Heat Check
Taking a difficult shot after making several in a row
Example
Yo, did you see Cam pull up from half court last night?
Yeah, that was a total heat check. He'd already hit like four in a row—dude was feeling it
For real. Coach didn’t even get mad. I think he was impressed it almost went in
Heat check from deep behind the arc
Related Slang
| Splash | A made shot that only touches the basketball net |
| Swish | A made shot in basketball that hits only the net |
| Wet | Excellent |
| Ate that | Dominated |
| Ballin | Playing sports well |
| Bucket | A made basketball shot |
| j | Jump shot |
| And one | A play where a player is fouled while making a basket |
| Rock | A basketball |
| Handles | The ability to handle a basketball |
| Dropping dimes | Making difficult passes for assists in basketball |
| NBA | National Basketball Association |
| Hoops | Basketball |
Can you score under par in this golf terms quiz?
Heat check is a basketball term for when a player who has been hitting multiple shots in a row takes a bold, often difficult shot just to see if they are still "on fire." It's less about smart shot selection and more about testing the limits of a hot streak; think pulling up for a shot from deep behind the three-point line with a hand in your face after draining your last four shots.
Players like Stephen Curry and Jamal Crawford helped popularize the term in the 2010s with their fearless shot-taking when they caught fire. The term is now widely used across all levels of basketball, from pickup games to the NBA. You'll hear announcers and fans drop it mid-game when a player goes for an audacious shot after a scoring spree: "That's a heat check!"