No offense to a younger Amar’e Stoudemire, who stood tall and talented in his own right, but LaMarcus Aldridge has officially swagger jacked his nickname.
The 28-year-old is averaging 44.5 PPG, 13 RPG, and shooting an incredible 59 percent (35 for 59) as he’s led the Blazers to two huge road wins over the higher-seeded Rockets. At the moment, he’s the MVP of the NBA Playoffs, which makes him a borderline superstar, and like all superstars, he deserves a nickname.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMFV7WFtHm0
Unlike Swaggy P, Stoudemire didn’t bestow his nickname upon himself. Apparently his father called him STAT (Standing Tall and Talented) beginning when he was 11 years old, so he shouldn’t have a huge issue with someone else jacking that designation. 
It’s just more appropriate for Aldridge, who has the size to matchup with anyone on the block, the skill to handle the ball in half court sets or in transition if necessary, and an incredible mid-range shot that is virtually unblockable due to his 7’5″ wingspan. He can step back and shoot over NBA centers, and demonstrated an ability to dominate smaller power forwards when he put Terrence Jones in the basket in Game 1 on Sunday night.
Aldridge’s five-year-old son J.J. told his pops that he looked the Amazing Spider Man when he blew by a slower Rockets defender for a dunk last night, but I don’t think that nickname could stick. Just call him what he is, tall and talented.
