The best (and worst) of current Utah Jazz nicknames

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May 8, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) warms up before the game against the Golden State Warriors in game four of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports /

Rudy Gobert

Nicknames: The Stifle Tower, The French Rejection, Gobzilla

Rudy Gobert’s most commonly used nickname – The Stifle Tower – is absolutely perfect in every way. The seven-foot-one Frenchman is nearly as tall as the actual Eiffel Tower and as the league leader in blocks this past year, stifling opponents is exactly what he wants to do.

The French Rejection (not to be confused with The French Connection which is the magical telekinetic bond between Rudy and Boris Diaw) isn’t used nearly as much but I think it has potential to become a hit.

Last of all, Gobzilla is a nickname that Rudy once admitted was one of his favorites, but much to my dismay it hasn’t really caught on. Subtly changing the “D” to a “B” is a nice little tweak to simply fit Rudy’s name with that of the monster and the fact that he unleashes his inner Godzilla on opponents night in and night out, smacking layups out of the sky like Godzilla crushing a skyscraper (much like in the video below) makes it even better.

Although the Stifle Tower is perfect and likely to stick the most, I’m hoping to see the intimidating Gobzilla nickname get some more run next season.

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