Downtown
Beyond the 3-point line
Example
Curry drains the three from downtown!
Wowzers! I can't believe he's hit 7 in a row
Shot from downtown
Related Slang
| Swish | A made shot in basketball that hits only the net |
| Ballin | Playing sports well |
| Hoops | Basketball |
| Dropping dimes | Making difficult passes for assists in basketball |
| NBA | National Basketball Association |
| And one | A play where a player is fouled while making a basket |
| Charity stripe | Free throw line |
| Put him on skates | To make a person stumble over himself |
| Bricklayer | A basketball player who is shooting a lot of bricks |
| Brick | A shot that squarely clangs off the rim or backboard |
| Wowzers | Wow |
How well do you know your texting slang?
In basketball, "downtown" is the area behind the 3-point line, far away from the hoop. Everyone from NBA announcers to players in a pick-up game use the term when a player attempts a three-point shot.
Origin of downtown
There are various claims about where downtown comes from in basketball. The two most prominent ones are that Boston Celtics announcer Johnny Most used it in the 1960s and Brent Musburger popularized it. Another claim is that Seattle Sonics announcer Bob Blackburn popularized it in the early-1970s.
When do people use downtown?
You will hear downtown in just about any televised basketball game, whether it be live from an announcer or someone doing highlights. You might also see it used online and in texts or hear it while taking a long-range shot, whether a basketball into a hoop or garbage into a waste basket.