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Basketball Terms - D

Dead Ball When the ball is no longer in play – i.e. after an official’s whistle, a successful “Basket” or “Foul Shot,” or when the ball has gone out of bounds. A dead ball is put back into play by a “Jump Ball,” “Throw In,” or “Foul Shot”
Defense The team without possession of the ball, or that team’s attempt to keep the team with the ball (see “Offense”)from scoring  
Defensive Rebound To recover a member of the opposing team’s missed shot; changes which team has possession of the ball
Double Team Two players guard the same opponent, a defensive strategy usually reserved for the opposing team’s best players
 
Downcourt, or Down the Court Refers to the direction in which the offense moves; from the team’s “Backcourt” toward its own basket in the “Frontcourt”  
Draft The National Basketball Association’s process for selecting new players mainly from college tams, but sometimes from foreign and even high school teams. The order in which NBA teams select prospective players is determined by a lottery.  
Dream Team The U.S. Olympic basketball team that won a gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the first year in which professional players were allowed to represent their countries in the Olympic games. The name Dream Team was coined by the media to describe arguably one of the most talented lineups in any sport --     Magic Johnson, ,Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, David Robinson, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, , Christian Laettner, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, and John Stockton. Subsequent U.S. teams are referred to as Dream Team 2, 3, 4, etc., though perhaps due to the increasing international popularity of basketball, no team has matched the complete dominance of the original Dream Team, which beat all eight of its opponents by an average of 44 points. 
Dribble When the ball is bounced repeatedly against the floor; the process by which the ball is transported “Downcourt” by a single “Ball Handler”  
Dribble Series The consecutive “Dribbles” a player makes before resting the ball in one or both hands. After one dribble series, the “Ball Handler” must either “Pass” or “Shoot” the ball, or he or she forfeits possession of it
 
Drive to the Basket An aggressive and quick move toward scoring position with the ball
 
Dunk To jump and throw the ball downward into the basket at close range; often meant to display offensive dominance.
 
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