Anders Broman is the undisputed Minnesota high school boys basketball scoring champ.
He leaves basketball nets smoking after every game.
The Lakeview Christian Academy standout averaged 42 points a game this past regular season and has 70- and 71-point outings on his impressive career resume. His past two playoff games he put up 49 -- twice.
Broman's 5,000 career points -- and counting -- are simply mind-boggling. He's establishing records that may not be broken for decades -- if at all.
Hordes of fans follow his every move on the court, and they treasure posting pictures of him on their Facebook pages.
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Following high school, Broman will take his prodigious hoop talents to South Dakota State on a Division I scholarship.
So why can't Anders Broman score a memorable nickname?
Shouldn't the king of hoops have a royal moniker to place alongside his otherworldly stats in the record books? A once-in-a-
generation star deserves a luminary title.
Well, it's not for a lack of trying.
His Lakeview Christian Academy teammates have.
"Some guys will call me 'A-Smooth' or whatever, but that's just kind of joking around," Broman said after a recent workout at St. Scholastica.
The Lions' head coach, Bob Newstrom, has one of his own: "Another Basket." (Nice use of Broman's initials, by the way).
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Around the Broman house, Anders and his younger brother, Bjorn, answer to another set of initials.
"My dad (John) has called us A.J. and B.J. because our middle names have a J," Bjorn said.
"My name is Anders John and his is Bjorn James," Anders said. "So ever since we were little he would always call us A.J. and B.J."
Even News Tribune sports reporter Rick Weegman has gotten into the act, dubbing the scoring sensation and his mesmerized fans as "Bromania."
Still, nothing has stuck and gone viral.
A-Smooth.
Another Basket.
A.J.
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Bromania.
But there's time. The Broman boys and their Lakeview teammates are on another playoff run. Maybe a lasting nickname still can be found.
Sports nicknames used to be elegant and describe a trait about the star athlete. Read: "Sweetness" (Walter Payton) or "Magic" (Magic Johnson).
Now nicknames seem to be tied to robotics. Read: "Megatron" (Calvin Johnson) and "RGIII" (Robert Griffin III).
So, any ideas out there for Anders Broman?
How about "The Broman Empire"? (Hmm ... too imperialistic.)
"The Lion King"? (Uh ... Disney might sue.)
"AB5K"? (Nah ... sounds too much like a video game.)
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Oh, well.
For his part, Bjorn isn't sure his brother -- or himself, for that matter -- even needs a nickname.
"Our names are kind of different, they are unique in their own ways, so we don't really need one," Bjorn said. "There aren't too many Anders or Bjorns."
That's for sure.
Nicknamed or not, local basketball fans are certain to remember Anders Broman and his astonishing accomplishments long after he retires his basketball shoes and those nets stop smoldering.
Contact News Tribune sports editor Rick Lubbers at rlubbers@duluthnews.com or (218) 723-5317. Follow him on Twitter @ricklubbersdnt .
