matador defense (mat'-uh-dor' de'-fens) noun. A lackluster, low-effort form of defense in which the defender simply reaches for the ball and then quickly pulls his hand away -- similar to how a matador pulls his cape out of the way of a charging bull -- as the offensive player drives by him for an easy shot at the hoop.

Usage example: Last season, the Lakers lead the league in matador defense.

Word History: The term "matador defense" was coined by Chick Hearn, the Lakers' legendary play-by-play man. Hearn revolutionized color commentary with his rapid fire, staccato broadcasting style and is credited with creating many of basketball's most well-known and enduring phrases. Some of the most famous Chick-isms include "slam dunk," and "air ball."

Word Examples: The Lakers pretty much sucked last season. A lot of people think it's because Kobe didn't have enough scoring support. That couldn't be further from the truth. The Lakers were actually the fifth best scoring team in the league last season, and the sixth best shooting team. Their real problem was defense, where they were sixth worst. Naturally, there are multiple examples of their matador defensive style on YouTube. Here are three:




Great Matadors in History: Tito Santana. 'Nuff said. And hey, you can book Tito for autograph sessions, wrestling clinics, or pumping your gas at the local BP. Seriously. Go here.

You didn't think I'd miss the chance toinclude a picture of Tito Santana did you?

Labels: Los Angeles Lakers, Tito Santana, Word of the Day