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sambista
Joined: 25 Sep 2004 Posts: 16951 Location: way station of life
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Posted: 05/25/05 4:32 pm ::: pop quiz |
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i've just asked this question of someone who has a broad knowledge of basketball. he gave me an elaborate answer and he's fairly certain of its origin, but i wondered what answers i might get from the board junkies. so here it is:
why are assists called "dimes?"
_________________ no justice, no peace.
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peaceplease
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 4744
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jfox108
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 311 Location: Nebraska
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sambista
Joined: 25 Sep 2004 Posts: 16951 Location: way station of life
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Posted: 05/25/05 6:14 pm ::: |
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jfox, that's like way too much information! lol!
well, here's what i learned.
first, i just wanna say that i was genuinely curious about the origin of “dimes” as assists, because i’ve heard it a lot lately on tv. i assumed it came from “dropping a dime,” though that is really slang for ratting out someone to the police, as in dropping a dime for a phone call.
i should also say that i’m not declaring that this is the real, true origin of “dime” in the basketball lexicon. however, based on some initial research, there’s no reason to suspect it’s not true.
as my acquaintance tells the story, the first time he ever heard of a “dime” in reference to assists was in an interview with benny anders, then of houston's “phi slamma jamma,” which also included clyde drexler and during the ncaa tournament against nc state and the likes of michael jordan (was that 1983?). according to this person, anders said if he dropped a dime on his teammate, hakeem olajuwon (who i think was akeem at the time), he’d have to take it to the hole.
now, though my acquaintance initially said he “didn’t really wanna go there” with the actual quote he remembers, he said his best recollection of benny’s quote is this: “if i drop a dime on the big swahili, he gots to take it to the hole.”
there are smatterings on the web to support the quote, and at least one archived column suggests this famous quote is really the thing for which benny anders is best known. (i don’t know from the nba, so i’m assuming anders didn’t do much beyond college?) there’s also evidence that the quote, in its original context, may have been chronicled in sports illustrated around that time.
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CamrnCrz1974
Joined: 18 Nov 2004 Posts: 18371 Location: Phoenix
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Posted: 05/25/05 6:18 pm ::: |
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Isn't the characterization of an assist as a "dime" a Chick Hearn thing?
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sambista
Joined: 25 Sep 2004 Posts: 16951 Location: way station of life
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Posted: 05/25/05 6:52 pm ::: |
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he's credited with "dime store score," for a 10-to-5 score, but i haven't found anything else. the person i asked is fairly expert on the subject, and i imagine he'd know if it was a "chick-ism." but honestly, i don't know the real truth of it. all tales, tall and otherwise, are welcome!
_________________ no justice, no peace.
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peaceplease
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 4744
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Posted: 05/25/05 6:52 pm ::: |
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CamrnCrz1974 wrote: |
Isn't the characterization of an assist as a "dime" a Chick Hearn thing? |
http://www.abbaroo.com/lakers/chick.html
Here are some Chick-isms. Even though I didn't see "dime" on the list, I just thought these were entertaining.
_________________ "If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change your attitude; Don't Complain." -Maya Angelou
PEACE
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