If you’re a huge basketball fan, it makes sense that you’ll want to name your dog after your favorite team. There are tons of great names out there for your pup, and we’ve highlighted more than 200 of them for you below. Not only that, but we’ve highlighted a few tips you should follow when naming your pup. That way, you don’t pick a name you regret and struggle to change it in the future!
Click to skip to your favorite team:
- Boston Celtics Names
- Brooklyn Nets Names
- New York Knicks Names
- Philadelphia 76ers Names
- Toronto Raptors Names
- Chicago Bulls Names
- Cleveland Cavalier Names
- Detroit Piston Names
- Indiana Pacers Names
- Milwaukee Bucks Names
- Atlanta Hawks Names
- Charlotte Hornets Names
- Miami Heat Names
- Orlando Magic Names
- Washington Wizards Names
- Denver Nuggets Names
- Minnesota Timberwolves Names
- Oklahoma City Thunder Names
- Portland Trail Blazers Names
- Utah Jazz Names
- Golden State Warriors Names
- LA Clippers Names
- Los Angeles Lakers Names
- Phoenix Suns Names
- Sacramento Kings Names
- Dallas Mavericks Names
- Houston Rockets Names
- Memphis Grizzlies Names
- New Orleans Pelicans Names
- San Antonia Spurs Names
How to Name Your Dog
When you’re naming your dog, there are a few different things you need to keep in mind, and when you’re naming your dog after your favorite basketball team, there is even more for you to consider!
First, start by picking a short name since this is easier to teach your dog. Next, if you’re naming your dog after a player, ensure no one commonly near your dog has the same name or a similar-sounding name, as this can confuse your pup.
Next, do not name your pup something you won’t want to say around other people. If you’re naming your dog after your favorite basketball team, this likely isn’t something you need to worry about, but you should consider it regardless.
Finally, if you are naming your pup after a favorite player, keep in mind that your team might trade them or not re-sign them in the future. This means you might name them after your favorite player now, they might go to a rival in the future.
With that in mind, check out over 200 basketball-inspired names for each NBA team here.

Boston Celtics Inspired Names
- Celtic
- Malcolm
- Brogdon
- Griffin
- Hauser
- Tatum
- Lucky
Brooklyn Nets Inspired Names
- Barclay
- Duncan
- Sly
- Knight
- Dragon
- Mikal
- Simmons
- Duke
- Clowney
New York Knicks Inspired Names
- Brunson
- Randle
- Barrett
- Immanuel
- Mitchell
- Miles
- Madison

Philadelphia 76ers Inspired Names
- Fargo
- Franklin
- Hip
- Harden
- Embiid
- Tobias
- McClung
- Melton
- Bamba
Toronto Raptors Inspired Names
- Lowry
- Gasol
- Barnes
- Ibaka
- Gary
- Pascal
- Raptor
Chicago Bulls Inspired Names
- Bulls
- Benny
- Zach
- Rose
- Carter
- Taylor

Cleveland Cavalier Inspired Names
- Cavalier
- Mitchell
- Garland
- Mobley
- Isaac
- Rubio
- Bates
- Wade
- Whammer
- Moondog
- Rocket
Detroit Piston Inspired Names
- Caesar
- Hooper
- Cade
- Wiseman
- Hayes
- Stewart
- Morris
Indiana Pacers Inspired Names
- Haiburton
- Benedict
- McConnel
- George
- Gainbridge
- Boomer

Milwaukee Bucks Inspired Names
- Bango
- Buck
- Giannis
- Antetokounmpo
- Bobby
- Grayson
- Brook
Atlanta Hawks Inspired Names
- Hawk
- Trae
- Young
- Murray
- Sky
- Harry
Charlotte Hornets Inspired Names
- Hugo
- Spectrum
- LaMelo
- Ball
- Miller
- Rozier
- Martin

Miami Heat Inspired Names
- Heat
- Butler
- Herro
- Love
- Kevin
- Jimmy
- Burnie
- Kaseya
Orlando Magic Inspired Names
- Magic
- Amway
- Stuff
- Paolo
- Fultz
- Anthony
- Wagner
- Suggs
Washington Wizards Inspired Names
- Wizard
- G-Wiz
- Man
- Kuzma
- Poole
- Davis
- Wright
- Gafford

Denver Nuggets Inspired Names
- Rocky
- Nugget
- Ball
- Jokic
- Nikola
- Gordon
- Jackson
Minnesota Timberwolves Inspired Names
- Crunch
- Target
- Timberwolf
- Karl
- Gobert
- Edwards
- Moore
Oklahoma City Thunder Inspired Names
- Rumble
- Thunder
- Bison
- Paycom
- Alexander
- Westbrook
- Russell
- Jeremiah

Portland Trail Blazers Inspired Names
- Blaze
- Trail
- Moda
- Lillard
- Damian
- Henderson
- Simons
- Sharpe
Utah Jazz Inspired Names
- Lauri
- Clarkson
- Kessler
- Sexton
- Ochai
- Jazz
- Bear
- Delta
Golden State Warriors Inspired Names
- Warrior
- Chase
- Stephen
- Klay
- Thompson
- Draymond
- Wiggins
- Paul

LA Clippers Inspired Names
- Paul
- George
- Kawhi
- Leonard
- Russell
- Westbrook
- Chuck
- Condor
Los Angeles Lakers Inspired Names
- Harry
- Rocky
- LeBron
- Davis
- D’Angelo
- Reaves
- Vanderbilt
Phoenix Suns Inspired Names
- Durant
- Booker
- Beal
- Bradley
- Footprint
- Gorilla
Sacramento Kings Inspired Names
- Slamson
- Lion
- King
- Golden
- Sabonis
- Murray
- Monk
- Malik

Dallas Mavericks Inspired Names
- Luka
- Hardaway
- Dwight
- Champ
- MavsMan
- Dallas
Houston Rockets Inspired Names
- Clutch
- Green
- Jabaria
- Porter
- Whitmore
- VanVleet
- Brooks
Memphis Grizzlies Inspired Names
- Morant
- Clarke
- Gasol
- Conley
- Konchar
- Grizz

New Orleans Pelicans Inspired Names
- Pierre
- Zion
- Williamson
- Ingram
- McCollum
- Jonas
- Jose
- Murphy
San Antonia Spurs Inspired Names
- Sochan
- Johnson
- Jones
- Victor
- Zach
- Collins
- Coyote
- Tottenham
Final Thoughts
Now that you have quite a few dog names for each NBA team out there, all that is left is for you to pick your favorite and start teaching it to your sporty dog. Once they have a great name, you can think about your favorite team every time you call them, and you can show off your fandom in a great new way for years to come! Get ready to geek out on your favorite team and your favorite dog!
Featured Image Credit: thanai asawaroengchai, Shutterstock
Contents
How to Name Your Dog
Boston Celtics Inspired Names
Brooklyn Nets Inspired Names
New York Knicks Inspired Names
Philadelphia 76ers Inspired Names
Toronto Raptors Inspired Names
Chicago Bulls Inspired Names
Cleveland Cavalier Inspired Names
Detroit Piston Inspired Names
Indiana Pacers Inspired Names
Milwaukee Bucks Inspired Names
Atlanta Hawks Inspired Names
Charlotte Hornets Inspired Names
Miami Heat Inspired Names
Orlando Magic Inspired Names
Washington Wizards Inspired Names
Denver Nuggets Inspired Names
Minnesota Timberwolves Inspired Names
Oklahoma City Thunder Inspired Names
Portland Trail Blazers Inspired Names
Utah Jazz Inspired Names
Golden State Warriors Inspired Names
LA Clippers Inspired Names
Los Angeles Lakers Inspired Names
Phoenix Suns Inspired Names
Sacramento Kings Inspired Names
Dallas Mavericks Inspired Names
Houston Rockets Inspired Names
Memphis Grizzlies Inspired Names
New Orleans Pelicans Inspired Names
San Antonia Spurs Inspired Names
Final Thoughts
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