If you’re a sports fan of any kind, then you know that every single discipline from the most common to the most obscure has its own set of jargon associated with it. When it comes to basketball, the glossary of terms is long and their definitions are plenty. From A to Z, dozens of words make up what is known to a few dedicated fans as common knowledge, but for the majority of people who follow sports casually, these expressions hold little to no meaning. Let’s take a look at five important ones for the next time you want to impress or surprise someone who thinks you know nothing about the game.
Everyone knows what a “slam dunk” is, but there are dozens of terms used in a single game of basketball that all have their own specific meaning depending on the context
A brick
Something that you never want to happen for your favorite basketball player who is trying to clinch a win, a brick is a slang term in the sport for a bad shot that bounces off the net’s rim or the backboard and has absolutely zero chance of making it into the basket. A brick can be categorized under other types of shots as well like “air balls” which don’t even touch the rim or backboard and “glass balls” which fly backwards rapidly from the glass backboards like torpedoes and never make it in. All in all: bricks are always bad shots in the game of basketball. Interestingly, the expression has a meaningful connection to the strategic game of poker, as it signifies the possession of a particularly bad or useless card. While the origins of the term are widely unknown, most believe that it has something to do with the sound that the basketball makes when it crashes to the ground, like the sound a brick would create if it also fell from up high.
A double-double
A double-double in basketball occurs when a player accomplishes double-digit figures in two of five statistical categories such as steals, blocks, assists, and rebounds. If you frequently watch the game you may have heard this expression used in commentary when describing players stats or history of performance. A double-double can also be converted into a triple double-double in some rare phenomenal occasions. Lebron James, who many consider being the greatest NBA player of all time, ranks second in most playoff triple-doubles with 28 – just 2 behind Magic Johnson who holds the record with a whopping 30.
An alley-oop
One of the moments that makes basketball so fun to watch, alley-oops are those amazing offensive plays on the court when one player throws the ball close to the basket’s rim and a jumping teammate slides in to catch the ball perfectly in mid-air, normally dunking it at once into the basket. The interesting term is derived from the French, “allez hop!” which was used by acrobats as a cry of expression before leaping into the air. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the term’s popularity spread throughout the NBA.
A flop
Also an interesting thing to watch live or on-screen, a flop happens when a player on the court exaggerates physical contact in order to receive a personal foul call from the referees. This can involve the player falling backwards or staggering sideways, all depending on how good of an actor he is. Perhaps the first player to bring flopping to the court, Danny Ainge of the 1980s Boston Celtics is among one of the biggest floppers in the history of the NBA.
A bank shot
One of the most common moments in basketball, a bank shot or “off the glass shot” happens when a player shoots the ball and it lands in the basket only after bouncing off the backboard. Normally these shots are better taken from a bit of a distance instead of head-on. Researchers at North Carolina University have even conducted computer-generated simulations on bank shots using principles of physics to determine what particular angles generate greater chances of achievement. One thing’s for certain – plays like these take real talent on the athlete’s part and, if successful, make the crowd go wild.
With many areas across the court and defensive attacks coming from every angle, players have to define which spot to shoot from quickly and accurately
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