniker in the end.

[@Steroidboy49]

I’ve always liked the idea of the Utah Buzz because Utah’s nickname is the Beehive state, and they can keep the double Z’s in their name!

[@TomDavis7]

@@Steroidboy49 The Buzz would be the biz

[@youthanasia1982]

Gee, I can't imagine why the name "Packers" didn't stick in Chicago.

[@OMGITZQUEZZO187]

I can’t believe this joke flew over peoples heads you ain’t right bruh 🤣💀

[@SylveonMujigae]

Because of the NFL team in nearby Wisconsin.

[@youthanasia1982]

No shit, Sherlock. That was supposed to be sarcastic.

[@dvferyance]

Perhaps also it's similar to another basketball team nearby in Indiana. Pacers is spelled like Packers minus the k.

[@SylveonMujigae]

@@OMGITZQUEZZO187 I don't even get jokes or sarcasm.

[@serenitydrummer]

A chaparral bird is another name for a roadrunner, which was the Dallas' team logo. I wonder if the hotel room was named for that or not. Interesting fact, Pat Riley was drafted to the Dallas Chaparrals.

[@KrimsonOutlaw]

I love the drawings of the teams

[@Zguzman5023]

Most warriors fans know they got the name Golden State because while in Oakland they also played home games in San Diego, stretching the entire state. It had nothing to do with the move from San Fran

[@Mister__Jey]

It's unbelievable how many times Kansas City got the chance to have its own NBA team. And nowadays nothing more than comes close to the chance.

[@justasneakerhead5615]

Actually, the real and/or main reason the bullets switched to the wizards is because the team’s owner’s close friend died to gun fire and understandably changed the name to something that was less violent. Great vid btw 👍👍

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@yovelzim]

And the name of this friend was ytzhak rabin, prime minster of israel

[@teague955]

When the Spurs were called the chaparrals they were referring to a chaparral bird which is a roadrunner

[@PandasutikkuDesu]

Beep.

[@peaches10.09]

Which is the name of a college in San Antonio, the UTSA Roadrunners… ha

[@mistapotta]

Good video. A chaparral is the Spanish word for roadrunner.

[@aegisofhonor]

the Rochester Seagrams were called the Seagrams because that company you mentioned (the Seagram company) sponsored a team. This was VERY common in the early days of professional sports and even some Sports teams today have their names rooted in the company that sponsored them (The Green Bay Packers are named after the Indian Packing company of Green Bay who the team's founder worked for at the time and who funded the team in the early days.

[@de-fault_de-fault]

My favorite thing about the Nets is that they decided to move to Brooklyn because they were mad about not getting an arena in Newark, and then it took so long to build the arena in Brooklyn that they ended up playing in the arena that was eventually built in Newark anyway until they could actually move to Brooklyn.

[@davezanko9051]

Kinda sorta. The big thing is that delays in getting the Newark arena built lead the owners to fit their losses and sell, and the new owner bought the team specifically to use the arena as a smokescreen for the rest of his real estate yeah in Brooklyn. Even funnier is that the Devils then-owner, the late John McMullen, wanted a new arena not in Newark but in Hoboken. After the Devils took over the Newark arena plan, the Nets actually stayed in the Meadowlands for a few years, but then a deal was struck to have them go to Newark anyway because there was one arena too many.

[@de-fault_de-fault]

@@davezanko9051 I forgot about the Hoboken arena completely. That was supposed to be over the rail yards, too, right? And also part of a bigger development, so not that far off what ended up happening in Brooklyn in a way.

[@davezanko9051]

@@de-fault_de-fault The Hoboken idea was even more like Hudson Yards. Real estate developers have been salivating over the idea of decking over the Hoboken yards for decades, ignoring that NJ Transit needs the open air yards for their diesel-only lines.

[@de-fault_de-fault]

@@davezanko9051 yeah I was wondering about how the diesel exhaust would work, too. They’d have to build some kind of fan system like the car tunnels have I guess. I’m sure the neighbors would love having concentrated smoke blown at them from that.

[@StuUngar]

I like to think that Thunder was chosen not only to disassociate with Seattle, but because the Thunder play about 1/4 of a mile away from the Sonic Drive In corporate HQ.

[@brady.widlake]

The east conference team names really helped me remember what states had each industry in 7th grade (detroit pistons for example)

[@willmpet]

I saw the Lakers play in Minneapolis. George Mikan once was the first "Big Man" in the NBA. Bud Grant once played for the Lakers there.

[@ezlrockwell82]

And Minneapolis’ slogan is, ”City of Lakes”. So this is why they were called the Minneapolis Lakers (i.e. NOT the MINNESOTA Lakers ;)

[@jimj4583]

Wow! You’re a living history lesson. My father attended St Thomas Military Academy in St Paul in the early fifties. He went to a lot of Lakers games in Minneapolis. He told me that the reason they moved was that the people from St Paul basically boycotted them, so it was never hard to score a ticket. It sounds plausible, since all subsequent TC teams have been named after the STATE, beginning with the “expansion” Minnesota Twins in 1961. Even the 🧢 caps did not sport an M for the state, but TC for the Twin Cities. Some rivalry, huh?

[@SpikeShooter92]

It's a shame Los Angeles doesn't acknowledge Mikan or even have his number retired. Moves like that makes me wish they just return the Minneapolis history to the Wolves

[@rockvilleraven]

The original Bullets team in the 40s, was named because of the Bata Athletic shoe company of nearby Harford County, they made a line of shoes called Bata Bullets and they outfitted the team in exchange for naming rights.

[@citythink]

Rochester was named the Seagrams because the liquor company was a team sponsor.

[@TheCrypticKnight]

I hate you!

[@cashmoneyrblx8124]

@@TheCrypticKnight why he is a nice guy

[@jonsayers7926]

did not know that

[@petervarley2477]

They changed to the Ebers, because the newspaper in Rochester was dry. Ebers owned the team.

[@petervarley2477]

Wiki KZbin

[@punklover99]

The Lakers moved to la where there are no lakes The oilers moved to Tennessee where there is no oil And the jazz moved to Utah, where they don't allow music

[@shakeybonessrh]

Baseketball was one of the greatest movies ever.

[@poindextertunes]

YUSSS

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

The Vancouver Grizzlies moved to Memphis where there are no Grizzlies.

[@johnanderson9765]

@@TheMrPeteChannel Don't be so sure. I vacationed once in Pigeon Forge, TN once and saw a small black bear lumering around the condos as soon as I got there.

[@johnanderson9765]

Following the move, the Oiler nickname only lasted two more seasons before it was changed to the Tennessee Titans.

[@seanpeterson4908]

A simple search of "Rochester Seagrams" reveals: "One of the most prominent, the Seagrams, was founded in 1923 by Les Harrison and sponsored by the Eber Brothers and Seagrams liquor companies." -- by clicking the third result. No offense, but how hard did you look? I know its a couple years later now, but c'mon man. Nit Picking aside, well made video overall, thumbs up!

[@theycallmedom4157]

We could’ve had Tim Duncan the Gunslinger?

[@Mprator]

I forgot the Kings existed.

[@dawsonraney5289]

De’Aaron Fox is so good to be on such a forgotten team lol

[@biggusdickus1246]

Who

[@furymonger5395]

I never knew the pelicans existed till about a year or two ago.

[@mj2827]

That's what your parents say about you

[@KRajah-lg6ix]

You know them now.

[@matthewhild1632]

Interesting thing about the Utah Jazz. My grandpa was good friends and business partners with the main owner that moved them to Utah. He told me that they tried to come up with hundreds of Utah related names but they all sucked. Some examples the brighamites and the bee hives. So they just kept the name.

[@JustinLearnsThings]

If brighamites was one of the options, I feel like Jazz was probably the right call. It at least doesn't feel clunky!

[@MOC_seven]

The Phoenix Suns makes the most sense out of every NBA name... the mascot on the other hand... yeah he bout to fight Godzilla...

[@johnanderson9765]

No, no. The Phoenix Sun the fought Godzilla was Charles Barkley.

[@MOC_seven]

@@johnanderson9765 understood that 😂🏀

[@martinaguilargonzalez7281]

The rockets makes more senses than the suns

[@johnanderson9765]

@@martinaguilargonzalez7281 Yes, but incredibly, the Rockets were originally based in San Diego. It's the only case I can think of in which the team name in the new city was more appropriate than the old one. There's no Jazz in Salt Lake City nor Lakes in Los Angeles.

[@TomDavis7]

"Go" The Gorilla has a very cool backstory as how he became The Suns mascot, and a subsequently a mascot icon. In short, he was a singing telegram performer randomly called and sent to a Suns game having to wear a gorilla suit. While sitting courtside he began dancing to the music played and the fans LOVED it. Fans kept hiring him back and ownership recognized this was popular. They offered to make the relationship official and The Suns had themselves a mascot. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZneqqX-Vbbh8maM

[@thepickle7757]

Great video...As a Charlotte Hornets fan there was just a little bit more history of why their team is..Revolutionary War Charlotte was known for being fierce or like a "Hornets Nest"

[@teen_laqueefa]

Cornwallace

[@jerkov420]

You failed to mention another aspect of how the Bulls's name fits perfectly to Chicago, as the city was a huge hub for financial markets and their football team is called the Bears.

[@unsheath]

5:08 *What did you call me?*

[@blacktee31]

I heard it too.

[@leightonsavary7607]

Ikr, yoooo

[@Erick-hq6iv]

💀

[@user-ds4in2qw5i]

hi takagi

[@bendover8477]

😳

[@404ever]

the Rochester Seagrams were named after a Seagram’s bottling plant in Rochester, they renamed themselves to the Eber Seagram’s Pro’s later shortened to just the pro’s

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Thanks for the comment! Yeah its a bummer; I had assumed that that was the case, but didn't feel like I had confidence in the sourcing. I was afraid both shared a common third party for their names or something like that, but this video was several years back now and one of my first. Still make mistakes, but I feel like my ability to find sources has gotten much better!

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

... Pros* (plural, no apostrophe) ...

[@ambergarcia3845]

Seagrams actually comes from the beverage company being the sponsor of the team…. I found this information from searching Rochester seagram basketball.. so really a seagram is a guy who liked his own name

[@davezanko9051]

Funny part of that by the time the team was founded Joseph Seagram was long dead and had sold off the company to Samuel Bronfman, who had started his own company a few years before the sale, but who kept the more established Seagram's name. Seagram's was easily one of the largest liquor companies in the world, and Bronfman himself was owner of the Montreal Expos at one point, but his kids attempts to diversify the company into entertainment (such as buying Universal Studios) didn't work out and the company got out of their original liquor business. Their former brands are still around, now owned by other companies. All this to say that Joseph Seagram didn't name the basketball team after himself.

[@traxagenda3445]

Kansas City has been bamboozled so many times with nba teams. First the things he talked about also the fact that we almost had Thunder 😭😭

[@OxenFloxen]

Fun fact about the Timberwolves: The name "Polars" was the name of the High School team that the new owners attended, North Minneapolis High School, and they chose that name and let the fans pick the 2nd name, after that it went to city councils to vote on it.

[@Niko-vs9qn]

Minnesota polars would be sick ngl

[@firstlast8157]

If you like theme names for teams in same city, the Denver Nuggets shared the precious metal name theme for three years with the USFL team Denver Gold (1983-85)

[@johnanderson9765]

For a time, the Saint Louis NFL and MLB franchises shared the name Cardinals, and the NBA franchise was the Hawks.

[@OfficeSupplyRobot]

The Minneapolis Lakers name wasn't just a reference to Minnesota's state nickname. It was also a reference to cargo ships on the Great Lakes.

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Oh nice! Thanks for your comment!

[@cashbyrd781]

Maverick is also a horse so maybe that's how they got their name I mean they do ride horses in texas

[@anthonyernst999]

You can ride a horse everywhere though.

[@dscdisapruve.392]

@Cash byrd we do?

[@cashbyrd781]

Here u 2 guys go lol so this what we doing we acting like they domt ride horses in texas wow I know they ride horses everywhere but texas they do more I mean the spurs did the same thing a spur is from a horseshoe anything else ?

[@cashbyrd781]

It's always someone on social media gotta say dumb shit I hope yall are young so I can give u a pass

[@hon3ykomb408]

Someone hasn't been to Texas

[@charlesruege3918]

Chaparral is a car brand that was raced in the 1960s and was based off the fast birds and everyone's favorite road runner. It wasn't the climate or a hotel room. It was based off the extremely fast and popular race cars.

[@steveo2737]

The Pistons played in my High School, in Fort Wayne. :)

[@alf2540]

That’s insane lol

[@no_bitches0621]

Yeah I forgot they played in a high school gym before moving to the Coliseum.

[@soulfly3438]

they should still be playing in a high school gym tbh

[@raytzeng9217]

@@soulfly3438 lmao

[@squidkid_04]

Dude this video is awesomely made man! 🔥🖤

[@ericvandevender8363]

Actually, the first major professional sports team in Seattle was the Seattle Metropolitans (PCHA - hockey) and even won the Stanley Cup in 1917. So, the Sonics were not the first major professional team in Seattle.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

The Sonics were Seattle's first Major "League" (MBA, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL) team, that's what the narrator says.

[@YourPalAlRetroGamer]

The New Orleans Pelicans got their name from a minor league baseball that played from the late 19th century to the late '50s, but resurfaced for only in 1977. In the early '90s, Tom Benson, who owned the NFL's Saints wanted to bring back Double A minor league baseball back to New Orleans. He brought the rights to the name "New Orleans Pelicans." Unfortunately, the MLB granted an expansion team to Denver, which meant their Triple A team, the Denver Zephyrs, had to move, and they relocated to New Orleans. So when Tom Benson brought the N.O. Hornets, he already had the rights of the Pelicans name.

[@RobdaVegasMailman]

Also, when Benson decided to rename the Hornets, he approached Utah Jazz ownership about getting the Jazz name back. He wanted a 3 team deal where Charlotte got the Hornets name back, New Orleans would get the Jazz name back and Utah would give their team a new name. Jazz ownership balked at the idea.

[@BoWSkittlez]

7:34 because Chicago is the windy city!

[@kdailey4315]

The Windy City isn't in reference to weather. It was named in reference to the old corrupt politicians who were "full of hot air"

[@lakerherb]

More precisely, the Lakers got their name from the boats used on the lakes called "lakers".

[@mijito_osito]

And there name is unique since Los Angeles is short for LA so Lakers LA KERS

[@jahimuddin2306]

@W, This guy is just looking for things that are not there.

[@josephbrown5230]

10:18 - Marking the location of Denver on a map of Colorado has me laughing my ass off - it’s just a rectangle 😂

[@mojonijowjow]

...Yeah, I always thought why LA become LAKErs when there's no lake around it... Nice vid...👍👍👍

[@Undecided0]

L.A.kers

[@readytogo99]

Mc Arthur Park has a "lake"

[@namenlosNamenlos]

Refreshing nba related video.🏀

[@RDTheAwesome]

The zephyr is the name of a famous train that went in and out of Chicago.

[@33bravo14]

Ouh I thought it was cuz Chicago was called Windy City

[@rjf5029]

I always assumed that the "Bulls" was also a nod to the "Chicago Bears" and the Chicago Stock Exchange as a reference to "Bull Markets" and "Bear Markets"

[@teddyhomemedia8405]

Bobcats was in reference to it's new owner Bob Johnson who founded BET

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

... its* new owner (it's = it is) ...

[@conorgilles81]

One season in the 90's when the Blazers were in a playoff series with the Jazz, one of the local Portland TV stations sent a reporter to search all of Salt Lake City for live jazz music. He eventually found a trio playing for almost no one in a tiny basement bar.

[@JustinLearnsThings]

😂

[@dsarmy1]

Someone should open a Jazz bar close to the arena. I bet it would be more receptive now.

[@robertgarza7337]

René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle discovered The Great Lakes and Cleveland sits right on Lake Erie hints the name Cleveland Cavaliers. Also Cavs used to play in Richfield which is 30 miles outside of Cleveland. The old Richfield Coliseum is now a open field park in typical Ohio fashion

[@TheOfficialEthanFrank]

Quick fact the tri-cities where the Hawks played is currently known as the quad-cities, with the cities of Rock Island and Moline, Illinois, and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Nice! They added a city!!

[@chrisbonde7488]

Just found your channel, love it. Great video!!!

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@phenom2012]

I didn't realize this until now, but the Washington Monument on the Wizards logo makes it look so cool

[@tjabbar]

Very interesting video, I learned a lot

[@footballwhale7144]

Wow, this is a very good quality video from such a small channel!

[@williambagley5415]

Thanks. I love history, especially sports and military history. This is a good and informative video. 🙂

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@frherbst3]

Chicago Zephers - The Zepher was a famous Art Deco styled train that ran out of Chicago from the 1930s to early 1960s. That train can now be seen in Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. The train itself was named after a western breeze or wind. The Basketball team was referring to the then famous train.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

Chicago Zephyrs* ...

[@hologram716]

Great video. Some were giveaways like Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets. I always thought los Angeles was surrounded by lakes and in Utah I thought most music bars played Jazz haha.

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Yeah some are definitely more self explanatory than others!! Thanks for checking out the video!

[@ksamsel1]

With the Magic, other names considered in the naming contest were the Heat (the Orlando Heat just sounds trippy given it's now Miami's name) And the Juice....which means the Orlando Juice would've logically been nicknamed the OJs....and in the mid 90s....probably another name change would be needed.....

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Lol the Juice sounds like a pretty bold choice for a team name!

[@ksamsel1]

www.nba.com/magic/news/behindthename.html The "Juice" wouldn't be received well bc if a recent citrus freeze....so had weather not happened, we legit could have had the Orlando Juice aka the OJs playing for the '95 championship....while another OJ was in the news.....

[@castlewhite1577]

@@ksamsel1 don't forget juiced is a slang term for using steroids, so it would be a really bad name haha

[@carlosjuan-miguel3294]

This video is absolute fantastic

[@livinthatlife]

so goodddd! @13:00 Chapperalls lmaooo. 🤣

[@andreamay437]

Who knew that the Sacramento Kings were that old? They’re almost 100 years old!

[@wilderac2250]

They haven’t won a championship since 1951.

[@strahinjastevic7480]

@@wilderac2250 got robbed out of one in 2002

[@boywhodestroyedtheworld]

I've been a kings fan my whole life and I'm just now learning this hahaha 😂🤯

[@Jiltedin2007]

They also could have called the Miami Franchise “The Floridians” for their old ABA Team “Miami Floridians”.

[@kotaowens6978]

Love city themes! KC’s Kings really fit in that royalty theme.

[@LukeTRandall]

Man, great video and great facts. On the next vid perhaps the background music can change at some point? After a half hour my mind starts struggling to focus on the words because the music pattern keeps repeating so much…

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Yeah I feel you! I’m exploring some different music options! Thanks for watching man!

[@johnanderson9765]

Another contender for Toronto's name in keeping with the Jurassic Park theme was the Torontosaurus Rexes or the Tornoto Tyrannosaurs.

[@itsallovernow2929]

I don't recall that. Being a Torontonian, I do remember the contest on the name and was not happy with the choice of Raptors.

[@scottb3034]

@@itsallovernow2929 Raptors first more with the Grizzlies since relatives of the raptors actually were found in the region but even then....Agree Toronto should have picked a different name. Makes zero sense.

[@KitBaty]

Nice video - but you really missed a big part of the Grizzlies history... and that the name they wanted to change to was the EXPRESS after Federal Express (being HQ'd in Memphis). But the NBA wouldn't let them.

[@Kai-hn4yu]

Great video!👌🏾

[@thegloriouspyrocheems2277]

Underrated video, underrated channel

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@petergriffinowl]

Really enjoyed this! Only thing that bothered me a bit is when you used the current Grizzlies-logo for Vancouver instead of the original one. Other than that, loved it, tons of new information :)

[@LoneCourier2281]

He-he did that for every team though?

[@lukeowalk]

Zephyr was also a major railway line that was huge in Chicago. Revolutionized modern transport before highways. There's a cool exhibit about it at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Makes a ton of sense! Thank you!

[@benhenderson8952]

I love this video 🏀 💯 Learned quite literally a lot

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

[@nobodysbusinezz]

I like this though. Looking forward to potential new expansion teams. Will you do a video on those?

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Yeah definitely!

[@BobMocarski]

Chicago's first NBA team was the Chicago.Staggs. They played from 1946-47 to 1950-51. Their first year they won the Western division in a tie breaker over Saint Louis before losing in the Finals to Philadelphia. They Folded after the 1950-51. Then in 1961-63 We had the Packers/Wizards who are now the Washington Wizards. The Bulls are the 3rd NBA team for Chicago beginning in 1966-67..

[@jonathanr1891]

Fort Wayne, IN. A city few have heard of but can thank for a lot of things sports related. Not only being home to WOWO radio, but as mentioned home the Pistons, on a side note, Fort Wayne was also where the NBA shot clock was used for the first time in a game. If you have seen A League of their Own. The movie is based on the Fort Wayne Daisy's

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

Fort Wayne Daisies* ...

[@trowana]

That was great! Thanks.

[@noobroblox1409]

One of the best videos ever

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Thanks for watching! 🙌

[@Brew805]

Nice video. Would’ve been cool to see the original logos as you talked about the teams.

[@edwidjohnnomio]

i lol about the Lakers... "when was the last time you went to a lake in LA?"

[@MrReese]

This is an excellent video, just a little low on volume, but the content and the fun are amazing. I also really appreciated you googling all these words for us :D.

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@seepack2910]

I really enjoyed this video !

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Thanks for checking it out!!

[@timfortune9]

"Soon it was commonplace for entire teams to change cities in search of greater profits. The Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles where there are no lakes. The Oilers moved to Tennessee where there is no oil. The Jazz moved to Salt Lake City where they don't allow music." - "Baseketball"

[@xevious1538]

At least the Oilers had the common courtesy to eventually change their name to the Titans. Same goes for the Thunder, just imagine the Oklahoma City Superonics in a state that has nothing to do with aviation manufacturing, lol. Utah should have gaven the Jazz name back to New Orleans when they gave back the Hornets name back to Charlotte, then came with something that represents Utah. Same goes for Memphis, although they wanted to change their name.

[@dsarmy1]

@@xevious1538 The NBA has said if Utah gives up the name Jazz, then Utah loses all of it's franchise history. I know it sounds stupid but it is a fact. The Pelicans even wanted to buy the name from Utah but couldn't for that reason.

[@mongoslade277]

@@dsarmy1 Sounds like something David Stern would do. What history do they have?? They made the finals twice and lost in consecutive years. They have no rich history or tradition. They never won anything

[@dsarmy1]

@@mongoslade277 Just because it isn't a rich history to you doesn't mean it isn't a rich history to them. They had the Stockton and Malone era and the Williams/Boozer era Hayward era and now the Gobert and Mitchell era. Stockton and Malone have statues outside their arena and many players have their jersey's retired there. An all star game was played there. 4 gold medalist played for Utah. Many other All-stars. Stockton has two NBA records in which he played on the court in Utah. Malone has an MVP. Four Conference finals played there. The Jazz may have lost to the Bulls but they played against THE best player EVER on their court. The Jazz made the playoffs 20 years in a row until Stockton and Malone left. Then they were out for just a couple of years and started making it again consistently. For not winning a title the Jazz actually have fourth highest winning percentage of all teams. I can keep going but these are just some reasons that Utah does have a rich history. If you don't think so then maybe ask their fans in which Utah also has one of the highest attendance records year after year.

[@elijah8987]

@@dsarmy1 I understand where you're coming from, but the name still makes no sense. Its borderline disrespectful. Just think about the legacy of Jazz music in New Orleans and the impact it made for African-American communities nationwide. You could combine the histories of every professional sports team in Utah and it *STILL* wouldn't scratch the impact, of the legendary Jazz scene in Louisiana. Since we already have the "Pelicans" as a name, we don't need the "Jazz" name back. Utah just needs to change their name to something that actually represents their city. I'm sure the people living in Utah would actually prefer that. If they can't find something that represents the city, then they can just think of something really cool... * the Utah Dragons * the Utah Fist * the Utah Smoke * the Utah Villains * the Utah Gold * the Utah Spirit * the Utah Electro * the Utah Bounce Its really not that hard when you think about it.

[@Kiwaloayo]

as seagram sounds like it's a message that arrives via sea. or at least a package, so maybe that's what they were themed after originally.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

There are dozens of comments here explaning where that name actually derived from.

[@gabrielfleming5650]

Thanks I learnt a lot

[@demetriusdemarcusbartholom9423]

Nice video bro

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Thanks!

[@williamangus3906]

For the Chicago Zephyr name, it’s a reference to the Zephyr line of passengers trains of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad

[@Riese79]

Zephyr is a name for locomotives and railroads lines in chicago. See Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad

[@davezanko9051]

The Chicago trains were named for the wind, though. It's a western wind, and the trains ran west of Chicago to cities such as Denver and San Francisco, with the idea that they were as swift as the wind. The minor league baseball team in Denver was named the Zephyrs for many years as well, until they moved to New Orleans when the Rockies started up. The stayed the New Orleans Zephyrs until they changed to the BabyCakes (seriously). Though the team moved again and is now in Wichita.

[@JaQuez700]

This beat banging

[@jaydenhanson6089]

The best 23 minutes ever !!!

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Thanks for watching! Hope to drop a video on NBA logos in the near-ish future!

[@JustinLearnsThings]

NBA logos video is out now! 👏

[@kayleighlehrman9566]

Love how washington changed their name due to rising gun violence; and then one of their players got arrested for packing (eh?) a gun in the locker room.

[@voodude12]

The Golden State Warriors had played in three different cities in 1971, San Francisco, Oakland and San Diego. THAT’S why Franklin Mieuli named them that.

[@jetflyer62901]

I don't think the Warriors ever played in San Diego.

[@lilgawup7929]

@@jetflyer62901 yeah me too

[@cashbyrd781]

I was gonna say I didmt know that

[@johje05]

They really did play in San Diego for a bit.

[@patthomas6589]

They'd planned on splitting home games for the '71 season between oakland and san diego, which had just lost the rockets. They san diego part of the plan fizzled out but the golden state name stuck

[@gbattisbal]

Jaja. Nice ending about the Pelicans. I love this kind of videos. I thought the name of Knicks was really bad because it was in honor of the long shorts called knickerbocker. Your explanation is much better. Regarding the Hornets, the history is even better because it is related with the history of the city. I read that Charlotte was a very complicated city to conquer and make the reference to a hornet’s nest. Very good job.

[@JustinLearnsThings]

Thanks for the comment and for checking out the video! Yes definitely! If I do a follow up video sometime in the future, I definitely need to include the hornets nest part of the story because that is a great part of the story!

[@BallisticBerry]

0:55 the Seagram's the drink company is from Rochester, so it was definitely just a name as an advertisement for the company

[@ix69yn]

1:20 Wow I didn't realize this til now! What a mind blowing fact. I'm a fan of baseball, basketball, and American football but never realized the theme till today. Thanks for that! I'm in love with this now.