The Newbie’s Guide to Pick-Up Basketball in Brooklyn
THE BASICS
Of course, there are minor variances from court to court, and neighborhood to neighborhood but here’s what you can generally expect, in terms of game protocols:
1. Games go to either 11, 16 or 21, depending on who’s waiting, if it’s half-court or full-court, etc.
2. At most courts, every shot, from anywhere on the court, is worth one point; occasionally you’ll get “ones and twos,” which means three-pointers are worth two points.
3. You gotta win by two points.
4. If there are only enough people for a game, you will shoot for teams: this means the first (three or four or) five people to make a foul shot form a team.
5. If it’s the first game of the day, you shoot for first possession, which is a do-or-die three pointer.
6. In half-court, it’s “winners out,” which means you retain possession after a basket.
6b. Also, in half-court, if a shot misses the rim, the defending team can go straight up with a shot.
6c. Half-court will involve clearing the ball, either to the foul line extended, or to outside the three-point line. People will do this really quickly, there’s no “honorable” waiting for a defender bullshit, so be on your toes.
7. If games are already in progress when you show up, you have to find out “who’s got next.” Yes, this may sound funny coming out of your mouth, but that’s how it is. Once you identify who has next, you have to get on that team; if that team is full, you have to find out if anyone else has next. If no one does, you say, out loud, to anyone who can hear you, “I got next.” (If you say it three times, the ghost of George “The Iceman” Gervin will appear, and play on your team.)
8. Ninety-five percent of the time you’ll be playing man-to-man defense, though we have seen the occasional three-two zone pop-up, particularly when there’s a wider disparity of age and/or talent (or Syracuse is making a deep run in the tournament).
9. Some of the better games to be had in the borough are in Marine Park, Red Hook, and the Tillary courts, though you can find a good run all over town.