THE 34s: Here's how Nolan Ryan, Earl Campbell, Hakeem Olajuwon became No. 34
In his 2017 book "Son of Bum," Wade Phillips told the true story of his how dad got his famous moniker, but first, the short version Bum told reporters to hurry along the conversation.
In stories from the New York Times to Sports Illustrated to the Houston Chronicle, Bum says his sister Edrina, who was two years older than him, couldn't say "brother" and it came out sounding more like "Bum," so the name stuck.