‘Boogie’ has left the building

Last weekend was the NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans. Sure, it was a good time. I mean, I wasn’t there, but I did catch a few plays and highlights online. But generally speaking, the entire weekend felt lackluster compared to previous events put up by the league.

Well, there was that alley-oop that former OKC Thunder wingman now Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant decided to bless current OKC Thunder playmaker Russell Westbrook with, ending with a thunderous slam—and many memes online about exes getting back together.

But the bigger news, arguably, and this coming from a Sacramento Kings fan— indefinitely—was the team trading its superstar big man in DeMarcus Cousins (and hardworking teammate Omri Casspi) to the New Orleans Pelicans for a bag of peanuts. All right, Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and two draft picks aren’t exactly a pack of Ding Dongs, but the move surprised somehow most fans who knew what kind of player Boogie was.

Oh, yes. DeMarcus goes by the nickname “Boogie.”

“Coach Rod Strickland at Kentucky gave me the name,” said Cousins regarding the moniker.

“I would be playing ball and I would do moves that guards would do and coach Strickland said, ‘Man, you got a lot of Boogie.’ Every time I walked into the gym, he would say, ‘What’s up, Boogie!’ and it just stuck,” Cousins said during an interview with ESPN.

Well, only time will tell if having a name derived from music terminology is a blessing or a curse. Boys can pick from Solo, Opus to Dorian or Piper, while girls can pick from Carol, Melody to Rhapsody or Aria. As for Boogie, he will be playing alongside another big superstar in Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans. While Davis’ nickname is for another discussion, the pairing seems to be a match made in front court heaven, and therefore, like the philosophies behind the angst of punk and flair of disco, Boogie refuses to die. The Utah Jazz, however, is another story entirely.