Are you curious as to what a “brick” in basketball means?
We’ll explain what it means in this article and also show you some of the worst bricks ever made. You may not feel as awful the next time you miss a shot after seeing some of these tremendous bricks.
What is a Brick in Basketball?
In a basketball game, when someone refers to a “brick,” they are merely referring to a missed shot. A brick, however, is not your typical ordinary missed shot. A brick causes the player who shot it to seem foolish and is loud and nasty.
What distinguishes a real brick from a fake one? Well, for one thing, when the ball strikes the backboard or rim, there typically is a loud clanging sound. It’s not a pretty miss, to put it another way (if there is such a thing as a pretty missed shot).
A shot that misses the rim entirely and hits the backboard is a typical example of a brick. This indicated that the shot was incredibly off-target and never stood a chance of landing in the basket.
An “airball” should not be mistaken with a brick. Another basketball slang phrase for a missed shot is a “airball,” which is distinct from a “brick.” The backboard or rim are not touched by the ball when it is an airball. Tony Parker, a former star for the San Antonio Spurs, provided the following classic example of an airball:
Where Did The Term Come From?
The first time the word “brick” was used during a basketball game is unknown. Although “brick” has no clear historical roots in basketball, it has been a term frequently used by viewers of the game for a long time.
What is a Bricklayer?
On a basketball floor, nobody ever wants to be known as a bricklayer. A bricklayer is someone who consistently misses the target by a wide margin. A bad shooter in general or even a good shooter who is having a bad night can be described using this phrase.
For instance, big men like Ben Wallace and Shaquille O’Neal were known for being bricklayers from the foul line. Shaq’s problems at the free-throw line were well known because he only converted 52.7% of his attempts.
Wallace was even worse since during his NBA career, he only made 41.4% of his free throws. During his 16-year playing career, the 2004 NBA champion won the Defensive Player of the Year title four times. This only serves to demonstrate that basketball is more complicated than merely offensive play.
However, as we previously stated, even the best shooters might be referred to as bricklayers if they have a string of losing games. Steph Curry, who is perhaps the best three-point shooter in the league right now and has led the league in three-point field goals six times, is an excellent illustration of this.
Curry only made two of his 15 three-point field goal attempts in a 2015 playoff game against the Cavaliers. This only serves to demonstrate how, on rare instances, even the best NBA players may be compared to bricklayers.
The Worst Bricks of All Time
Even excellent basketball players occasionally lay some bricks. It is merely a component of basketball. The Utah Jazz, who as of this writing have an overall field goal percentage of.472, are the NBA’s best shooting team for the 2021–22 season.
This implies that even the NBA teams with the best shooting percentage still miss around 53% of their shots! Here are some of the worst bricks ever made, with that in mind.
1. Shaquille O’Neal’s Poor Shot Attempt from the Foul Line
In his prime, Shaq was a fantastic offensive player and one of the greatest centers in NBA history. He won four NBA championships, the NBA MVP Award in 2000, and racked up some incredible numbers over the course of his storied career. O’Neal, though, had trouble making free throws throughout his NBA career.
You can see in this video how the ball leaves Shaq’s enormous hand and slams into the front of the hoop, creating a thunderous clank. This is the ideal explanation of what a brick is. We still adore you, Shaq, so don’t worry!
2. Russell Westbrook’s Shot Slams Into the Backboard
One can’t help but admire a person like Russell Westbrook. He is after all one of the most dominant players of his generation and owns the most triple-doubles in NBA history. The majority of his teammates call him “BeastBrook” for this primary reason.
Despite Westbrook’s superior point guard skills, this shot smacked off the top of the backboard. Yikes! We bet some Lakers supporters were making fun of him for that brick. But what’s nice about Westbrook is that nothing ever seems to make him lose confidence.
3. James Harden Brick Compilation
One of the best scoring threats in the league right now is James Harden, who is an offensive beast. The majority of head coaches would kill to have the ball in Harden’s hands with the game on the line. The Beard has been known to jack up some unsightly bricks, though.
Harden’s entire collection of poor shots are shown in the video up top. These shots are often taken from a distance well beyond the three-point line. To Harden’s defense, he has made more than 2,500 three-pointers, which places him fourth all-time in the NBA.
4. Paul George Lays Lots of Ugly Bricks
Paul George is revered by all NBA players, and rightfully so. For more than 11 years, “PG-13” has been one of the top all-around players in the league. But throughout his tenure, Mr. George too has placed some unpleasant bricks.
The former Indiana Pacers first-round draft pick makes a ton of missed attempts in the video up top. Take note of how George tends to hit the front or back of the hoop with the majority of his shoots. Although George is an extremely skilled shooter, he presently sits 15th on the active list for missed field goals.
5. Andre Roberson Misses Back-to-Back Free Throws
Roberson played for the Oklahoma City Thunder for six seasons before briefly joining the Brooklyn Nets last year. The former Colorado Buffalos player will be remembered for his two terrible free throws even if he is not now on an NBA squad. After watching this video, we can’t help but feel a little awful for Roberson.
Roberson launches a terrible brick that lands in the space between the back of the basket and the backboard on his first foul shot. What’s awful is that he overcompensates on the second foul shot and leaves it well short for a humiliating airball. Roberson is a very good defensive player, so maybe he will soon be signed by another NBA team.