Tum Tum is Nickname of the Year

“Tum Tum” Nairn is our 2013-14 Student Sports Nickname of the Year. Similar to our Names of the Year, we’ve also have Nicknames of the Year going back to the 1954-55 season. Many of these players were all-state level performers with nicknames coined while still in high school. There have been tons of nicknames given out through the years, but these are some of the best that have stood the test of time.

When an athlete is called by his actual name and people around him have to do a double-take or are wondering whom that person is referring to, you know it’s more than a nickname. It’s part of that athlete’s personality and makeup.

That perfectly describes Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr., a 5-foot-11 point guard with blow-by ability and a no-nonsense approach to the game. Hardly anyone refers to Nairn by his real name. And, yes, people that know the Michigan St.-bound guard do pause if they hear him called Lourawls.

“People say ‘what’s that’ if you call him by his real name,” said Kyle Lindsted, his high school coach at Sunrise Christian Academy (Wichita, Kan.). “His real name is pretty much gone. Some people don’t even know Tum Tum is not his actual name. Alot of Bahaman kids have a nickname.”

Nairn, whose father’s name is Lourawls Nairn Sr., was given his moniker by his mother at an early age.

“She named him after a character in the movie ‘3 Ninjas’ because he ate so much for a little guy after watching the character in the movie,” Lindsted said.

As a senior, Tum Tum averaged 17.6 points, 6.2 assists 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 steals, 1.8 turnovers and 3.6 deflections for a team that finished No. 33 in the final Student Sports FAB 50. Lindsted said Nairn’s nickname perfectly describes his appetite for competition — not so much seconds at the dinner table.

“He is tough and demands alot of respect,” Lindsted said. “Tum Tum is just his name at this point.”

Who has the best nickname for the 2014-15 school year?

StudentSportsBasketball.com Nicknames of the Year
(Player must be of all-section, all-region or all-state caliber; We do not pick the same player twice and the nickname cannot just be a short version of player’s actual name.)

2014 — Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr. (Sunrise Christian Academy, Wichita, Kan.) 5-10 G

2013 — Kris “Turkish Mamba” Yanku (Taft, Woodland Hills, Calif.) 6-2 G

2012 — Aquille “Crime Stopper” Carr (Patterson, Baltimore, Md.) 5-6 G (Jr.)

2011 — Quddus “Duece” Bello (Westchester Country Day, High Point, N.C.) 6-4 G

2010 — Jamal “Buddha” Fields (Albany Academy, Albany, N.Y.) 6-1 G

2009 — Keith “Tiny” Gallon (Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-8 C

2008 — J’Mison “BoBo” Morgan (South Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas) 6-10 C

2007 — Jamelle “J-Melo” Horne (San Diego, Calif.) 6-8 F

2006 — Demond “Tweety” Carter (Reserve Christian, Reserve, La.) 5-8 G

2005 — Brandon “Snoop” Costner (Seton Hall Prep, West Orange, N.J.) 6-9 F

2004 — Sebastian “Bassy” Telfair (Lincoln, Brooklyn, N.Y.) 5-11 G

2003 — Leon “The Show” Powe (Oakland Tech, Oakland, Calif.) 6-8 F

2002 — Anthony “Peeper” Roberson (Saginaw, Mich.) 6-1 G

2001 — DeJuan “The Messiah” Wagner (Camden, N.J.) 6-2 G

2000 — Zach “Z-Bo” Randolph (Marion, Ind.) 6-9 C

1999 — Erwin “Helicopter” Dudley (Hatch, Uniontown, Ala.) 6-8 F

1998 — David “Super Crip” Hamilton (Compton, Calif.) 6-9 F

1997 — Edwin “Greedy” Daniels (Cohen, New Orleans, La.) 6-1 G

1996 — Ramel “Rock” Lloyd (Cardinal Hayes, Bronx, N.Y.) 6-3 G

1995 — Robert “Tractor” Traylor (Murray-Wright, Detroit, Mich.) 6-8 C

1994 — Shawn “Reds” Smith (Simon Gratz, Philadelphia, Pa.) 5-9 G

1993 — Maurice “Kojak” Fuller (Anderson, Ind.) 5-9 G

1992 — Faron “Meatball” Hand (Franklin Learning Center, Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-6 C

1991 — Michael “The Exterminator” Tate (Fremont, Los Angeles, Calif.) 6-5 C

1990 — Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway (Treadwell, Memphis, Tenn.) 6-7 G

1989 — James “Hollywood” Robinson (Murrah, Jackson, Miss.) 6-1 G

1988 — Vincent “Ham Head” Mason (University City, Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-5 C

1987 — Jay “Silk” Edwards (Marion, Ind.) 6-4 G

1986 — Lloyd “Swee’ Pea” Daniels (Andrew Jackson, Queens, N.Y.) 6-8 G (Jr.)

1985 — Greg “Boo” Harvey (Andrew Jackson, Queens, N.Y.) 6-0 G

1984 — Richard “Master Blaster” Madison (Northside, Memphis, Tenn.) 6-7 F

1983 — Antoine “The Judge” Joubert (Southwestern, Detroit, Mich.) 6-5 G

1982 — Dwayne “Pearl” Washington (Boys & Girls, Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-2 G (Jr.)

1981 — Walter “Dinky” Proctor (Rutgers Prep, Somerset, N.J.) 6-7 F

1980 — Ralph “Action” Jackson (Inglewood, Calif.) 6-3 G

1979 — Dominque “Human Highlight Film” Wilkins (Washington, N.C.) 6-7 F

1978 — Tony “Red” Bruin (Mater Christi, Queens, N.Y.) 6-4 G (Jr.)

1977 — Darryl “City Lights” Warwick (West Philadelphia, Pa.) 5-11 G

1976 — Charles “Hawkeye” Whitney (DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md.) 6-5 F

1975 — “Flintie” Ray Williams (Dorsey, Los Angeles, Calif.) 6-3 G

1974 — Allen “Skip” Wise (Dunbar, Baltimore, Md.) 6-2 G

1973 — Wayne “Tree” Rollins (Crisp County, Cordele, Ga.) 7-1 C

1972 — Robert “Bubbles” Hawkins (Pershing, Detroit, Mich.) 6-3 G

1971 — Les “Pee Wee” Cason (East Rutherford, N.J.) 6-11 C

1970 — Harold “Briefcase” Sullinger (Woodrow Wilson, Camden, N.J.) 6-8 F

1969 — Kevin “White Tornado” Joyce (Archbishop Malloy, Queens, N.Y.) 6-2 G

1968 — Tom “Cookie” Marsh (Northern, Detroit, Mich.) 6-1 G (Jr.)

1967 — Dean “The Dream” Meminger (Rice, New York, N.Y.) 6-0 G

1966 — Rick “Rocket” Mount (Lebanon, Ind.) 6-5 G

1965 — “Pistol” Pete Maravich (Needham Broughton, Raleigh, N.C.) 6-4 G

1964 — Mike “Crusher” Davis (Eastern District, Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-2 G

1963 — Earl “The Goat” Manigault (Ben Franklin, New York, N.Y.) 6-2 F (Jr.)

1962 — James “Goose” Ligon (Kokomo, Ind.) 6-7 F

1961 — “Fabulous” Freddie Goss (Compton, Calif.) 6-2 G

1960 — Charles “Cotton” Nash (Lake Charles, La.) 6-4 F

1959 — Lawrence “Bumpy” Nixon (Galesburgh, Ill.) 6-6 C (Jr.)

1958 — Billy “The Hill” McGill (Jefferson, Los Angeles, Calif.) 6-9 C

1957 — Thomas “Satch” Sanders (Seward Park, New York, N.Y.) 6-5 F

1956 — “King” Kelly Coleman (Wayland, Ky.) 6-3 G

1955 —  Ray “Chink” Scott (West Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-9 C (Jr.)

Ronnie Flores is the Publisher and Editor of GrassrootsHoops.net. He can be reached at ronlocc1977@yahoo.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores