A trade war may be brewing, but when it comes to internet nicknames for NBA players, China has already won the battle against the U.S. in a bloodbath, and the sport of basketball is better for it.

Rutgers University assistant professor Nick Kapur, a historian of East Asia with a Ph.D. from Harvard, shared on Twitter a list of nicknames for high-profile NBA players that Chinese netizens have altered from the traditional translations of English monikers, and the lot of them are, quite simply, amazing.

LeBron James

Lebron James – 小皇帝 "The Little Emperor" A play on the English "King James" that is also a slang term for a "spoiled only child" under China's "One Child Policy" Used more when Lebron was young but now mostly by Lebron haters. His fans prefer 詹皇 (Zhan Wang or "King James"). — Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) May 7, 2018





English nickname: King James

Chinese nickname: The Little Emperor

I’m not wild about this nickname, but it is refreshing to know there are LeBon haters everywhere.

Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook – 威少 "Wei Dude" Russ's phonetic name in Chinese (衛斯特布魯克 wei si te bu lu ke) is really long so they shortened it to "Wei Dude." They also upgraded the "wei" from "guarding" (衛) to "dominating" (威). — Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) May 7, 2018





English nickname: Russ or The Brodie

Chinese nickname: Wei Dude

Wei Dude is good, but Dominating Dude is just a massive upgrade in nicknames for Westbrook.

Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry is a Chinese internet god. (Twitter) More

English nickname: Chef Curry

Chinese nickname: F***s the Sky

End the debate. This is the greatest nickname in sports history. And it’s not even close. Baby-Faced Assassin was actually a decent nickname for Curry when he was younger, but ever since he won back-to-back MVP awards and torched just about every 3-point record in NBA history the past six seasons, he’s needed a new one, and Chef Curry just wasn’t cutting it. This? This is incredible, and I dare Mike Breen to scream it on a broadcast instead of his traditional “Bang” if Curry hits a playoff game-winner.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo – 字母哥 "Letters Bro" Because his last name has…so…many…letters! — Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) May 7, 2018





English nickname: Greek Freak

Chinese nickname: Letters Bro

Greek Freak is good, but Letters Bro is a fantastic nickname for someone with 13 letters in his last name who has given everyone from Chicago Bulls announcer Stacey King to former President Barack Obama fits trying to pronounce it. But you already knew that. And Giannis already knew it, too. When a Chinese reporter alerted him of this nickname in November, Antetokounmpo said, “It’s cool.” Yes, it is.

Kobe Bryant

English nickname: Mamba

Chinese nickname: Snail Shell

Kobe Bryant – 蜗壳 "Snail Shell" Kobe is "Snail Shell" because it rhymes with "My [guy] Kobe." When he was young they called him 小飞侠 or “Peter Pan” (literally "Little Flying Warrior") and at the end he became 唠嗑 (“Chatterbox, Gossip"), which rhymes with "Old Kobe." — Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) May 7, 2018





This one needs some work.

Manu Ginobili

Manu Ginobili – 妖刀 "The Demon Blade" Perhaps the coolest nickname of them all, Ginobili earned this moniker for his ability to slash to the hoop using tricky footwork like the Eurostep. — Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) May 7, 2018





English nickname: The Magician

Chinese nickname: The Demon Blade

Ginobili has had some pretty incredible nicknames over the years, from El Contusione to BatManu to Obi-Wan Ginobili, but The Demon Blade tops them all. If the one for Curry wasn’t so good, this would be the greatest. I call for the Eurostep to be renamed The Demon Blade in his honor when he retires.