Basketbawful

Friday, February 24, 2006

Three Guard (thre gard) noun. A guard who is allowed to both bring the ball upcourt and shoot at every opportunity.

Usage example: Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson are the league's preeminent Three Guards.

Word History: From the book Hoops Nation: The three guard is a hybrid of the point guard (often referred to as the "One") and the shooting guard (often referred to as the "Two Guard"). The Three Guard's name derives from the fact that he not only brings the ball upcourt, the traditional duty of the One, but he also shoots it just about every time, shooting as much as the One and Two Guards combined (1 + 2 = 3, after 3, after 3). This type of guard is crucial -- even indispensable -- to any team that wants to make sure there isn't an overabundance of passing, chemistry, or team play on their squad.

You just know he's thinking "shoot".

3 Comments:

Anonymous said...

Dammit, that's my word, I've been saying that for like 10 years! I even brought it up last week on SportsBloggersLive! I'm doomed to be mired in obscurity I guess.

2/26/2006 4:04 PM

Basketbawful said...

Well, if it makes you feel any better, Hoops Nation was written in the early 90s...and therefore predates your 10-year span of usage. Although now that I think about it, that can't possibly make you feel any better. I'm sorry.

3/02/2006 1:49 PM

vaanhalen said...

3 guard may be the original expression, but I think 0 guard has taken over. 3 guard sounds too much like a point forward, and a 0 guard is really a different position than the 1,2,3,4, or 5. So he's 0. Also, Gil is the quintessential o guard, so its fitting its called the "0", or the "oh", as in "oh, of course Starbury took the shot." They fact that they are usually zeroes as human beings is merely a bawful coincidence.

4/08/2010 4:43 PM