Celtics

Luke Kornet says he doesn’t know how he got his nickname

"The Green Kornet" and its inception are a mystery to the man it refers to.

By Luke Scotchie

November 9, 2023

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By day, he’s Luke Kornet, NBA basketball player for the Boston Celtics. But by night, he’s The Green Kornet, the superhero who strikes fear into the hearts of opposing basketball players around the league with his deadly defense and his trademark closeouts.

Despite The Green Kornet being one of his most popular alter egos, the center isn’t sure where the nickname comes from.

“The Green Kornet,” he told Boston.com, “that just sort of happened when I got traded. I honestly don’t even know.”

He said he believes that the moniker came from Celtics analyst and former player Brian Scalabrine, and it likely stems from the superhero “Green Hornet.” But despite the nickname’s deep roots, his teammates typically don’t address him by that title.

“People don’t really call me that, at least not in our organization commonly,” he said.

But to the fans and writers, it might as well be Kornet’s real name. They commonly refer to the Celtics’ big man by that name, which is very popular on social media.

He may not know how the nickname originated, but fans will still root for The Green Kornet whenever he steps onto the court.