A dissertation on Ice Cube's basketball skills as mentined in "It Was A Good Day"

[MrG]



Read recently where a guy broke down the song to find the exact day Cube was referring to in the song. I think he said it was January 20, 199X

Yup, it was January 20, 1992. I even started a DT about it. Sadly, it was not a good DT.

 

[embowafa]



Yup, it was January 20, 1992. I even started a DT about it. Sadly, it was not a good DT.

Actually, NO...it was 11/30/88

http://deadspin.com/5880881/internet-correction-ice-cubes-good-day-was-actually-november-30-1988

 

[MrG]



Actually, NO...it was 11/30/88
http://deadspin.com/5880881/internet-correction-ice-cubes-good-day-was-actually-november-30-1988

That is outstanding. The good news is that we don't have to wait as long to celebrate it as we originally thought. This will be good news for erictheobscure, as he lamented the wait in my DT.

 

[erictheobscure]



That is outstanding. The good news is that we don't have to wait as long to celebrate it as we originally thought. This will be good news for erictheobscure, as he lamented the wait in my DT.

Hmm. I'll have to look at the evidence, but I'd be totally happy with a November 30 Good Day Day. Bloated after Thanksgiving, eating leftovers, and not using my AK.

 

[FLMountainMan]



This is an interesting topic.
Here we play 21 or 25, where the individual who reaches that score wins.
Teams normally play "straight eight" where every basket (whether from 2 or 3 point range) counts as 1 point, so the team with eight made buckets wins.

Damn, I've played repeatedly in St. Pete, Clearwater, Tampa, Orlando, Tallahassee, Miami, and Eastern Montana/Western North Dakota. Never heard of "25" or "straight eight".

There are many, many variations in "21", even within the same city:
Three-pointers sometimes count, sometimes don't.
With bad players - "free throws" are from the free-throw line, but this is rare, usually only on inferior-competition courts.
Sometimes the first shot (to start the game) is worth 2, sometimes 1.
Some courts call out-of-bounds, some don't.
Some courts bust, some don't - if you don't hit exactly 21 points, you go down.
Some courts you bust down to 13 (so your next basket gives you 15), some 15 (so your next basket gives you 17). Played at one court where it was 11 (or at least that's what they told me )
"Tips" - really complex. Usually it's not played (wears your ass out for the team game you're waiting to start). Sometimes it's only played on the free throws. Sometimes it's on on every shot. Sometimes you bust down to zero, sometimes if you get past 11 points you only bust to 11.

Cultural differences:
Take-backs - many "white" courts, you only take the ball back if there are fewer than three or four people playing. In general, white folks tend to like to take it back, black folks don't.
Black people, in general, would rather play seven-person 21 than play threes with one person sitting. Hell, even nine-person 21.

 

[jpeirpont]



This is an interesting topic.
Here we play 21 or 25, where the individual who reaches that score wins.
Teams normally play "straight eight" where every basket (whether from 2 or 3 point range) counts as 1 point, so the team with eight made buckets wins.

Where are you from? I've never played 25, I have only ever player 21.
As far as team ball goes I have never played 8 either. I think that's a little short, no chance in coming back from a blow out.

 

[jpeirpont]



Damn, I've played repeatedly in St. Pete, Clearwater, Tampa, Orlando, Tallahassee, Miami, and Eastern Montana/Western North Dakota. Never heard of "25" or "straight eight".
There are many, many variations in "21", even within the same city:
Three-pointers sometimes count, sometimes don't.
With bad players - "free throws" are from the free-throw line, but this is rare, usually only on inferior-competition courts.
Sometimes the first shot (to start the game) is worth 2, sometimes 1.
Some courts call out-of-bounds, some don't.
Some courts bust, some don't - if you don't hit exactly 21 points, you go down.
Some courts you bust down to 13 (so your next basket gives you 15), some 15 (so your next basket gives you 17). Played at one court where it was 11 (or at least that's what they told me )
"Tips" - really complex. Usually it's not played (wears your ass out for the team game you're waiting to start). Sometimes it's only played on the free throws. Sometimes it's on on every shot. Sometimes you bust down to zero, sometimes if you get past 11 points you only bust to 11.
Cultural differences:
Take-backs - many "white" courts, you only take the ball back if there are fewer than three or four people playing. In general, white folks tend to like to take it back, black folks don't.
Black people, in general, would rather play seven-person 21 than play threes with one person sitting. Hell, even nine-person 21.

In Hartford you go back to 11 if you don't make 21. We play take it back her unless the court is packed. 8+ players. We play 21 no matter what before team games in order to warm up . I take it back no matter what, as I'm a beast ;-) and the game would be two easy if I played no take backs.

 

[fir3fox]



Where are you from? I've never played 25, I have only ever player 21.
As far as team ball goes I have never played 8 either. I think that's a little short, no chance in coming back from a blow out.

DFW, TX

25 is just 21 but to 25... not sure how it evolved, some courts play either or. Occasionally we'll play "Tips" also, I'm assuming that's where you "tip-in" a rebound immediately after an opponents miss, which results in them losing points.

I suppose its weird how we do "Nexts" here too. We do it by calling numbers.

5 waiting - the entire losing team sits, winning team stays
< 5 waiting - losing team calls numbers (two winners pick the "good" numbers, "good" numbers called plays, "bad" numbers called sit)
>5 waiting - entire losing team sits AND winners call numbers (incoming players pick the "good" numbers, "good" numbers called plays, "bad" numbers called sit)
10 waiting - then the court breaks into two 5v5 half court games; half court "nexts" use the same number called system.

There is one local gym that uses a chalk board and you just sign it and the next 5 goes, down the line. That system gets sharp-shooted a lot.

 

[fir3fox]



Cultural differences:
Take-backs - many "white" courts, you only take the ball back if there are fewer than three or four people playing. In general, white folks tend to like to take it back, black folks don't.
Black people, in general, would rather play seven-person 21 than play threes with one person sitting. Hell, even nine-person 21.

This is funny, because I've noticed the same thing. =)

 

[FLMountainMan]

There are a few times when we've played games to seven, but it's always been on high-caliber, organized courts with a lot of people waiting. Usually it's to 11 or 12, straight or win by two. 15 or 16 if it's the first game or last game or if no one's waiting and the teams are pretty even.

In my mid-twenties, I used to play a circuit on Sundays. I had staggered regular games at four different courts in three different cities. Was always a little quirky to keep the rules straight. I'd also basically be playing ball from 8:00am to 9:00 pm with a few hour long breaks, all on outdoor courts (). In the summers I'd drink two gallons of water during that day. It was pretty brutal.

 

[munchausen]

Is this the same guy who figured out precisely on what day that song took place?