


“Making it rain” is more often used in association with three-pointers. The term is used to describe taking long-distance shots consecutively from anywhere, hence the name. Another slang term for basketball is “hoops.” The defender tumbles or loses his balance that he appears to be balancing on skates.īasketball is often referred to with this abbreviated form. It is slightly similar to ankle breakers, but “putting the defender on skates” can be achieved by using any deceptive dribbling move. The phrase is often used within the context of the defense. Getting “stuffed” or “denied” is slang for getting your shot blocked. An ankle breaker is usually done with a crossover dribble, an intermediate dribbling move done by faking one direction and going the other. In the worst-case scenario, the defense may even slip and stumble trying to keep up with the offense. KD’s shot can be described as a “dagger” since coming back from a six-point deficit is extremely difficult to do with the time left.Īn ankle-breaker is a dribbling move that completely fakes the defender, leaving him a step or two behind. At the 32-second mark, Kevin Durant hit a three-pointer to extend the lead to six, 106-100. The Warriors have ball possession with 10 seconds on the shot clock. Consider this scenario: Golden State leads Cleveland 103-100 with only 40 seconds to play. Barring any miraculous turnaround, the term that hit the field goal already won. The coin needed to make that phone call is a dime or 10 cents.Ī dagger is a shot that effectively puts away a team for good. This slang probably originated from “assisting” or “helping” the police with a piece of valuable information, often through the telephone. An assist is a pass that directly leads to a field goal. It is an utterly embarrassing play if he shoots an airball.ĭropping dimes (or dropping a dime) is a term for giving fancy assists. What are the Most Common Slang Words in Basketball?Īn airball is a shot attempt that hits nothing but “air.” The ball doesn’t touch any part of the rim or backboard. These terms are highly descriptive, evoking emotions from both sides of the spectrum.ĭo you want to sharpen up your basketball slang knowledge? Let’s start slow and work your way up. Using slang also brings out the swagger culture of basketball. Most casual fans do not recognize basketball slang, so the more knowledgeable demographic often uses them. Therefore, applying that definition in basketball, basketball slang gives an informal twist to otherwise common basketball terms. “Slang” is defined as informal and is more often common in the spoken word than in writing.

Wrapping Things Up: The Ultimate List of Basketball Slang Terms What is Basketball Slang?
