Alley-oop!
Dunk & Go Nuts
Published: 4/3/2022
By: Andrew Neyer
Scotty Pippen lobs a high pass towards the hoop. Michael Jordan leaps, catches the basketball, and dunks it! Alley-oop!
“An alley-oop in basketball is an offensive play in which one player throws the ball near the basket to a teammate who jumps, catches the ball in mid-air, and slam dunks it before touching the ground.
The alley-oop combines elements of teamwork, pinpoint passing, timing and finishing.” – Wikipedia
IRL
The incredibly acrobatic alley-oop also shows up off the court. There are hidden moments of perfectly timed choreography in the workplace and in our personal lives. My favorite part about the alley-oop is the synchronicity. It is a fantastic thrill to experience setting someone up for success and then watching them achieve their impressive goal. The pinpoint pass looks different at work. It recognizes where someone can excel, allows them to lead a big project, and publicly gives them credit. The assist is what is leveraged. The dunk is awesome, but it hinges on the perfect pass. The player setting up the alley-oop doesn't need to be able to dunk; only the player they're passing to needs that skill set. So, look for people capable of great work, and lob them the perfect pass.
“Alley-oop!”
Etymology
The term "alley-oop" is derived from the French term allez hop!, the cry of a circus acrobat about to leap.
In sports, the term "alley-oop" first appeared in the 1950s by the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL to describe a high arcing pass from quarterback Y. A. Tittle to wide receiver R.C. Owens, who would outleap smaller cornerbacks for touchdown receptions. The term later became better known from its use in basketball.
History
New dunk, who dis?
In the 1950s, some players began grabbing balls in mid-air and then dunking. K. C. Jones and Bill Russell teamed up to perform the alley-oop several times while at the University of San Francisco in the mid-1950s.
In addition, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain at the University of Kansas and 'Jumping' Johnny Green at Michigan State University would frequently grab errant shots by teammates and dunk them. This resulted in a tightening in the enforcement of offensive goaltending rules in NCAA and NBA basketball in the late 1950s.”
Context
Pippen&Jordan
The Oop Troop™
FunFacts™
Putback Jam
A putback describes a situation where a player secures an offensive rebound, then immediately scores a basket. If the player secures the rebound while in the air, for the shot to be considered a putback, the player can land on the ground before shooting, but cannot dribble before taking the shot. If the player does not secure the rebound but instead taps the ball into the basket, it is considered a tip-in. There is a point where the difference between a putback and a tip-in is subjective (e.g., a one-handed rebound in the air followed by a shot before touching the ground). A putback jam is a spectacular alternative to the tip-in, where the ball is slam-dunked off the rebound in the same motion.
Alley-oops!
The Alley-oops is the close cousin to the Alley-oop. Both have similar setups, preparation, and potential, but the Alley-oops ends in total failure. This calamity is made even worse by the extra attention created just before the fall. The alley-oops is the foundation for AFV.
Kevin’s Famous Chili
The Office, Season 5, Episode 26
Butt of the Joke
Parks & Recreation, Season 2, Episode 19
Thoughts
– What does an alley-oop look like for you?
– Who’s your Scotty Pippen?
– Are you ’ooping or ’oopsing?
