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“Anytime I’m playing basketball like whether I’m just shooting around or I’ve just played pickup or after practice, my last shot before I leave the gym has to be a make. Like even if you’ve missed a bunch in a row you have to keep shooting till one goes in and then you can leave. I think this is like a pretty common thing with everyone that plays basketball and it’s just something I’ve always done and will continue to do. If I don’t do it I “just feel off” and have a feeling something bad will come my way as a result. I think it is because the idea of a basketball going in the hoop is a good thing, and if you end on a good note, it will set the tone for the rest of the day.”

Context

“I don’t remember where I exactly heard this first, but if I were to guess, it was something I saw many other people I played casual basketball with do. Because its so simple and its representation is a positive thing, I think I picked it up quickly without thought. I never really thought about ending on a make in an academic sense because I feel it is something all real hoopers do by default.”

Analysis

This is an example of a ritual because it is an action taken that holds symbolic meaning. It is used to manifest luck and repeated in the same scenario every time, which in this case is at the end of a basketball session. His point that most hoopers just know this rule and do it without thought shows how it is not formally taught to them by coaches or elders. This reveals that often time folklore is spread by watching and copying with shared beliefs. Basketball players or “hoopers” land in the same folk group because of their shared love for the game. This ritual to prevent bad luck is one of many folkloric aspects of this basketball folk group. Since folklore can have many variations of the same idea this ritual can be a make from any spot on the court and different folk likely have their own takes on what is the right spot to shoot from.