Gretzky says favourite nickname is the one Alberta gave him, not 'The Great One'
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'My dad hated that one. He hated The Great One,' Gretzky admitted.
Those same gloves sold for US$14,291 (CAD$19,727) at auction in 2019.
His personal favourite, however, is Doc, in recognition of his honorary doctorate from the University of Alberta, awarded in 2000.
Gretzky made the revelation on the recent New Heights podcast with brothers and pro footballers Jason and Travis Kelce.
Gretzky told the Kelces he asked friends to call him Doc because people also did so for Dr. Jerry Buss, the late former owner of the Los Angeles Lakers. In reality, Buss was a legitimate doctoral recipient, having completed a Ph.D in physical chemistry at the University of Southern California before becoming a real estate magnate and an NBA franchise owner.
'My kids even call me Doc,' Gretzky said.
He offered a different version of how he earned the name five years ago on TNT's The Steam Room.
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