Swish
A made shot in basketball that hits only the net
Example
Durant's swish puts them up 12 with 3 minutes left in the 4th
That was a tough shot with Russell all over him
Related Slang
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 |
A swish in basketball is a near-perfect shot where the ball only touches the net, not any of the rim. The name comes from the sound the net makes when the ball quickly passes through it.
People often use swish as a noun when narrating or recounting an excellent shot. For example, an announcer may say, "What a swish for three!"
However, people may also use swish as a verb. For example, when playing a pick-up game, you might exclaim, "He swished it from downtown!" when your friend hits a 3-point shot.
Use of swish outside of basketball
People also use swish outside of basketball to denote success. For example, your co-worker may say "Swish!" (along with the miming of shooting a ball) when upper management approves their proposal.