What is it?
A derisive term for a basketball player who constantly misses shot attempts, often spectacularly. It can be a long-term thing: the player just doesn’t have the skill to make baskets. Or a short-term affliction: the shooter is going through a mental slump.
What’s the origin?
Skilled shooters have that most intangible of qualities: touch. Even off-target shots are so soft they bounce right in. A shooter without touch throws ‘bricks’ – noisy misses that clang off the rim – and is, therefore, a ‘bricklayer’. Not a hint of softness there.
What causes it?
The hands not working together. Ideally, the left goes under the ball (for right-handed shooters) and takes care of elevation; the right handles distance and direction. But when the left doesn’t do its work, the right over-compensates and forces the shot.
Are there any notable bricklayers?
Former US President Barack Obama, who loves playing basketball, was once filmed shooting 20 bricks, at a promotional event for Obamacare. (The video is on YouTube, if you’re interested). The jokes that followed were, unsurprisingly, merciless.