From three on three teams to fantasy ball, intramural sports, and pick-up leagues just for fun, if you have a basketball team, you need a name. To answer the eternal question, “ What should we call ourselves?” we’ve assembled some of the best team names out there. Even if you don’t find a name you love here, you’re sure to find something that inspires your own take on things.
We’ve set things up in categories, but feel free to look through them all: you never know when one might jump out at you.
Tips for Choosing a Good Basketball Team Name
Before we get to all the great choices you have, how do you pick something out of all the team names out there? Well, there are some steps you can take that will help you choose faster and better.
- Know your league: what kind of league are you in, and are there rules about the name you can choose? For example, your church pick-up league may have guidelines to keep team names “family-friendly,” while your local three-on-three tourney might be more lenient.
- Know your identity: what is the relationship between the players on your team? Do you all work together? Have you been friends for years? Are you all tall, quick, short, or a mix of all of the above? These unique features can help you choose a great team name.
- Keep it brief: when it comes to printing your team name on custom t-shirts and custom sportswear (team clappers or even can coolers, anyone?), you don’t want something too long that runs off the edge or looks crowded. If you look good, you play better, right?
Your name is an opportunity to “play on words,” so don’t miss out. Also, have a couple of names picked out, like a top three. If another team “steals” your name, you’ll be ready with a backup that can come off the bench and save the day.
Here are a rack-load of great basketball names to choose from perfect for printing on your custom jerseys. Bounce a few ideas around, take a shot at how they sound to everyone on your team, and most of all, have fun!
Funny Team Names
Put the fun back in the fundamentals with this list of basketball team names.
- Net Rippers
- Basket Hounds
- D-Fence
- Upcourt Funk Me Up
- Spare Balls
- Balls to the Wall
- The Ball Boyz
- Travelers
- Jazz Me Up
- Droolers and Dribblers
- Shattered Backboards
- Dunkin’ Dads
- Lay Up Lay Down
- Tipped Off
- Slammed Dunk
- Ball Hogz
- Nose Pick and Roll
- On Da Rebound
- Net Positive
- Pointing Guards
- Unpowered Forwards
- Dirt Cheap Deeds
- Fowl Outs
- Bench Buddies
- The Three Amigos
- The Dudes
- Alley Oops
- No Hops
- Jump Balls
- Hair Jordan
- Bull Shotz
- Fast Brakes
- Swish Kebabs
- Netty Shots
- Sneaker Squeakers
- Netty Shots
- Russian Hackers
- Scorgasm Masters
- Gang Green
- Bricklayers
Of course, there are a lot more funny names out there. Shoot us some of yours, and we may just add them to our list.
Nerdy Basketball Team Names
Gamers got game too, right? So do Star Trek and Star Wars fans, Harry Potter followers, and nerds of all sorts. Bring your nerd word into your basketball team name with these ideas:
- Jedi Ballers
- Beam Us Up
- The Red Shirts
- Deathstars
- Slytherin (or your house of choice)
- The Lannisters
- Predators
- Doctors, Not Magicians
- Storm Troopers
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Dragon Trainers
- Wizards
- Hobbits
- Sorcerers
- Darth Invaders
- Thai Fighters
- The Imperials
- A New Hoop
- The Droids
- Knights of the Round Table
- Android Dreams
- Mad Max
- Hungry Gamers
- Trekkies
- The Wookies
- We Are Groot
- The Ewoks
- Dungeon Masters
- Check Mates
- Kings
- Game of Throws
- Geeks in Sneaks
- Freak Throws
- Three Basketeers
- Net Flix Bingers
Ready to get your inner nerd on the court? Use these names, or come up with creative ones of your own.
Names for your Girls’ Basketball Team
Girls have a special place on the basketball court, and as such, their teams deserve epic and really cool names that will put their male counterparts to shame. When it comes to creative names for the ladies, there are a lot of options.
Here are a few of the best ones:
- All the Single Ladies
- A Teague of Our Own
- Court Queens
- Baller Angels
- On the Rebound
- Her-icanes
- Mean Girls
- Lethal Ladies
- RIP Girls
- Dunkin’ Dames
- Chicka Wow Wows
- Fancy-Free Shots
- Backcourt Babes
- Cherry Bombers
- Athenas
- Dazzling Dunkers
- Razzle Dazzle
- Ringers
- Winning Wives
- Rockettes
- Basket Bees
- Cougars
- G.I. Janes
- Killer Barbies
- Lilac Avengers
- Slick Chicks
- Jane Does
- The Minxs
- Pony Tails
- Wonder Women
- Vixens
- Wild Kittens
- Violet Offenders
- Red Roses
- The Leopard Skins
We’re sure you can think of a lot more female team names, some much better than our selections. When you pick yours, let us know how it looks on your favorite basketball jersey, and of course, how you do on the court!
Basketball Team Names for the Boys
Of course, we don’t want to leave the boys out of things, and they, too, get team names of their own. From the youngest boys leagues to men’s pick-up teams or even your favorite community team, there’s sure to be a name to describe your masculine prowess.
- Air Those Balls – Air is a necessity for balls.
- All The King’s Men
- Backdoor Men
- Bad News Boys
- Ball Boys
- Ball Magicians
- Ball-Stars
- Big Ballers
- Big Man And The Sizzle Boys
- Boogie Knights
- Boyz N The Hood
- Bruisers
- Circle Dirks
- Dirk Digglers
- Dobermen
- Dukes
- Game Corks
- Gentlemen Ballers
- Great Balls of Fire
- Grizzly Balls
- Ground Breakers
- Hook Shot Slims
- Hoosier Daddies
- IJump Shot Jacks
- Just Angry Men – And proud!
- Lonesome Cowboys
- Mighty Court Movers
- Minutemen
- Outlaws
- Rough Boys
- Sirs And Gentlemen
- Sock Puppets
- The Army Of Hulks – That’s one scary army.
- The Bros
- The Bulldogz
Of course, there are all kinds of other names for men’s teams, some nearly on the x-rated side. Use your imagination, and develop a new take on an old phrase--if you dare. Just know you might get booed as soon as your team is announced.
Just Cool Basketball Team Names
There are some names for basketball teams that are just cool--nothing more and nothing less. Here are some of those names you can steal or modify to make them suit your team even better.
- 50 Shades of Play
- 99 Problems But A Swish Ain’t One
- And One More For Us
- Average Joes
- Backbenchers
- Bartenders
- Bed, Bath, and Baskets
- Bigly Ballers – In reference to Donald Trump using the word ‘bigly.’
- Bling Kings (or Queens)
- Blurred Lines
- Comic Sans Cavaliers
- Fair Jordans
- Dribbling Souls
- Dribbling Softly
- Ebola Ballers
- Fighting Koalas
- Flat Earth Trotters
- Getting Jiggy With It
- Human Size Players
- I Can’t Believe It’s Not Baller
- I Wish I Was A Baller
- Indiana Paste Eaters
- Juan On Juan
- Kareem Cheese
- Nash Potatoes
- Pace Makers
- Papa Cons
- Parking Lot Pimps
- Pigs Can Fly – Yes, yes, they can.
- Power Grangers – Wordplay on Power Rangers and Danny Granger.
- Rated PG-13 – No kids allowed.
- Rebound Your Mouth Shut
- Screw Balls
- Shake And Fake
- The Seven Dwarfs
- Snow Whites
- Slam Dunk Drunk
- Soup-A-Stars
- Swish Kebabs
- The Philadelphia 69ers
- Three The Hard Way
- Water Malone
- White Men Can Jump
- Whose Shot, JR?
- Yao What I Ming?
Think of your favorite television show, movie, or even a book you can steal a line or title from, and modify to make your team name truly unique. There are other options, and one of those is simply to steal the name from a pro team that already exists.
Professional Basketball Team Names
When it comes to team names, we can’t ignore the fact that there are a ton of teams already out there, professional, college, and even from around the world. A simple solution to coming up with a team name is to simply use one of these. Here are some well-known and lesser-known team names you can use or modify.
The good news about these names? You already have logos, jerseys, and swag with the team names on them, whether you borrow from the pro shop or create your own unique branding.
Men’s NBA Team Names:
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- New York Knicks
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Toronto Raptors
- Chicago Bulls
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Miami Heat
- Orlando Magic
- Washington Wizards
- Golden State Warriors
- LA Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Phoenix Suns
- Sacramento Kings
- Dallas Mavericks
- Houston Rockets
- Memphis Grizzlies
- New Orleans Pelicans
- San Antonio Spurs
- Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Utah Jazz
WNBA Team Names:
- Atlanta Dream
- Chicago Sky
- Conneticut Sun
- Indiana Fever
- New York Liberty
- Washington Mystics
- Dallas Wings
- Las Vegas Aces
- Los Angeles Sparks
- Minnesota Lynx
- Phoenix Mercury
- Seattle Storm
Former Team Names, Gone, but not forgotten:
- Bay Area Shuckers
- Brooklyn All Game
- Brooklyn Blazers
- Brooklyn Firebirds
- Buffalo Stampede
- Capital City Express
- C. Drew All-Stars
- C. Funkhouse Piranhas
- Garden State Rebels
- Gotham City Revolution
- Hartford Lightning
- Hudson Valley Hype
- Hudson Valley Kingz
- Long Island United
- Metropolitan All-Stars
- New Jersey Thunder
- New York Lions
- North Jersey Pros
- NoVa Hawks
- Philadelphia Destroyers
- Toms River Shooters
- Tri-City Suns
- Tru Hope Trailblazers
- Washington GreenHawks
- Westchester Wildkatz
- Winchester Storm
There are more pro team names from leagues around the world. Come up with a new take on one of your local teams or your favorites, and you’ll have a great basketball team name in no time.
You’re now well on your way to coming up with a great basketball team name you can use to customize your jerseys and team gear. What did you come up with that is not on our list? Showcase your creativity and share your ideas with us!