‘King James’ on a jersey? That’s the truth

Miami Heat’s LeBron James could be sporting his nickname ‘King James’ on his jersey this year. Wilfredo Lee / AP Photo

So long, James, Pierce and Garnett.

King James, The Truth and KG may be headed to the backs of NBA jerseys.

Members of Miami Heat have been told the NBA is considering having them and Brooklyn Nets wear “nickname jerseys” in at least one of their four match-ups this season. For now, only the Heat and the Nets would be taking part. It is unclear how many times those teams would wear the nickname jerseys.

"It shows growth in our league and it shows we do adapt to what's going on around us," said Ray Allen, the Heat guard who plans to wear "Shuttlesworth" on his jersey, a nod to his character "Jesus Shuttlesworth" from the movie He Got Game. "And we're still kids, playing a kids' game. … Everybody had a nickname and it's a way to let the fans in a little bit more."

The four-time MVP LeBron James would wear “King James”. The Brooklyn forward Paul Pierce has been called “The Truth” for many years, and fellow new Nets forward Kevin Garnett has long been known by his initials or “The Big Ticket”.

The Miami forward Shane Battier said he wanted to wear “Batman” on his jersey, but was told that Warner Brothers holds the rights to that name. Battier said he will go with “Shane-o” instead.

Some of the reaction around the league was not supportive of the idea.

“The nickname makes it more about the individual,” Kendall Marshall of Phoenix Suns wrote on Twitter. “It’s still a team sport. Represent your team, your family, and go out there and play.”

– Associated Press