“Here come old flattop, he come naming up slowly. He got Junior eyeballed, he one holy roller.”
Pardon my modern day reinterpretation of a classic Beatles lyric, but it was the only reaction that I could think of after hearing the news that Cavaliers forward Iman Shumpert is planning to name his daughter “Iman Shumpert Jr.”
Daughter.
On Wednesday, the 25-year-old announced on Instagram that he is expecting his first child with singer/actress Teyana Taylor this coming January. With the announcement also came Shumpert declaring his intentions to slap onomastic tradition right in the face.
Shumpert’s caption read:
When a man loves a woman how she was born to be loved…procreation is the best blessing you can receive! I couldn’t be more happy than to share my first child with the woman I intended to have my family with. Iman Tayla Shumpert Jr is expected to enter this world “1.16.16”. We want that world to be as pure as possible for her. We people, show the world what we feel the world should see when we want them to see it…something this beautiful had to be announced when we were ready for everyone to know…this is what happiness grows into! I love you @teyanataylor thank you for your sacrifice in starting our very own family! P.s. I know you see my daughter with her hand behind her head and her feet kicked up…??…she’s already daddy’s little girl!!!
Looks like that four-year, $40 million contract that Shumpert got from the Cavs this offseason is already messing with his head. You gotta be impressed though with the refusal of the Georgia Tech product to conform to established gender naming norms. Or something. Anyway, congrats Iman!
Let’s see “Empire” try to copy this one.
Image Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
