WHEN DID BASKETBALL BECOME “HOOPS?”

by

Cliff Johnson

Today, we often hear the name “Hoops” applied to a game that we old-timers once knew as “Basketball”.  That’s probably quite appropriate though, since today’s game seems distantly removed from the one we played as yesterday’s youth.  It might even be a good way to differentiate between the two games on a regular basis whether we’re referring to high school hoops, college hoops, playground hoops, or NBA hoops.  Basketball, on the other hand, was a game that’s now mainly recalled through the history of the sport in old books and magazines, radio & tv films, and of course through our fond memories.

And, in this writer’s opinion, it was a better game years ago before “Hoops” arrived.  That’s not to say that in its earlier form our game had no defects or was perfectly designed.  I’d even say there have been marked improvements to it in some cases, but you can probably count those on the fingers of one hand.  One example of an improvement was the implementation of a shot clock a few decades ago.  Basketball always had the serious problem of one team holding onto the ball, or “stalling”, in its earlier form.  The idea was to impair the offensive attack of an opponent while keeping the score down.  But it also could put spectators and players to sleep, which was obviously not good for the game.  While the shot clock put an end to that practice at the college and pro levels (along with high schools in eight different states), the rule-makers went a little overboard by forcing shots to be taken too quickly.  What the short 24 to 35 second shot clock did was to speed up the game to a point where it has now become difficult, if not impossible, for coaches to orchestrate organized offenses and implement set plays—the aesthetically appealing aspects of the game and those that always generated the greatest attraction for most fans and players alike.  A one-minute shot clock might have preserved those desirable elements, in my opinion.

There have been other improvements.  Certainly the elimination of the center jump each and every time a goal was scored was an important change in the mid 1930s.  So was the widening of the free throw lanes (the keyhole area) in the late 1940s.  The three-second lane violation rule passed in the 1950s was also needed--as long as the goal wasn’t being raised a foot, which I still believe might have been a superior idea.  The 1960s elimination of the “jump ball” between players in favor of alternating team possessions was unmistakably a positive move, as well.

But most rule changes have diminished the integrity of play over the years, rather than advancing it.  In years past, we witnessed more team-oriented play rather than today’s rampant individualism that is promoted by the fast play, 3-point goals, and a short shot clock.  There were more productive things that a coach could do to help win a game than exist today.  Tactics and strategy, once of paramount importance, have yielded to the fast-paced and physical hyperactivity required on the courts of today.  The practice of jamming the ball down into a goal and reflexively dangling from the rim seems to exceed the 2-point value of a simple lay-up, even though they count equally.  Incessant fouls toward the end of a close game prompt a steady parade to the foul line today whereas in the old days the fouled team had an option of simply taking the ball out of bounds, thereupon eliminating any value to committing those tiresome deliberate fouls at game ends.  The long range accuracy of a shooter is today rewarded with a one-point premium, but has it been worth the sacrifice of working the ball in tighter to the basket for higher percentage shots most of the time?

Those are only a few of the differences between Hoops and Basketball.  Looking back, I think the game of Hoops may have become widespread around 1985 when the NBA, NCAA, and high schools first began adopting those unusual game features initiated 15 years earlier by the old short-lived American Basketball Association.  The ABA had begun fooling around with a 22-foot shooting arc, the FG continuation play, a prohibition on certain kinds of defenses, the time-out while falling out of bounds, dunking contests, and many other circus-like features that included the use of a red, white, and blue basketball.

Unfortunately, “Hoops” has also been accompanied by an increased participation of spectators in the outcome of games.  Sportsmanship was once a highly valued attribute of behavior between competing schools, although never 100% practiced in all games of course.  Today, loud badmouthing and generally uncouth behavior are not only common but universally accepted as required practices at many home arenas and gymnasiums.  Vocal name-calling targeted at opposing players is bad enough and can directly influence the outcome of some games whenever a player lets it “get” to him, but there are even more intrusive activities in which spectators frequently engage themselves.  Free throws attempted by a visiting team, for instance, are often preceded by the waving or displaying of extremely distractive devices by spectators behind the goal.  Hoots, loud whistles, and sharp noises are sometimes employed just as a foul shooter is ready to release the ball.  Mirrors are even used to deflect light into a shooter’s eyes.  I’ve personally witnessed a laser beam being used for that purpose to the degree that it delayed the game until the spectator beaming it was ushered out of the arena.  Collective humming while the opponents have possession of the ball has become a widespread delight for some younger fans who attend Hoops these days.  They do it because it can annoy the opponents but occasionally other people as well who might have come to enjoy the contest instead of having a transcendental mass mantra assault their ears.  The chanting of “airball, airball” after an opponent has the misfortune of his shot missing everything can sometimes continue on until half time or even until the end of a game.  “Storming” of a court after an upset by the home team is something you rarely saw in the days of Basketball, largely because of the home school’s desire to protect its courts from scuffing or defacing by street shoes.  But I’ve seen storming take place in Hoops even before a contest was concluded.  The fact is that many spectators today, especially youthful ones, wish to be recognized as factors that can influence game outcomes.  While it’s a shame, it’s nevertheless a reality.

Concluding on what I hope is a little humor, I suggest that much of the commentary used in Hoops today is quite foreign from that used in the Basketball lingo of yesterday.  As modern day examples and with tongue planted firmly in cheek, I offer several examples that catch my attention regularly during Hoops games broadcasted over the airwaves.   Natural responses follow the comments:

1.     “He’s really good on his feet.”  Response: Do we actually wonder if he is also good on his back or belly?

2.     “This team came here to play!”  Response: I suspect the spectators also came here to watch.

3.     “He plays both ends of the court.”  Response: If he didn’t, he should probably be playing tennis.

4.     “This team flies next week to Seattle, on the road.”  Response: Makes a guy wonder if Northwest Airlines ran out of air space.

5.     “There’s a time out on the floor.”  Response: Oh, I thought I saw a spectator in row 9 call for it.

6.     “We need to take it one game at a time.”  Response: But two games at a time would speed things up a lot.

7.     “That is a real stand-up kind of player.”  Response: But I’ve noticed that the fall-down ones are much funnier.

8.     “He is playing within himself.”  Response: Seems like a very small area in which to perform.

9.     “How did you feel after that recent loss, coach?”  Response: Why, I was exhilarated, of course.

10.            “He knocked that one down from 22 feet.”  Response: And we’re pretty certain that it won’t get back up.

11.            “He should do quite well at the next level.”  Response: But the next level in this arena is the 2^nd tier seats.

12.”He’s certainly some kind of coach!”  Response: But what kind we presume will be explained later on.

I hope it’s ok to poke fun at comments like these used today in the newer game of Hoops that seems so different from the game old-timers recall.  Anyway, we all love this sport and we’ll probably see you at the school’s next home game as usual, dude.