I saw my friend's six-year-old son playing on this door mini basketball hoop alone at home. It came to me, "Is it right to call this playing basketball in English?" at the same time I thought of some who go around the yard having a basketball while bouncing it against the ground like they're dribbling with no hoop around. "Can I call this playing basket ball?"
And while we're on it, I'm also interested in a possible word to describe the occassion when two players play on one hoop together. Is it simply basketball, too?
I thought maybe I can call these three descriptions practicing basketball but I'm not sure and I think practicing implies there is a game ahead and they're getting ready for it or something, plus I really would like to know how native speakers naturally describe these in English. Also I thought of playing hoops I checked it and hoops means basketball so I'm back to square 1.
Best Answer
Usually when on
one of the important objects is to keep score, in situations when there is no score it is usually considered "practice".
In your examples, the six year old is
the case where someone is bouncing a basketball without any other intent is merely
In the case where two people are shooting at the same basket, if they are playing a game against each other, it is called
an official basketball game has five players on each side, but games may consist of any number of players, but usually no greater than "five a side". If they are both shooting at the same basket then they may only be
You are correct, a nickname for basketball is "hoops" this is because a ball one tries to get the basketball through a "hoop"
People can "practice" any number of things (dancing, singing, basketball) without any future intent, but merely for the fun of it!