Bucket
A made basketball shot
Example
Jones is really struggling with his shot tonight
No doubt. He can't buy a bucket
Related Slang
Get buckets | To dominate |
Swish | A made shot in basketball that hits only the net |
Splash | A made shot that only touches the basketball net |
Jumper | Jump shot |
Alley oop | A pass to a teammate who puts the ball in the basket |
Baller | A cool person |
Ballin | Playing sports well |
Boards | Rebounds |
Dropping dimes | Making difficult passes for assists in basketball |
And one | A play where a player is fouled while making a basket |
Charity stripe | Free throw line |
NBA | National Basketball Association |
In basketball, a bucket is a made shot. For example, after a player makes a shot, the announcer may remark, "Williamson with the bucket for a 10-8 lead."
The name comes from the similarity between an actual bucket and the basket (rim and net) on a hoop. Some believe that the term dates all the way back to the early years of the sport in the 1890s when basketball creator James Naismith and other players used peach baskets for the rim and net.
Buckets may be worth 2 or 3 points depending on where the player shoots the ball. Since getting buckets is a good thing, people coined the phrase get buckets to describe times when you are dominating or successful, even outside of sports.