The Best Sports Disguises and Aliases

We all know the story about Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel allegedly dressing up in a wig and glasses to avoid attention during an undercover trip to Las Vegas, according to ESPN Las Vegas radio host Mitch Moss (h/t Larry Brown Sports).

Johnny Football's little move got me thinking, though—what other athletes have put on a disguise, either by design or otherwise, and where do they rank?

Well, after doing some big-time research, I landed on these best disguises and aliases as the top ones that athletes have used.

Bobby Valentine's Nerdy Get-Up

In what was one of the boldest moves that a head coach has ever performed, former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine actually slipped on some shades and a fake mustache in order to sit in the dugout during a game in 1999.

After being tossed for arguing an interference call against the Toronto Blue Jays, Bobby V didn't want to just go watch the rest of the game on a TV in his office, so the disguise was used to make him appear as a trainer of some sort.

The MLB wasn't laughing, though, as the league handed down a $5,000 fine and two-game suspension for his shenanigans.

JaVale McGee as Pierre

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Many of us are probably familiar with Dallas Mavericks big man JaVale McGee from his numerous appearances on Shaqtin a Fool over the years. But his off-court personality is even better than the laughs he provides on the hardwood.

That's because McGee gave himself the alter ego of Pierre a few years ago, telling people on Twitter to refer to him as such if anyone saw him out and about—referring to himself in third person, naturally.

Describing himself as the "monster you see on the court" and Pierre as a "smooth operator," JaVale seems to have the whole split-personality thing down pat.

Mike Vick as Ron Mexico

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While many of us know Michael Vick for being one of the most dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history, a few of us remember that one time he allegedly used the name Ron Mexico as a way to disguise himself.

During a court case in which a female partner of his alleged Vick gave her herpes, the signal-caller purportedly used the name "Ron Mexico" in the lawsuit for the purpose of herpes testing and/or treatment.

It's one of the weirdest aliases in sports history and something most sports fans crack a smile at because the premise of the disguise is so absurd.

LeBron James as The LeBrons

The greatest player on the planet, it'd be tough for a sports fan to see LeBron James somewhere and not immediately recognize him.

Now, if he were dressed as one of his The LeBrons characters, though, it might be a little bit more difficult.

After recently seeing the movie Trainwreck—in which James has a supporting role—it's clear that the four-time league MVP has a talent for acting, and his first taste of it came as four different versions of himself during a Nike campaign years ago.

Joe Kelly as an Old Grandpa

During the long 162-game MLB season, there are a number of ways in which players waste time and get through the grind. But who would have thought that dressing up as an old guy would be one of them?

That's what former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Joe Kelly did a couple years back, though, going all-in on a grandpa disguise that fooled rapper Nelly during an interview.

Looking a lot like Johnny Knoxville in his numerous Jackass skits, bravo to Kelly for perfectly executing this.

Deion Sanders as Leon Sandcastle

During his playing days, Deion Sanders proved he was good at being a two-sport athlete, playing both in the NFL and MLB with success.

In 2013, he showed he could be a pretty good undercover NFL prospect, too, going into disguise as Leon Sandcastle for a commercial to help promote the NFL draft that year.

Playing the role as the next big thing, Neon Deion instantly became Neon Leon, bringing a bunch of laughs thanks to his handlebar 'stache and an outrageous wig that I really wish would have been real.

Johnny Manziel's Vegas Disguise

Scott Eklund/Associated Press

Of all the disguises on this list, there might not be a more ridiculous one than the glasses, mustache and blonde wig that Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel allegedly wore during a reported trip to Vegas the night before the season finale this year.

Manziel, who has had numerous issues with partying and missed the Browns' regular-season finale after being in concussion protocol leading up to kickoff, had already posted a pic on his Instagram that was geotargeted from Avon, Ohio, seemingly in response to the initial reports, but many didn't buy it.

Who knows if pics will actually ever surface of this, but it's something that every sports fan can believe actually happened, so let's just have fun with it and imagine Johnny Football as Ronny Bootfall.

Metta World Peace as The Panda's Friend

This is one that a lot of sports fans may have either forgotten about or never even heard of because it happened overseas, but it's one of the funniest alter egos/name changes I've ever seen by an athlete.

Metta World Peace, who is now with the Los Angeles Lakers and has enjoyed a great NBA career, was playing for the Pallacanestro Cantu in the Italian Serie A League in 2014 when, after being tossed from a game, it was discovered that the back of his jersey read "The Panda's Friend" on the nameplate.

What?!?

World Peace already changed his name once from Ron Artest, so if there was ever an athlete who could pull this hilarious stunt off by switching it up again, it's him.

Kyrie Irving as Uncle Drew

While we discussed LeBron James earlier for his disguises as a number of different versions of himself, teammate Kyrie Irving's Uncle Drew character is one that fans have become enamored with even more than The LeBrons.

The baddest gramps on the blacktop, Drew balls out of control and crosses up anyone who thinks that they can actually keep up with him.

He may have gray hair and a hunchback, but Uncle Drew doesn't play when it comes to ballin' so hard.

Adrian Foster and Marshawn Lynch as Darian Foster and Marshawn Lynch Sr.

It's a shame the undercover characters that running backs Adrian Foster and Marshawn Lynch portrayed for a Madden NFL 25 commercial aren't reoccurring, but they are great nevertheless.

Disguised as Darian Foster and Marshawn Lynch Sr.—the dads of the All-Pro runners—they showed how competitive they were by taking on one another in the popular video game, even acting as if they were training the younger versions of themselves by wrestling bears and pulling cars.

Both guys are typically soft spoken, so it was cool to see them out of their element while in costume.

Chris Paul as Cliff Paul

The aforementioned Uncle Drew played by Kyrie Irving is a beloved character, but Chris Paul's Cliff Paul might just be the best thing going right now, as fans love to see what types of assisting the Paul brothers will do next in their commercials.

With a great backstory and plot that has even brought in more current and former ballers to the assisting team, Chris and Cliff Paul are actually still funny—even though they've been around for a few years.

Whether it's insurance or a good crossover, the Paul bros have your back.

Nyjer Morgan as Tony Plush

By far the most ridiculously obnoxious alter ego on this list, current MLB free-agent Nyjer Morgan's Tony Plush character is as brash and confident as anything the sports world has ever seen.

Gaining popularity during the playoffs a few years ago while Morgan was with the Milwaukee Brewers, when the camera was on him and the mic was in his face, T-Plush came out, giving hilarious answers to reporters' questions.

Tony Plush may have been short-lived, but he's an alias that sports fans actually enjoyed.

Larry Johnson as Grandmama

Any time a professional athlete dresses up in a skirt, pearls and thick-framed glasses, it has to be one of the best aliases ever. That's why former NBA All-Star Larry Johnson's Grandmama sits so high on this list—because it was awesome!

As great as some of these other athlete aliases and alter egos are, LJ's mean-talking, straight-hoopin' grandma character is nearly unmatched.

Filmed for a Converse commercial to promote his shoes with the company in the '90s, there isn't anyone out there who's old enough to remember this that doesn't think of Larry Johnson as anyone but Grandmama.

To this day, the cameo on the TV show Family Matters is still one of my favorites, too.

Michael Jordan as Air Jordan

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Simply known as "Air" thanks to his soaring ability and penchant for playing above the rim, Michael Jordan's alias is the best in the history of sports, as it defined what every baller wanted to do.

With his tongue wagging mid-flight and his signature shoes seemingly allowing him to jump higher than others, Jordan's nickname became the reason kids stopped practicing jump shots and began trying to dunk.

Best hoops player ever? Check. Most iconic shoes ever? Check. There's a reason why everyone wanted to be like Mike, and believing that you could fly like Air Jordan was just one of them.