In basketball, what exactly do you consider to be a "brick"?

I share the same definition as you!

i’ve always thought of a brick being any shot that hits the rim or the backboard and does not go in.

Whenever I hear a commentator on TV describes a shot as a brick, the ball is usually overshot, resulting in it bouncing akwardly off the backbound/ base of rim. I always thought it was called a brick because the ball rebounds without the usual high bounce (it just falls like a brick).

I think of a brick as a shot that hits the corner of the back of the rim and the backboard. So, essentially your definition.

So here’s my take on it…back around 1984–85, playing basketball with friends at the park, we called a brick any missed shot at the basket. Also, coming from b-boy terminology, a brick could be an airball, and if you made the shot without hitting the rim or backboard it would be a swish. Another even rarer term was to call “face” when someone called your shot a brick, and it goes in instead (short for “in your face). This is in the era pre-Addidas and Air Jordan, when we rocked Chucks…

Coming from someone who hasn’t gone a year in his life without playing basketball competitively and on a regular basis (including high school), a brick is just an awful shot. There is no definition. As long as it hits something, doesn’t go in, and demonstrates no “touch,” you can classify it as a “brick.” I PROMISE. :)

I agree with sndfreQ’s definition. I always thought a brick was an airball (not enough height to even reach the rim or backboard).

I have never heard an airball referred to has a brick. In my experience, it’s something that’s shouted…when you hear the clunk of the rim or backboard, brick is yelled. I wonder if it is a regional thing. sndfreQ and Marina seem to have much experience in calling airballs bricks, whereas I have never heard it used that way.
Interesting.

Sigh. It might be an age thing.

Brick was called as the person makes the shot…then if it misses, whether an airball or not, it is a brick. A common scenario:

Shot taker: “swish” (as he takes the shot, anticipating the shot going in all-net;

Other player: “brick!” calling as the ball goes up in the air…

If the ball goes in shot taker: “face!”

If ball hits rim and misses, it’s a brick; if shot misses rim and or backboard it’s a brick and an airball.

Hope that clears it up.

I don’t think it’s an age thing.

“Brick” should refer as much to the “weight” of the errant shot as to its being errant. When a shot goes down easily, it hits the net in a light fashion, but when a shot is “bricked”, it thuds off the rim or board with a heaviness.

I played for the Nike league in my younger years, but one of my street ball facsimile was crunch, or aka 21.. since crunch was everyone against everyone. Our philosophy for who should defend the ball carrier was the person who last had the ball, and missed theirs shot.. If someone would try to sit back after missing a shot, and try to just wait for a board.. Everyone I ever played with including myself would yell at the person ” stick your brick”.. I always considered any miss a brick, and I think that’s why there’s no strong evidence of any other definition.