Really random basketball question from a writer

E

ellawade

Spectator
I am writing a book right now and I have a moment in the story where the character witnesses a three-pointer buzzer-beater in real life. How impressive do you think this would be? Is it something quite rare even in professional leagues? I've seen some examples in NBA but still wondering how impressive it would be received by an outsider (or even for other players)?

Sorry if this kinda question is not allowed, I just needed some long-time basketball fans to help me with this. Thanks!
 
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Patriotsince81

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I am writing a book right now and I have a moment in the story where the character witnesses a three-pointer buzzer-beater in real life. How impressive do you think this would be? Is it something quite rare even in professional leagues? I've seen some examples in NBA but still wondering how impressive it would be received by an outsider (or even for other players)?

Sorry if this kinda question is not allowed, I just needed some long-time basketball fans to help me with this. Thanks!
According to Sports Reference, there have been 126 game-winning buzzer-beaters – or shots made with two seconds or fewer – in the history of the NCAA Tournament.


Pretty common I guess.
 

Old Man

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Depends on how you lay out the context of the story of the shot.

Is the shooter wide open?
Is there a hand in his face?
Is the shot from half court or further out?
Does it come from a player who regularly shoots 3s or a player who barely sees the floor?

Answer the questions above, and there are many more situations you could consider, and then you can see how incredible the buzzer beater was.
 

GMUgemini

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Depends on how you lay out the context of the story of the shot.

Is the shooter wide open?
Is there a hand in his face?
Is the shot from half court or further out?
Does it come from a player who regularly shoots 3s or a player who barely sees the floor?

Answer the questions above, and there are many more situations you could consider, and then you can see how incredible the buzzer beater was.

It’s all about the context. Build the context and it doesn’t really matter how “impressive” or “rare” they are (hell Mason had one player hit a buzzer beater three games in a row).
 

GMU79

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Oh no no no no no no..... nothing, and i mean NOTHING, will ever top this call by Verne Lundquist at the 2:50 mark--

True, but I was actually referring to buzzer beaters. That announcer couldn't have said it any better if he had planned it.
 

GMUgemini

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True, but I was actually referring to buzzer beaters. That announcer couldn't have said it any better if he had planned it.

Not to get too off-topic, but it's probably "The shot heard round the world" call in 1951...which was a walk-off homerun (the buzzer beater of baseball?) By the way, you want to study how a sports scene works, read that opening move by Don DeLillo in Underworld describing how that play unfolds from the crowd's perspective).

Anyway, back on topic, it doesn't even have to be the most important game of the season if it's the most important shot the character has ever taken (for whatever reason you give for it to be so). The fictional crowd's reaction doesn't even matter at that point, because who you want to be moved is the crowd living inside of the reader.
 

GMU79

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Not to get too off-topic, but it's probably "The shot heard round the world" call in 1951...which was a walk-off homerun (the buzzer beater of baseball?) By the way, you want to study how a sports scene works, read that opening move by Don DeLillo in Underworld describing how that play unfolds from the crowd's perspective).

Anyway, back on topic, it doesn't even have to be the most important game of the season if it's the most important shot the character has ever taken (for whatever reason you give for it to be so). The fictional crowd's reaction doesn't even matter at that point, because who you want to be moved is the crowd living inside of the reader.
You mean "the Giants stole the pennant!, the Giants stole the pennant!" ??
 

phoenix-arizona

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