In sports, your name is everything. Most teams have it written on the back of a player's jersey. Fans go out and buy memorabilia with a person's name emblazoned on it. It's even shown on the Jumbotron from time to time. Sometimes, though, athletes are in need of a change and a simple nickname won't help. So, some folks go out and switch up a part or, at times, their entire birth name.
While some choices—like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's—make sense, others can be true head scratchers. We see you, Chad (formerly known as Ochocinco) Johnson and Metta World Peace. Today marks the day that Cassius Clay officially became Muhammad Ali. So, let's take a look at the players that choose to make some legal adjustments in their personal lives. Here is A History of Athlete Name Changes.