Luka. Shai. Luka. Embiid. Embiid. Steph. Harden, Harden, Harden. Russ.
Going on ten years now (and in truth at least back to 2000, when I stopped checking), the scoring title has been captured by an NBA superstar. And not just a superstar - a one-name superstar, a star so ubiquitous you need only their first, only their last, or even just a nickname to refer to them.
SGA, The Process, Chef Curry, The Beard, KD, King James, AI, T-Mac. These nicknames, though admittedly various levels of quality, capture almost all the need-to-know names of NBA bucket-getters of the 2000's.
And then, 2026. Enter: Ty Jerome.
Now in his eighth year in the NBA, Ty Jerome has jumped out to a blistering start, leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 3-0 record on the back of his 34.7 points per game. Yes, Ty Jerome.
Taking a look at Ty Jerome's shot chart, Ty Jerome is racking up his scoring in a somewhat unconventional way, as evidenced by his 38.3% shot frequency in the Short Mid range (8-16 feet from the basket). NBA.com does not use the same distance cut-offs as this free shot chart website, but does list Ty Jerome as second in shot attempts from 5-9 feet, and third from 10-14 feet, the only player in the top five of both.
And yet, I'm sick of talking about him already. Ty Jerome, Ty Jerome. How many times can one person read "Ty Jerome" without becoming bored out of their mind. Oh, Ty Jerome is shooting 56/42/89. Oh, Ty Jerome is top ten in the league in +/-. Oh, Ty Jerome is leading the NBA in whatever NBA.com's PIE stat is (among players playing real minutes). At some point, I just don't care. Talk to me about a big name. Talk to me about a famous person. This is the NBA.
But I realize that's not fair to Ty Jerome. In the interest of making things right, I'm going to do my best to give Ty Jerome an emergency nickname. Let's make Ty Jerome someone we want to hear about.
Purely Name-Based Nicknames
i.e. MJ, SGA, KD, AI, T-Mac
There is precedent for simple initial/name-abbreviation nicknames. MJ, KD, AI - the simplicity employed isn't an indictment on the player, these are extremely popular, successful, and influential figures in the league.
Ty Jerome's Option: TJ
Name-Based Pun Nicknames
i.e. Durantula
This category is pretty straight-forward: a fun little name-based joke. Admittedly though, these are less common and typically used through less serious communication channels (Reddit nicknames, not ESPN nicknames).
Ty Jerome's Options: Tie-Dye, The Knot, The Noose, Ty Kwon Do, Typhoon
Animal-Based Nicknames
i.e. Ant, Spida, Durantula (again)
These animal-based nicknames can be name-inspired (Ant: Anthony Edwards) or otherwise (Spida: Donovan Mitchell's twitter handle), which opens up any number of possibilities. Watching Donovan Mitchell doesn't really make one think of a spider, so I think it can truly be any animal you want.
Ty Jerome's Options: Tyger, Muskrat
Play-Based Nicknames
i.e. The Glove, Air Jordan, Flash
For players with a unique playing-style or some sort of exceptional skill (i.e. Gary 'The Glove' Payton's ability to snag steals), a play-based nickname can work really well. As mentioned above, Ty Jerome does seem to dominate the short-mid range on the offensive end, which could provide inspiration.
Ty Jerome's Options: Malcolm in the Midrange, Root Beer Floater, Tri Jerome (in reference to his three-point shooting)
Physical Feature-Based Nicknames
i.e. The Beard, The Brow
These are usually kinda mean. Ty Jerome does have the nickname "Milk" listed on Basketball Reference (a website notorious for nicknames that seem to be pulled from thin air), which I assume to be a skin tone reference. I don't think that's appropriate.
Ty Jerome's Option: Flabby-Arms
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We've got plenty of options to work with, and if Ty Jerome's career continues on its exponential upward trajectory, we're going to need to pick one - fast.
Now, I'm just one man. But it only takes one person to start a movement. Climb aboard, and get ready to enjoy the next era of the NBA.
Fear the Muskrat.
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