Ever been in an altercation/argument/fight during pick up game?

[mobbdeep]

Of course u have. It happens all the time. But did things escalate or have u seen these types of incidents?

It happens all the time. ANything can tick u or someone off.

I'm a calm and nice guy and the only thing that really pisses me off is hard fouls.
Or guys being too physical and crossing the line.

Another thing I don't really like is when guys try to make u out to be a ***** when u call a foul.

My last incident was a few weeks ago when a guy kept on being physical with me and hitting me even when I'm passing the ball and then he would go over my back during rebounds and stuff like that so I got mad when I grabbed a defensive rebound and he jumped on my back again so i cleared space by using my free hand and shoving him with a open hand stiff arm to his face and he got all mad and yelled at me and it seemed like he wanted to start a fight. His brother controlled him and calmed him down and I told him enough was enough.

He calmed down and my team was down 13-12 and we came back and won 17-15 and I had a great steal and some assists to help the comeback.

[mobbdeep]

Basketball is not hockey. U can't really drop gloves and go 1 on 1 and fight with fists and settle your differences like that.

I believe one good hard foul deserves another one. I been hit in the balls and i retaliated with a hard but clean foul to the chest and the guy went ballistic at me lol. I don't get that> I'll take a trade off of chest to ur groin/balls anyday.

That's why calling fouls is important because if u let it slide, they will foul harder and more often and think u won't do a damn thing about it

[C_lake2802]

I've seen many people get into actual fights and its sad and pathetic at the same time. If i see it personally ill try to mediate and diffuse, but only so much you can do when grown men ready to fight. But i do understand if some1 bout to pound you, you have to defend yourself.

But I believe something is wrong with any1 that gets so mad to start a fight over a pick-up game. Especially when there just trying to make a basketball play, and there is no intention behind it. I understand ego's be on the line, but its pick-up it's REALLY not that serious.

[mobbdeep]

I've seen many people get into actual fights and its sad and pathetic at the same time. If i see it personally ill try to mediate and diffuse, but only so much you can do when grown men ready to fight. But i do understand if some1 bout to pound you, you have to defend yourself.

But I believe something is wrong with any1 that gets so mad to start a fight over a pick-up game. Especially when there just trying to make a basketball play, and there is no intention behind it. I understand ego's be on the line, but its pick-up it's REALLY not that serious.

One of the employees at the gym said there is "too much testosterone" and blamed testosterone for the fights and arguments.

U said u understand egos are on the line. Well to men, ego is a big thing as u know and so is pride. So basically that's why.


I don't really care if i win or lose nowadays as much, I like to beat the teams in pick up games where I don't like a guy that much though. But at the end of the day, it's just a game.

[Pushxx]

I learned at an early age that "eye for an eye" is bad policy when playing pick-up.

Swallow your pride and just move on. People are petrified of being shown up in pick-up basketball and they will do whatever it takes to avoid it, including start a fight.

I've seen someone's car get keyed over nothing. Just walk away. You'll thank me later.

The only way to get back at them is to just play better. That's the only way you can show them up without escalating the situation. Get your revenge by fueling your speed or stroke and beating your man.

[ILLsmak]

I've had some major fall outs because of bball. I don't even play bball for real anymore. The truth is, if you haven't fought someone in bball you haven't really dominated them. Obviously it shouldn't be fists but you know some shoving... maybe an elbow or face stomp (just saying lol)

I am pretty much immune to pain, though, and I love contact even though I'm tiny. I love going inside and banging w/ people.

But yeah nowadays I just let people win or play soft because nobody is really ready to get housed in the post without getting all butt hurt or trying to fight you.

I will say this, I've never seen a teammate get into it. IT'S ALWAYS ME. Dunno why. I have watched plenty of bball fights in TV, like that georgetown shit... and I just know that's the only way I'd throw punches is if someone was trying to attack one of my teammates. Otherwise, I don't need to do anything non-basketball. I can cause people pain with basketball plays if I need to...

The one basketball play that made me want to fight was the hip check. I'm sorry but that is some dirty shit... people are mad cuz they can't guard you... old ass men... and it's like BAW. Makes you wanna fight someone, but the feeling at the end of the game when you won despite it makes up for it.

-Smak

[Swaggin916]

Only once. I was playing outside at a park 5 on 5 running full court and this guy had an attitude. He was on edge the whole time and whenever he made a mistake or somebody got the better of him he got all frustrated. Anyway we were both going up for a rebound and I tipped the ball from behind him (not even going over the back) and I got the ball and scored or something. After that he looked and me and told him that I hit him in the head. I did not even feel anything I'm still convinced to this day that I didn't even touch him but if I did it was so slight... then he pushed me a couple times. After he pushed me the second time I just snapped and hit him in the face with a like a jab punch (wasn't a haymaker or nothing lol) and then honestly swung him around like a rag doll, threw him on the ground, and was about to just leveling him but the other guys there pulled me off. He's lucky he had acquaintances there to that pulled me off cus I don't think any of my friends would have lol. There is no way he saw that coming lol. He got what he deserved though.

What makes it so much worse is that he called the cops and actually was going to press charges against me. I told the cops what happened and they were totally on my side and said a push is the same as punch in the eyes of the law and since he pushed me first he started the fight and i was defending myself. I guess it's a good thing they pulled me off cus I might have hit him a few times on the ground and really hurt him and maybe the cops would have considered it excessive I don't know. Butt anyway his attempt to get me in trouble amounted to nothing... he was just angry rich kid or something who knows. I'm not trying to make myself look like such a badass either but back then I was very strong and that particular guy would have gotten a bigtime ass whoopin lol. As it was, he was just humbled lol.

Other than that no. Unless somebody physically touches me like that guy did I am not going to get in a fight with somebody. I have no interest in that sort of thing.

[LikeABosh]

No. Usually when some one tries to pick a fight with me it's some punk ass 18 year old that getting embarrassed by me and trying to act tough in front of his friends.

[Lebron23]

Hell no.

[Quizno]

all the time unfortunately lol. i don't know why it happens so often. i'm a really level headed guy and i don't get heated at all when i play. it's mostly because i'm about 6 ft tall which is tall-ish for random pickup games so i always play in the post even though i'm a slasher/shooter. i'm always guarding a big who thinks he can post me up easily because i'm not a huge guy (about 175 so i have a decent frame) but i know how to defend and prevent someone from backing me down. so they'll push and shove and i'll push back. to me it's just playing defense and them pushing for position is just basketball, but then egos get involved and they get all mad because i'm playing defense. i'm not like elbowing them or anything, it's just solid defense.

so then when i'm all offense they'll play me really close when i post up and just push me like crazy. then yeah, things just escalate from there. i've only actually fought a guy one time in basketball though, which is when i went for a breakaway lay-up and the dude shoved me from behind on purpose when i was in the air right into the ****ing pole. landed right on my nose and was bleeding and i went ape shit on the dude lol, didn't help that i had bad blood with him to begin with. people split us up but i got a clean hit to the face before i got pulled off of him.

i dunno man, people just get really mad when you play defense :confusedshrug:

[LBJFTW]

all the time unfortunately lol. i don't know why it happens so often. i'm a really level headed guy and i don't get heated at all when i play. it's mostly because i'm about 6 ft tall which is tall-ish for random pickup games so i always play in the post even though i'm a slasher/shooter. i'm always guarding a big who thinks he can post me up easily because i'm not a huge guy (about 175 so i have a decent frame) but i know how to defend and prevent someone from backing me down. so they'll push and shove and i'll push back. to me it's just playing defense and them pushing for position is just basketball, but then egos get involved and they get all mad because i'm playing defense. i'm not like elbowing them or anything, it's just solid defense.

so then when i'm all offense they'll play me really close when i post up and just push me like crazy. then yeah, things just escalate from there. i've only actually fought a guy one time in basketball though, which is when i went for a breakaway lay-up and the dude shoved me from behind on purpose when i was in the air right into the ****ing pole. landed right on my nose and was bleeding and i went ape shit on the dude lol, didn't help that i had bad blood with him to begin with. people split us up but i got a clean hit to the face before i got pulled off of him.

i dunno man, people just get really mad when you play defense :confusedshrug:

6ft 175? Why play the paint when you can use your size to your advantage (quickness and speed) by playing the guard positions. Leave the post for the 6'5+ 220+ guys lol!

[Quizno]

6ft 175? Why play the paint when you can use your size to your advantage (quickness and speed) by playing the guard positions. Leave the post for the 6'5+ 220+ guys lol!
can't find many 6'5 220+ guys playing pickup ball haha

[LBJFTW]

can't find many 6'5 220+ guys playing pickup ball haha

Well that depends. How old are the players that you play with?

[Swaggin916]

6ft 175? Why play the paint when you can use your size to your advantage (quickness and speed) by playing the guard positions. Leave the post for the 6'5+ 220+ guys lol!

Maybe he doesn't have speed and quickness... not all guys that are NBA guard size do automatically do lol I know I sure don't and I'm 5'11.

[Rake2204]

I have been in an endless stream of altercations and arguments during pickup games. It's more or less a right of passage for anyone who plays with regularity. As some other posters have said, arguments tend to find you whether you're an even-keeled guy, a hot head, or anything in between.

If I had to guess, I think the highest percentage of my altercations have come from being fouled in an unsportsmanlike manner on more than one occasion in a given day. Regardless of where one plays, there always seems to be a guy out there whose solution to stopping an effective offensive play on blacktop is to shove, undercut, or clothes line. I brush most of that off (as I've often felt a response is what the defender is looking for in the first place) but sometimes it seems as if saying nothing only encourages more of the same behavior. At that point, I feel I must step up and say something, and often it becomes an argument.

I've also had a lot of dumb arguments over the years too, in response to poor foul calls, players who did or did not step out of bounds, whether the top of the backboard is inbounds, whether I could jump to catch an alley-oop then come down with it, etc. Again, those are just going to happen by default. Even when playing with the mindset of "just worry about the game, let the dumb calls roll off your back", opportunities still arise where it seems necessary for me to speak up and clarify situations (again, a good example would be my opponent attempting to call a travel on me for coming down to the floor after jumping to catch an alley-oop). Unfortunately, it all seems to be a part of the game.

With all that said, I've never been in a fist fight on the basketball court. A lot of malicious pushes and threats, but it seems my opponents (and myself) never truly want to take it to the next level, regardless of how pissed and physical we are with one another. I take comfort in that. It tells me that even when we're all going crazy at one another, we still seem to be able to control ourselves. Usually, after a particularly heated altercation, I'll make a point to high five the guy after the game and apologize if I was in the wrong (which I frequently am). Even if I was in the right, I'll still apologize for making a big deal of things and I'll re-assure him that I don't take anything beyond the court.

[JellyBean]

I have never been in any fight, argument, or altercation while playing pick up games. I have seen it happen, especially the arguments but no fighting. I am normally the laid back one on the court. I rarely call a foul or make a call. It slows the game down, especially the arguments. I have seen young cats argue and I have seen older cats (my over 40 crew) argue and it is funny and sad. I have seen a dude that was 50 years argue and when he did not get his way, he took his basketball home!!!:oldlol: That was some funny stuff right there. I have seen it happen but I don't get into any of that mess.

[TMacMagic]

I remember one time a kid blocked my shot as I went up for a jumper and then had the nerve to say it was out on me afterwards. I'm usually extremely laidback but I seriously wanted to punch him in the face, haha.

[Burgz V2]

oh definitely

i was once in a 3on3 tournament and in the semifinals the game was being reffed by a guy who was best friends with one of the players on the other team

one of the players on my team fouled the guy real hard and the ref ran up to teammate and was fully about to throwdown until we kindly reminded him that he's supposed to the effing ref and supposed to be neutral

while that was going on, someone takes a swing at my teammate and all hell broke loose. the worst part is, when play resume, the organizers didnt switch the ref...we lost by two points off that bull****

[Pushxx]

Reading this topic again reminded me of a situation that happened to me 2 years that I completely forgot:

I was playing 3v3 pick-up against some 18 year-olds and just having fun. They started to take it seriously and challenging me so I stepped my game up and did my thing. They took it personally and began trolling me.

One of the kids started to play defense by humping me and hand checking me 50 times in a row before I even started to dribble. He was yelling "come on, Kobe."

After a play or two he began fouling me relentlessly. I knew the best thing to do would be to walk away. I literally dropped their ball mid-play, picked up mine, and just started shooting around at another basket.

Other than spare yelling across the court it didn't go anywhere from there. I could have returned the physicality but it could have gotten ugly.

[TMacMagic]

Reading this topic again reminded me of a situation that happened to me 2 years that I completely forgot:

I was playing 3v3 pick-up against some 18 year-olds and just having fun. They started to take it seriously and challenging me so I stepped my game up and did my thing. They took it personally and began trolling me.

One of the kids started to play defense by humping me and hand checking me 50 times in a row before I even started to dribble. He was yelling "come on, Kobe."

After a play or two he began fouling me relentlessly. I knew the best thing to do would be to walk away. I literally dropped their ball mid-play, picked up mine, and just started shooting around at another basket.

Other than spare yelling across the court it didn't go anywhere from there. I could have returned the physicality but it could have gotten ugly.

:biggums:

[dunksby]

Well arguments happen all the time, some shit talk and regular cussing, but only a few times have I been to a pick up game where shit escalated to a fight. I used to fight a lot in high school but was never involved in anything serious during a game, only time was when this guy kept trying to stick his fingers in my eyes or smack me in the head while pretending to guard me. Finally I got pissed off and threw the ball hard in his face after a faking a pass, fortunately for him/me he was still looking sideways when the ball hit him, still they had to help him off the court like a little bitch he was.

[elmachoborracho]

just check the ball and keep playing
stop being a little bee eye tee see aitch

[Stuckey]

never got into a fight

most of the guys I play with are pretty respectful to one another, I have only witnessed one basketball player that was over the top and trying to start fights

it's sad seeing grown adults fighting over a pick up game , even more pitiful is when the foul wasn't even that hard or dangerous

[Overdrive]

Today I lost my cool and nearly started to hit a friend I know for 15 years.

We were meeting up at the ballpark and nobody's been there, so we played 2on2.

First game I played with that certain friend. I didn't stretch, shoot around or did any kind of warm up, they wanted to play straight away. I was pretty hung over and felt abit weak and slow. So I didn't play that well, but gave all I could at that moment. Aside from that I had a severe ankle sprain three weeks ago and have to wear a sleeve.

He's a guy with nearly no knowledge on basketball, never watches games not into stats, tactics or anything. He doesn't even know how to execute a pnr or pnp, he sets picks and waits for something to happen. He plays no defense, never rotates, but behaves like he's the reincarnation of Jordan. On top of that he's a sore loser.

He's got a good jumpshot, but nothing much else. He only camps the perimeter, even with defenders in his face, waits for the ball and starts to chuck up shots or dribbles till he's trapped, but still chucks up a low % shot.

I'm usually a guy operating in the post, but I got decent courtvision for my style of play, sucky handles, but I don't fumble the ball and know what to do if I'm on the perimeter with the ball in my hands.

So I drop him the ball and start to establish myself in the lowpost. As usual he starts shooting with a defender in his face on the first few possessions. Freezing me out of the game totally. Took a long time till the first buckets were scored. Everytime this happens I stop giving a shit going hard for rebounds, because I'm surely not trying to help him playing ego ball.

On defense we blocked the first 7! shots. 4 being blocked by him, but alot of over the back with alot of (hard) contact on the shooter.

I let my man trough twice since he wanted to defend the big guy and I should guard the smaller, quicker guy playing outside. Once I still got my hand on his shot the other time I called for help and he called me out for it being to late, although it was at very moment I got crossed.

Then he started calling out my defense, but I let it slide.
We lost.

Next game I played against him and he hit me on my shooting hand, I called foul, he called me a *****.

In the third game he got slightly hit by my teammate. Fighting for a loseball, he quit the game immediately saying he gets fouled all the time and doesn't want to play on. They were down and about to lose.

I called him out for being a real ***** if he leaves, which led to him going on a ****ing rant how I suck, how he gets mistreated - remind you he camps the perimeter all the time - with fouls. He called me names, that I can not ball in the slightest sense. When I told him that me being a post guy and him being a shooter would require him to get open else he's giving me droubles. I told him that he has no knowledge about simple inside/out game etcetc and should stop calling me out. Since his '04 finals Kobestyle of play is a huge reason for losing.

He tried to confront me physically at that point and I told him that he should play a 1on1 instead of that, because I was ready to beat him up at that moment and wanted to play it the cool way, he denied, but in the end let it slide.

I mean I get called out for a shooting foul I usually don't even take. I play in the post, bang into the zone, get hit by elbows in the face frequently - I even told him that - and that guy's got the nerves to talk lowlevel insulting shit..

[9512]

Interesting stories :cheers:

Never been in a fight and never seen a fight happen in my presence

Like many on this thread, I am laid back because I don't take basketball seriously anymore. It's cardio day when I ball :oldlol:

But I remember an experience in college when I was at the rec center and swatted at a guy's arm but whiffed on it. Nothing butt air. The guy still called a foul on me. He was so arrogant about it.

I bit my lip and restrained myself from saying, "you think that's a foul? I'll show you a foul next time."

[clipps]

I can take hard fouls no problem. I tend to be very lenient with calling fouls unless I get knocked on my ass or hit in the face. But I don't get set off. The only thing that sets me off is deliberate obvious dirty plays. Stepping foot under me when I'm shooting a jumper, pushing me when I'm air born with the intent to cause harm, etc. One thing that really set me off in middle school was when playing half court basketball, guy checked the ball purposely tossed the ball past the side of me and I decked him.

[MJ(Mean John)]

If i ever played with "smak" and he spoke in third person, I would for sure fight him. :lol

[ILLsmak]

If i ever played with "smak" and he spoke in third person, I would for sure fight him. :lol

you wouldn't fight smak you little bitch. smak would choke slam your ass...

-Smak

[Lebron23]

If you are playing againts a guy who talks to much. Punch him in the mouth.

[Dukem]

I was playing on my own and I missed a lay-up and some dude said 'Mate, you're f***ing crap'. So I got the ball and drilled in 4 straight mid-range jumpers and a fadeaway (only third time I tried that in all honesty) and realized he was still watching with some amazement on his face and I did the Jordan shrug and laughed walking off the court without getting into an altercation as there was no need.

[CeltsGarlic]

Not the same, but were playing football(soccer) in some league and were practicing. We were short on numbers to play against each other and decided to go against these other guys, who seemed cool at first.

So couple of minutes after the start theres this guy defending me and I was shooting/kicking from long range and he goes with his leg open/straight/boots to my knee. Shit hurt like hell but I let it slide cause I thought it was an accident. That dude sucked @ football. Some words-no big deal. One thing that bothered me that he was laughing, how he just "destroyed" me.
I was intense.

Next time, 5 mins later I was standing and receiving the ball and dude just hammers me at full sprint, and my team mates just went crazy on the guy, some guy start showing, because all of opponents were kind of similar, some weak punches thrown, but no fights. Hate those fa6s.

Best part is that were playing against them in 2 weeks. Gonna fkin kill them.

[Money 23]

If you are playing againts a guy who talks to much. Punch him in the mouth.
Or if you can actually play ... embarrass him on the court.

[KungFuJoe]

Fights? Fights were nothing. I've seen guns pulled out (though no shots fired). I've seen full on park clearing brawls. Personally, I've been in a few fights, but they've been broken up relatively quick. Last fight I ever got into was on xmas day. Guy was trying to play rough with me the whole game. One time we're both running down the court and he purposely steps in my way...I knew he was going to do it and I just ran him over. He got up and got in my face and before I knew what I was doing I had swung at him and hit him in the side of my ear (probably one of those wide girly swings...I'm no fighter :)) and we're on the ground wrestling. He gets me in a headlock but I"m on top of him and we're in a stalemate (though I had a clear shot at his nuts if he decided to try and choke me). My girlfriend was watching at the time and comes running at me screaming "What the hell are you doing!?!?!" and then it was broken up.

Good times.

[Alonzo Magic]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=439tFc8qR_0

:oldlol: :oldlol:

[D.J.]

Me personally, a few arguments but no actual throwing down. Most confrontations start because of overly physical play. If the play isn't overly physical, you're generally not going to see any confrontations. Like another poster said, if you're playing games in the hood, there are guys that will pull a gun. I played ball in some not so great areas, but no actual piece of sh*t areas.

[KungFuJoe]

The park that I grew up playing at (Twila Reid in Anaheim/Buena Park, CA)...we had so man gun altercations (no shots fired) and fights that they eventually just removed all the baskets. So now there's just black top.

Other park I played at (Liberty) they put bleachers at half court so no more full court games. Used to be some crazy ass brawls there between Samoans and Blacks.

Man you don't ever EVER wanna **** with Samoans. Even the black guys at the parks I would play at would shut the eff up whenever the Samoans would show up. They'd come 5-10 deep and you just knew that when they did show up you better be on your best behavior. One time this young white kid was playing and he went for a drive and lay up on the baseline...one huge ass samoan pulled a Bynum/Barrea on the kid and sent him flying into the pole. He was on the ground in pain and they're all just laughing like "no blood no foul".

[Alonzo Magic]

Shit, I find it a nuisance when I ball with my keys and wallet in my pocket, how do these guys play with guns on em?

[KungFuJoe]

Shit, I find it a nuisance when I ball with my keys and wallet in my pocket, how do these guys play with guns on em?

No joke, one guy once got so heated during a game, he just walked off the court went to his car popped his trunk and came walking back with what looked like a hunting rifle. None of us stuck around to ask what model it was.

Another guy brought a gun in a bucket with a lid.

Yeah, I know it sounds nuts...I still can't believe the shit that went on at that park.

[TylerOO]

No joke, one guy once got so heated during a game, he just walked off the court went to his car popped his trunk and came walking back with what looked like a hunting rifle. None of us stuck around to ask what model it was.Another guy brought a gun in a bucket with a lid.

Yeah, I know it sounds nuts...I still can't believe the shit that went on at that park.

:roll: :roll: :roll:

[BlueCrayon]

No joke, one guy once got so heated during a game, he just walked off the court went to his car popped his trunk and came walking back with what looked like a hunting rifle. None of us stuck around to ask what model it was.

Another guy brought a gun in a bucket with a lid.

Yeah, I know it sounds nuts...I still can't believe the shit that went on at that park.

This sounds like a scene straight out of White Men Can't Jump.

[LBJFTW]

This sounds like a scene straight out of White Men Can't Jump.

Raymond is that you? Take off that gdamn mask! lol

[BlueCrayon]

Raymond is that you? Take off that gdamn mask! lol

:roll: :applause:

[pauk]

Never, i always did let my game do the fighting/talking... i wont let someone elses bitterness affect my game, i would be the one with the last laugh anyways when the game ends...

[LEFT4DEAD]

Once in high school, I was guarding this big guy. He was at least 3-4 inches bigger than me. I was very dirty player back than, so when he tried to go for a rebound after his teammate missed a FT I kicked him in his quad hard with my knee and he just felt down and said we'll solve it after the game. Luckily they won and he just lended me his hand and said everything is ok. I would get my ass kicked for sure if they lost.