The Knicks are now owners of a new NBA Developmental League franchise, which will play in White Plains. The team, which will debut in the fall, is asking fans to help come up with a name for the team by visiting NYKnicksDLeague.com by March 24.
Like minor league franchises in baseball and hockey, the other 17 D-League franchises boast a mix of colorful monikers and more vanilla nicknames. amNewYork has a few suggestions of its own for the new team’s nickname.
The D-Ribble
The Lakers have the Los Angeles D-Fenders. Why not this equally hokey name?
The 83ers
The D-League’s Delaware 87ers and Tulsa 66ers already modeled their monikers after the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, so this team has precedent to do the same. In this case, the number refers to 1683, the year the town was founded.
The Knickers
My personal favorite that refers to the golf pants that cut off just below the knee, which at least someone is wearing at one of the many golf courses in White Plains. Imagine the uniform possibilities.
The Knicks
The Warriors do it with their Santa Cruz affiliate — as do plenty of minor league baseball teams. But man, that’s lame.
The Raging Raccoons
An answer to the D-League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants that carries on the tradition of minor-league teams with threatening animal names.
The Shoppers
An ode to the many malls, like The Galleria and The Westchester. Store owners would, for once, cheer for steals — as long as they’re on the court and by the home team.
