What is the origin of the phrase ‘downtown’ in basketball?
You hear it all the time these days, with the likes of Steph Curry often dominating from distance against a tight defense, but when did it start?
It’s one of the most satisfying phrases to hear in basketball commentary....
“[insert NBA star] from waaaaay downtown!” called out with such enthusiasm not only sounds great to the watching fan, but the act in itself, assuming the shot hits its target, can be a demoralising blow to the opposition.
So, before we dig into the origins of the phrase - which go back quite some time - let’s first have a little reminder for those new to the game of what ‘downtown’ actually refers to in basketball.
What does shooting from downtown mean?
If you score from downtown these days then you are guaranteed three points for your team. But the phrase means more than just outside the three-point arc marked on the court... to get this shout you’ll need to be just a little further out.
But it is as simple as that, a shot from distance.
You may then ask, however, why on earth would someone choose to shoot from afar when it would appear to be harder the more meters between you and the hoop. Well, for starters, consider a strong defense - if you’re struggling to make it inside the arc for a slam, lay-up or simpler two-pointer, you may have to try from deeper on the court.
Then there are the times when you can see the shot clock reaching its end or the buzzer approaching. “Get a shot off!” your teammates and crowd will scream. It may be a long shot, both literally and figuratively, but there’s more chance of you getting something by releasing than holding on. Oh, and then there’s that ‘demoralising blow’ I mentioned before, think of Jordan, Bird, Kerr, Miller, Korver and, of course, the three-point King of Kings, Steph Curry. Nailing one from downtown at a key period in a tense game then giving your opposite number that look, can sometimes swing the momentum your way.
And note that depending on a commentators feel for where the shot comes off from, he or she may describe it as ‘deep downtown’, ‘half-court’ or ‘full court’ - each one even further from the intended target.
When was ‘downtown’ first used in the NBA?
This may be the obvious question but let’s make something very clear. Three points, i.e. those shot from outside the arc, were not introduced into the NBA until 1979 (although had been in other leagues)... but the phrase had already been coined.
After dusting off the history books in AS Towers I have found various references to the term ‘downtown’. The man considered the voice of the Seattle Sonics, Bob Blackburn, was said to have used it in the early seventies. One of the local team’s stars then, Freddie Brown, hit plenty of shots from distance and got tagged with that, despite there not being an actual arc in place at that time.
But then there is also this piece in the ESPN vaults about its use, and how ‘downtown’ could have, or should have, had a different, in fact opposite, meaning. Hunter S. Thompson points to the Boston Celtics announcer, Johnny Most, having used it in the 1960s, although its wider use took some time to land, with CBS commentator Brent Musburger possible overusing it, with what he calls ‘The Curse of Musburger’. Here is a snippet:
‘That is when Musburger changed the language of sports forever when he kept repeating this ignorant notion that any basketball player firing off a long 3-point shot is shooting from “downtown.” (Celtics announcer Johnny Most might have coined the “downtown” trademark in the 1960s, but it was Musburger who beat it to death.) I still hear in my dreams his wild gibberish every time Michael Cooper or Dennis Johnson drilled one of those long flat-line 3-pointers.
“From way downtown!” Brent would scream. “Another one from Downtown!” It drove me mad then -- & it still does every time some fool blurts it out. It was quickly picked up and adopted by a whole generation of half-bright TV commentators every night of the bloody season. It has become part of the Lexicon now, & it will not be easy to correct. In gyms & Coliseums all over America (even in Greece or Korea), wherever basketball as we know it is played, there will be some howling Jackass braying, “From way downtown! Another 3-pointer! Is this a great country, or what?”'
Well, whatever you think of the term, everyone at least is now on the same page about what it means. And with the likes of Steph Curry around, we’re going to see plenty more...