The worst pick up players.

[Nathan_OS]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Anyone still hooping during COVID?

[VDusen04]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Anyone still hooping during COVID?

I haven't played against anyone since the shutdown. I can only imagine how rusty and broken non-essential basketball players are going to be when everything finally comes back.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Anyone still hooping during COVID?

Started playing at a private gym with a steady 10 since about last month. Missed the game, man.

[MrDubya]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Anyone still hooping during COVID?

I want to, but the only court near me seems to always have a few more people on it than I’d feel safe being near. I wish I knew of another location where I could just kinda shoot around and shake off the rust.

[ehh]

Re: The worst pick up players.

The rims were taken down at every park near me in March and they're still not back up, not that I've played outside in the last decade. It would be nice to go shoot around from time to time, granted we have maybe another month before it's too cold to play outside. My parents still have an old beat up hoop in their driveway that I shot around on a couple of times over the summer. I'm not hooping indoors until all of this blows over.

I can't wait to suffer a semi-severe injury the first time I play again after what will probably be a year and a half off. There is nothing like hooping; I still jog from time to time and ride a spin bike regularly (save the knees and back) and do pilates and lightweight/bodyweight strength training but it's nothing like playing even somewhat competitive pickup. All of those nooks and crannies will be sore as hell the following morning after your first run in ages. I really might have to play 3v3 for a few weeks before running full.

[VDusen04]

Re: The worst pick up players.

I can't wait to suffer a semi-severe injury the first time I play again after what will probably be a year and a half off. There is nothing like hooping; I still jog from time to time and ride a spin bike regularly (save the knees and back) and do pilates and lightweight/bodyweight strength training but it's nothing like playing even somewhat competitive pickup. All of those nooks and crannies will be sore as hell the following morning after your first run in ages. I really might have to play 3v3 for a few weeks before running full.

Truer words have never been spoken.

Like many of us, I'm coming up on a year of having played zero competitive basketball, which probably marks the first such streak in about 30 years. Like you, I've supplemented with things like dune hikes, elliptical, biking, home weight training, etc. But nothing hits like a two-hour open run. I've even started jumping in with my girlfriend's 35-minute Insanity-types of workouts just to try to get that soreness fix but it's not the same.

Considering I'm turning 37 in a few weeks, I've wondered what the return to the hardwood's going to be like. I feel like dudes like me are going to be breaking down en masse once we get back out there, with all my ligaments, tendons, and muscles no longer acclimated to the game's movements and cuts.

As an aside, I never thought I'd be so thankful to have been able to play basketball all these years. I think of the high schoolers who either have to play wearing masks or those whose seasons have been virtually cancelled and I can just imagine how tough that would have been for younger me. This even would have hit 20's me way harder. Hopefully folks can bounce back when this is all said and done.

[ojandpizza]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Same for me, haven't touched a ball in forever it seems. I was already semi-retired before this because my knees and back felt like they were giving out on me. I can't imagine trying to play right now lol.

[VDusen04]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Decided to get out there and try to dunk for the first time in, like, a year, just to get a baseline for what I’ve lost and where I stand.

Nearly murdered myself.

https://streamable.com/94wpfy

If you look closely you can see the floor ripple under my foot, which is 100 percent not cool.

Edit: For the record, I’m now officially a member of the rim grab layup club, which is a badge I accept with honor at my advanced age after a one year layoff. https://streamable.com/68yq1b

[jfsolo]

Re: The worst pick up players.

I'm going to need 3 months to get to my new peak level which will probably be 75% of what it was 15 months ago.

[ojandpizza]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Decided to get out there and try to dunk for the first time in, like, a year, just to get a baseline for what I’ve lost and where I stand.

Nearly murdered myself.

https://streamable.com/94wpfy

If you look closely you can see the floor ripple under my foot, which is 100 percent not cool.

Edit: For the record, I’m now officially a member of the rim grab layup club, which is a badge I accept with honor at my advanced age after a one year layoff. https://streamable.com/68yq1b

Billy Hoyle is that you!? lol

Man I'm not even sure I could get one down right now. I haven't tried, or even played, since covid. So over a year. And even before that was 1-2 years removed from playing regular pickup ball. I was only playing in a winter men's league that was 1 night a week for a couple months each year. So basically I'm 3 years removed from occasional pick-up level ball, plus old with sore knees and back.

I'm supposed to play in some benefit 3 on 3 thing next month. This is really the only time in my life I'm going into something like that concerned that I might actually leave injured lol.

[ojandpizza]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Man me and a coworker just spent the entire lunch break talking sneakers and stuff. Towards the end we got on the topic of worst sneakers we've ever worn to hoop in..

Mine were the Jordan Pro Strong 2008 release by far. Super clunky, heavy, uncomfortable as ****. They had those "plates" in them to help with ankle support. Within a week mine had torn through the fabric and were cutting my ankles. My ankles were literally bleeding through on to my socks while playing. Ended up cutting about a half inch off the top of that plate and wearing them like that for awhile before I got a different pair.

I was texting a friend because we both bought a pair back then and I couldn't remember what they were called to save my life. And some of his text responses were "lol those red black and white bricks?", "lol those were discounted for being complete dog ****", and when I finally found a pic to send him "Yeah, dog ****"... Needless to say we both hated those shoes.

What about y'all? Best/worst shoes you've had to hoop in, or just some of your favorite/most unique kicks you've had in general.

[ehh]

Re: The worst pick up players.

I don't remember the model but in college we were sponsored by Reebok and holy hell the stock/team bank shoes they gave us were dreadful. I went through two pairs before between Midnight Madness and our opening game. The sole ripped off. It felt like every other day in practice someone on the team was blowing open a pair like Zion at Duke.

My favorite performance shoe is the Zoom BB circa 2007. So unbelievably comfortable and sturdy and durable. I still have a pair in black and one in navy though it's been years since I've played in either. It's funny picking them up now compared to the modern sneakers made of entirely synthetic materials. The real leather on those Zoom BBs was legit. The tread will wear out but the rest of that sneaker will probably last a century lol.

[ProfessaPackMan]

The worst pick up players.

The Foams are worst pair of shoes I’ve ever hopped in. Literally felt like I was playing in a pair of Nike Boots(my DMV heads here know what I’m talking about).

It blew my mind when I used to watch Markieff Morris play ball in those when he was in DC.

I also made the mistake of balling in a pair of Griffey’s like a damn idiot. Had my feet feeling like they were on fire for about a week. I swear 2000s me was more concerned about looking good on the court like everyone else than actually playing lmao

[jfsolo]

Re: The worst pick up players.

Best shoes I ever played in were the Air Jet Flights



Next best, Under Armour Micro G Supersonic




Worst, Converse Destroyer

[VDusen04]

Re: The worst pick up players.

I thought it'd be really cool to wear my Jordan I's for my final home game in 2002. Unfortunately the 2001 Jordan I retros were poorly manufactured; the insoles were loose and would scrunch up the first time you made a cut or stopped on a dime. So then it felt like you were playing barefoot the rest of the night.

Here's what mine looked like:



Here's how they probably should have looked like if done correctly:



One of the most comfortable, in contrast, was probably the 2008 Hyperdunk. Still fond of Hyperdunks to this day.



That said, I wasn't too finnicky. I spent a lot of years in Jordan V's and Jordan III's and I wasn't above wearing Starburys or garage sale Way Ups in the summer.