RealGM

I'm always curious - people on PC forum - what's the highest level of basketball you've played.

Formally - bad HS player on a mediocre HS team.

Informally - picked up basketball again in grad school - pick up runs with college players (two notable HS players stands out in my memory) as a grad student/early professional working at a D1 school.

Stopped that a couple years ago, just occasionally play with the kids and their friends these days.

Highschool gym class

I led my team to six championships in the 1990's.

ronnymac2 wrote:I led my team to six championships in the 1990's.

Scottie Pippen is that you?!?

4th-5th starter on high school team, but for those of you who love talking about guys who could play all 5 positions--I started at center as a sophomore due to injury and then PG as a junior due to a guy becoming academically ineligible. I was the smallest center in our conference by 3-4 inches and 60 lbs and the worst offensive PG by about a Steph Curry to Corey Joseph margin....

Mostly though I was a defensive wing with no jumper who offered rebounding, secondary shot-blocking, and some transition offense. A decent playmaker in my PG year, but today teams would have just left me alone and dared me to shoot and I would have been unplayable.

Today at 50? I'm a half court only guy who mostly just passes and rebounds and takes the odd set shot 3 to help space.

i didn't even make my middle school team (damn you, patrick) so i guess college pick-up games on the white/asian courts was probably my peak. one game i had already hit three 3's but we were down 27-21 going to 30. i hit back to back 3's to tie it and all i wanted was for the other team to not win it on a 3 and they went for a layup for some reason (and made it). next possession, got a pick about 3 or 4 feet behind the line and took the shot. most perfect swish of my life. then did a kobe/jordan calm fist pump like that's just what i do.

all downhill from there.

YMCA league when I was like 8. I had a football body.

One year of college ball at a middling D1 school, lots of rec league after that.

Quit after middle school because I was too depressed for sports in high school. Probably for the best -- 5'10" and could barely dribble.

Best games I ever played were juco pickup games. The good players weren't taking it seriously, and I was still routinely the worst player on the court, but I had a blast and actually improved a lot in just a few terms. To this day, I appreciate how much two of the guys, who were routinely among the best players running, respected me and didn't freeze me out the way some others did. Legitimately boosted my confidence at basketball and in life. They'll never know the impact they had.

OK, corny story over. Back to replies from actually good players...

Started.

6th grade.

I was maybe 4'6" and lacked the strength to get the ball over the rim unless I was right in front of the hoop but I enjoyed being on the team nonetheless. Coach was my class teacher and a really good guy who cared a lot about his role as an educator and mentor. Last day of practice he lowered the hoop as low as it would go so that we could all have some fun dunking the ball while he took photos to turn into posters. I was the only kid who couldn't make one despite a half-dozen or more attempts. Mercifully, no poster was made of my failed dunks.

Rarely would I play more than the final minute of an out-of-reach game but one evening we were down by a gigantic margin going into the 4th and coach let me play almost the entire quarter. I didn't score but logged multiple rebounds and steals while making a genuine nuisance of myself to the opposing team. Rarely have I had so much fun competing in my entire life. Next day in class, coach heaped praise one me for my effort and tenacity.

Next year the team was going to be getting new uniforms so we were allowed to keep ours. I still have my #11 in a box in the attic. I only wish I had kept playing in junior high school but I preferred to put my time into activities I was actually good at.

i played against Luka Doncic's Real Madrid youth squad when we both were 14 yo playing among 15yo. Scored 7 points in the 2nd leg but the team blew us out by +40 in each game lol

I played pickup for an hour or two one afternoon after a pledging ceremony at my frat where we did a lot of drinking. Was still pretty high. Can't remember how I played but I was seriously dehydrated afterward and nearly passed out when I stopped and sat down.


(I'll just show myself out)

I once drained 8 consecutive threes.

Summer league ball between 11th and 12th grade year (Never played well during the season for some reason) we got to the regionals and then lost to Mount Vernon High school. . Played against Ben Gordon in High school in NY. Thats my claim to fame though LOL. I'm proud of the fact that I can say, "I played against that dude in High school" or watched him from the bench LOL. when watching the Bulls games back in the day. Not many people get to say they played against an NBA player. Its a cool feeling.

End of bench guy on 9th or 10th grade high school team

Rep basketball here in Aus, but also country not city, we do things a tad different.

Bench player for high school in australia played nationals a couple time.
Was a better rugby and field athlete at 6ft 220lb

Played against a couple of guys who made the pros, though I was generally one of the weaker guys on the court. Mark Davis played for Milwaukee, Brian Magid for Indiana, neither got past deep bench guy. Frigging Davis blocked on of my too flat jumpers from at least 15 feet away; Magid was one of those guys (at pickup level) like Curry who just looked like he would never miss a shot. Coached against a few, Scottie Pippen Jr. is about the last one still playing in the NBA though.

My brother and I used to enjoy beating better players 2 on 2 because we understood the PnR and they didn't. They'd crash into each other and I'd roll for an open layup or he'd hit an open jumper. Worked over and over. That and they'd be trying to play with one hand holding their pants up which was always pretty ridiculous.