[Lotto StudParticipant]

Austin Rivers dons new number, nickname

June, 7, 2011

Jun 7

3:52

PM ET

 

 

By Eamonn Brennan

If Duke is indeed a 2012 national title contender, freshman point guard Austin Rivers will be a major reason why.

The Blue Devils are young. They’re without national champs Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith for the first time in four years. Kyrie Irving is likely to be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA draft. In their place, Rivers — the No. 1 player in the class of 2011 — and a touted batch of incoming Blue Devils will try to come together in time to make a run at Duke’s expected level of national success.

That will be a challenge, because this team is new. How new? Even coach Mike Krzyzewski isn’t yet sure how his team will play.

In other words, Rivers is going to have to be good. He’ll be a centerpiece of this team, arguably its best player, and like the rare breed of one-and-done player most believe him to be, he’ll have to eschew immediate growing pains to do so.

So maybe it’s a good thing the young fella doesn’t seem shy. Or maybe not. Your mileage may vary. Either way, Rivers has already announced what number he’ll wear at Duke and what corresponding nickname he’d like. Naturally, he chose Twitter as his preferred messaging method Monday night:

Wearing number 0 next year! My nick name is going to be subzero! Cause of number and because my moves freeze people, got ice in my veins!!

I have to say: I love the nickname. It references Mortal Kombat, which is something we apparently share in common. (Second Mortal Kombat reference of the day! Not too shabby.) It works beautifully in tandem with Rivers’ number choice, which is always a plus. It’s catchy, it rolls off the tongue … what’s not to like?

Apparently, the notion that Rivers gave himself the nickname. In doing so, Ballin’ Is A Habit’s Troy Machir argues, Rivers has committed a fundamental hoops faux-pas:

You cannot give yourself a nickname. It’s practically an unwritten rule of the schoolyard.

Dwayne Wade didn’t tell people to call him "Flash". Earvin Johnson didn’t legally change his name to "Magic". Harrison Barnes didn’t ask people to refer to him as "The Black Falcon". And as much as we probably want to assume that LeBron James anointed himself "The King", some dorky high school kid probably did.

That is what makes nicknames so cool. A great one is never thought about, it just happens.

True story: I have a friend who, in high school, asked that we all start calling him "Shooter." According to him, the name came from his freshman football coach, but the sheer act of him asking to be called something — even though the nickname sort of caught on — was a constant point of lighthearted ridicule. It remains so to this day.

In other words, maybe Troy has a point. Apparently, Rivers heard the same thing from a multitude of Twitter followers. On Monday night, he issued his response:

My friend gave me the nick name and the reasons for it, I thought it was cool! Haters going to hate, I don’t see yall

So maybe Rivers didn’t give himself the nickname after all. I say we let it slide, guys. What’s your verdict?

 

 

I understand he did not give himself the nickname, but how long will this 1 last will be the question. Who is to say he won’t end up on a NBA team & #0 is taken, is he still "subzero" since that’s the whole reasoning behind the nickname. I would like to know what happened to the Elite 24 nickname? No one calls Arenas, Agent Zero anymore. Trust & believe this is just a phase stage for him.

[kanyedabestParticipant]

i get more and more turned off by him everyday, hes too cocky for my liking….. i really almost hope he is a flame out…. one thing nobody likes is a cocky person, he seems like hes trying to hard to act like a kobe or a bron…. lets hope subzero blows out a knee

[BBall4life88Participant]

Being a huge Mortal Kombat I love this nickname! My new favorite basketball nickname, and it’s cool that he’s wearing #0. He’s setting a unique brand for himself and not just being another #23. It’s actually great marketing for himself, creating a brand. 

It’s funny how some sports reporters didn’t get the reference…Wilbon and Kornhiser on PTI thought it was taken from the Sub Zero brand refrigerator..LOL 

[The Scare Crow ReturnsParticipant]

In other news, you all need to stop smoking so much weed, especially you Mollum, I smell that…

[Johnny Chill]

You seem like a Tarheel fan, but wishing for a kid to blow out his knees is horrible.

You seriously have too much time on your hand and have some personal issues that needs to be dealt with soon, before you hurt someone.

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

 Can we stop calling him a point guard, if you’ve ever watched him play he makes smart passes here and there but he’s not capable of running a team full time.  Also Duke has an all america point guard in Quinn Cook.  Rivers is somewhat of a gunner.  

[The Scare Crow ReturnsParticipant]

I’m curious why you might not like the kid that much, sure he is cocky, over hyped, born with a silver spoon in his mouth and likely can skate his way into a high draft position next year…I don’t rule out the kid pulling a Kobe and demanded he be traded to the Celtics on draft day, he could be coached by his dad and fill the void left behind by Ray Allen, maybe I’m thinking ahead of myself but I can the reasons why he right turn some people off, he’s turned me off and Im as open minded a guy as possible especially when it comes to younger players…that was just hateration at its finest…

[T-macfan1Participant]

i thnk austin rivers has alot of talent but he is just to "hollywood" let people appoint u ur nickname…u will get one if u earn it…still wanna my favorite high school players this year

[JordanC20Participant]

I believe Duke will underachieve this season.

[Lotto StudParticipant]

"born with a silver spoon in his mouth"

Not necessarily true. There was 1 interview I had seen with him about 2 months ago, which I can’t recall whether it was from online or from an All Star game. He said everyone’s perception of him is "spoiled rotten" because he is a coaches son. He said his father instilled in him values of working for his own. Austin said he does not get everything he wants just because they have the money. He said whatever he purchased, he purchased on his own, with his allowance. He has to work for everything he gets from his parents.

[MBRHParticipant]

 @tyga

Did you expect him to say I’m a spoiled premadona? Of course hes going to say what he said, it goes aginst human nature not to. And when you say he buys every thing with his allowance which comes from his parents so its really his parents buying it from him.

 

And I have seen him play multiple times (not highlights Ive been to games) and he has talent but he is over rated and not even close to being a pg, he is a shoot first type player that plays no D.

[Lotto StudParticipant]

Allowance = Earn/Worked for

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I like the nickname.

However, he is a little too cocky for my liking.

[kanyedabestParticipant]

maybe that was a lil harsh but i think he needs to cool his ego and johnny chill get off ur knees and wipe off the human dna off ur mouth at least let rivers take u out to dinner first b4 u give it up LOL

[NashyMingParticipant]

I am not too sold on Austin Rivers.  This guy is probably the cockiest prospect I have ever read about.

I think he’s a Jamal Crawford type.  He would have to prove me wrong at Duke.

[akhan786Participant]

@JordanC20 Duke will underachieve compared to past years yes, but no one is expecting them to have a great year.

This is a rebuilding year for them and a top ten finish for the regular season is what I expect.

This can certainly change if Rivers does better than expected and averages 20+ next year.

I see Duke losing 5-7 games next year with Rivers averaging 17 ppg.

I feel like no one would’ve really cared if "Sub-zero" went to another school like Carolina.

He’s a kid saying something funny and cool on a social networking sight that was most probably meant for his friends to see…

[paradigmnParticipant]

 If u r right and he demands to be traded to the Celtics….who gets to be "sub zero" because AVERLY BRADLEY wears number 0 also.

[MBRHParticipant]

 Ya worked for could mean mowing the yard, or cleaning his room.

Talented kid dont get me wrong but I think people are overhyping him to much.

[Author]

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