Basketball Etiquette

Recently I’ve been enamored by basketball etiquette. I’ve been trying to learn what I can by observation but, when there are holes in my understanding, Kevin helps to fill them. Recently he was telling me about the phrase “you got next.” Apparently there’s an unspoken rule in basketball that the guys watching will be next in playing the winner of the current game – and then they’ll all take turns and be happy-campers. (Or is it happy-dribblers?)

One of the reasons I’m fascinated by basketball etiquette is the fact that I’ve never seen a group of complete strangers behave so nicely or be so friendly to each other in any other setting. It’s like they’re all part of a common brotherhood. And, even though they’re vying against each other to win the game, they continue to pat each other on the backs (or sometimes buttocks!) and always seem to thoroughly enjoy each other. Maybe it’s the fact that they just love to play basketball and it’s all part of the fun.

Another thing that intrigues me is how much “touching” is involved (aside from the touching required to play the game, obviously). Although I know lots of girls who are touchy-feely and like to give lots of physical pats, I don’t know many guys who are this way. But in basketball it’s different – everybody is touching everyone else (both on and off the court!). It’s all part of the game and part of the basketball experience.