What Does Alley Oop Mean In Basketball?

The alley oop is an offensive play where one player throws the ball towards the basket to a teammate (although this has been done to themselves as well) who jumps up to catch the ball and put the ball through the hoop usually via a dunk whilst they are still in mid air.

Alley Oops are fan favourite plays as they show off the best aspects of basketball; athleticism, finesse and power. They often give the team that scores them a mental boost as well as demoralising the opposing team. See below for a video of some alley oops.

The History Of The Alley Oop

Like many words in the English language Alley Oop can be traced back to France where the phrase “allez hop” the noise acrobats made before they took a leap or jump. “Alley Oops” first usage in English was for a comic strip in 1932 however this had nothing to do with the game of basketball. Alley Oops first usage in sports was actually in the NFL where it was used to describe looping high passes to receivers who jump higher than the smaller cornerbacks. However it is now most often used and associated with basketball.

The Alley Oop in basketball was first seen in the 1950’s era of the NCAA where K.C Jones would throw the ball up to Bill Russell for the finish. Many athletic players in this era including Bill Russel and Wilt Chamberlain were dunking in shots from their teammates which prompted the invention of the offensive goaltending rule which was adopted in college and pro basketball. Nobody really knows who did the first ever alley oop with some crediting Charlie Bowman passing to Don Kojis in the NIB League and some others claiming it was Al Tucker in the 60’s or David Thompson in the 70’s. At one point the NCAA had dunking as illegal so players would catch and just drop the ball in rather than slamming them home.

Dunking was allowed back into the college game in 1976 and from that point on became a permanent part of the game of basketball. With Magic Johnson restarting the alley oop revolution in the late 70’s and teams started intentionally running plays to get them. In the early 80’s Idaho University who were not regarded as a top tier team used the alley oop as a significant weapon in their arsenal and got to the sweet 16 above everyones expectations for them.

By the time the 90’s had arrives the alley oop was a normal part of every teams arsenal in the NBA and plays would be ran for them in all sorts of situations whether they were fast breaks, half court plays or inbounds plays and when executed correctly they could strike the defense before they had a chance to react. In modern teams college and pro most players on a team can throw the alley oops and whereas in the beginning it was mostly centers catching them now we even have point guards going up and throwing them down. There have been many great alley oops ranging from dunks over players to game winning tip ins.

Frequently Asked Questions About Alley Oops

1. Are Alley Oops Legal?

Yes they are a legal play whether you throw them to other people or to yourself with one exception, on a free throw you must attempt a shot on the hoop and not throw up an alley oop pass whether it is too yourself or someone else.

2. Are Alley Oops Always Dunks?

No, an alley oop can be performed by the receiving player just laying the ball in whilst still in the air after catching. It does not necessarily have to be a dunk.

3. When Was The Alley Oop Invented?

Way back in the 50’s by the top players in the college game at the time.

4. Who Did The First Alley Oop?

No one really knows who performed and executed the first ever alley oop however many have come forwards and claimed it was them. We will never know though and can only say it began in the 1950’s.