Sugar Ray Leonard Shouts Out BTS Member For Stage Name Origin, 'Respect To SUGA'

BTS rapper SUGA's confession about his stage name has made it all the way to the guy who inspired it -- Sugar Ray Leonard says it's awesome to see the K-pop superstar taking the moniker and "carrying that forward."

Yoongi made the shocking reveal in a WIRED interview this week ... claiming his name doesn't come from "shooting guard" over his love for basketball ... it's actually a reference to the boxing legend.

SUGA said HYBE chairman, Bang Si-Hyuk, came up with it since his rap skills are "technical" like a fighter working his craft in the ring ... and the rest is history.

Sugar Ray got wind of our post about SUGA's origin story ... and shared his two cents on Instagram.

"I'm grateful to know that 'Sugar' could inspire someone across the world in a completely different craft," the 69-year-old former champion said.

"At the end of the day, it’s not just a name -- it’s about the work, the dedication, and the love for what you do. Respect to Suga for carrying that forward 🙏🏾."

That's sweet (no pun intended) ... but there's just one big issue. BTS' diehard ARMY fanbase is calling B.S. on SUGA's comments ... insisting the member is being his usual trickster self and pulling a fast one.

They even dug up two separate explanations SUGA has said in the past ... so there's a ton of confusion over whether he was being serious about the Sugar Ray inspo.

This time around, though ... SUGA -- who also goes by Agust D for his solo work -- insisted it was the REAL origin that he was too annoyed to explain until now.