If you’re new to the basketball world, several terms might sound unfamiliar. Officials and announcers begin shouting slangs in the middle of the game, and you’re left on the seats thinking, ‘What did he say?’ One of the words that you can encounter while watching or playing basketball is and-1, but what does it mean?
And-1 or and one is a play wherein one player single-handedly placed the momentum of the game in their team’s favor. It also consists of making the defending opponent incur a foul, thereby giving the player a free free-throw shot.
Why is it called and-1? Also, what are the requirements that constitute an and-1 play? Moreover, who are the best and-1 players in the NBA? Find out the answers to these questions in this article.
Table of Contents
What is And-1 in Basketball and Why is it Called That Way?
An and-1 move in basketball refers to an offensive player making a shooting attempt but the defending athlete incurs a foul. Therefore, court officials will reward the player that attempted the shot with one stab at a free-throw shot.
How does an and-1 move look like in action?
For example, Player A attempts to dunk the ball in the basket. Then, Player B tries to block the shot. It so happens that Player A wasn’t able to accomplish the shot. However, the referee calls a foul to Player B for unnecessary physical contact. The basketball official will then award Player A with one free-throw attempt.
That entire scenario is the and-1 play. Many coaches would deliberately put an and-1 strategy to make a player from the opposing team incur more fouls. This plan can also make an opponent foul out if that individual already acquired the maximum number of penalties for that game.
However, an and-1 play can also happen if a defending player doesn’t receive a foul. Offensive basketball players can shout ‘and-1’ before attempting the shot. In turn, this basketball slang can provide a boost in confidence to increase the chances of that attempt becoming a successful point.
Unfortunately, there is no verifiable information regarding the origins of the and-1 phrase. However, some reports believe that it comes from certain officials saying things like ‘…and one free-throw incoming.’
What are the Three Requirements for a Successful And-1 Move?
Making a successful and-1 play is not an easy feat. It takes different skills and traits rolled into one clean action to increase the chances of making the act a success. The following are the elements required to make a successful and-1 in basketball.
Strength and Endurance
It’s no surprise that basketball is a physical sport. But basketball players still need to achieve a certain level of physical fitness to increase the success rates of and-1 opportunities. Therefore, a basketball player that doesn’t have the recommended level of strength and endurance will most likely fail at the attempt.
For example, an offensive player is playing on the court for more than 20 minutes. Now, he’s starting to get out of breath and finds it increasingly difficult to make jump shots. However, the coach commands the player to make an and-1 attempt by trying to do a jump shot to attract the attention of the opposing team.
However, the offensive player is already too tired to move efficiently. The jump shot attempt fails, and the referee doesn’t give the defending player a foul.
Constant practice is the key to victory in any basketball game. Doing basketball drills won’t only enhance skills, but these activities can also improve your physical well-being. Over time, you’ll notice that you can last longer in the court. Plus, you’ll have the necessary amount of strength to push through adversities, without, of course, incurring fouls.
Precision
You can shoot all you want in basketball, but those attempts won’t be worth anything if the ball doesn’t go through the hoop.
Attempting an and-1 play, or perhaps any shot in basketball requires accuracy from the shooter. Excellent precision can come from great hand-eye coordination and the ability to stay calm under immense pressure.
Remember, the slightest body movement can make or break shots. For example, moving your feet an inch to the right can make the ball hit the backboard instead of the ring.
Furthermore, players should remain focus despite opponents coming to them from the left and right. Keeping the eye on the prize and disregarding everything else for one moment can bring about a steady body. In turn, players can achieve excellent precision, despite numerous challenges brought upon them.
Determination
Even if you’re physically fit and have acquired great precision through frequent training, everything won’t fall into place without proper determination.
Imagine getting your body lined up for the perfect shot, but you hesitated for half a second. That hesitation leads to defending players stealing the ball even before you can attempt the shot. Ultimately, the shot and the and-1 attempt fails.
Being determined requires committing to every shot. If a basketball player attempts the shot, regardless if there’s a defending player nearby or not, that individual will have a great chance at giving his team extra points.
So what if an and-1 play wasn’t achieved? That’s okay because the player still released the ball. As such, that athlete can still attempt at scoring. It’s a win-win situation that comes from sheer determination while playing on the court.
Who are the Best And-1 NBA Players?
Not every NBA player is the same. If they were, then professional basketball can be a boring sport. Those unique distinctions among NBA players make watching games incredibly exciting.
With that in mind, some NBA players generally have better skills, determination, and physical fitness than others to the point that they accumulated several successful and-1 plays. Here are the top NBA players with the most successful and-1 attempts.
1. Jamal Crawford
Aaron Jamal ‘JC’ Crawford has been in the NBA since the dawn of the 21st century. He has also been in the league for 23 seasons. Even though he hasn’t declared his retirement from the NBA, at the time of writing, Crawford still wants to play for official league teams even after hitting 40 years old. Therefore, Crawford can still add more successful and-1 plays to his list of growing achievements.
2. JJ Redick
Like Crawford, Jonathan Clay ‘JJ’ Redick still plans on continuing his professional basketball career with the NBA, despite the troubles brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Redick might not have been with the league for as long as Crawford, but this 6-foot 3-inch shooting guard already accumulated a sufficient number of successful and-1 plays during his stay with the NBA.
3. Reggie Miller
Throughout the entirety of his 18-year NBA career, Reginald Wayne Miller, aka ‘Uncle Reg,’ ‘The Knick Killer,’ and Reggie Miller, was the shooting guard for the Indiana Pacers from 1987 to 2005. During his time, Miller accumulated many amazing basketball feats, such as being one of the NBA players who achieved many and-1 attempts in his time.
4. Kobe Bryant
Long live NBA’s Black Mamba. Kobe Bryant passed away in January 2020. He was with his daughter and other individuals in a helicopter on that date when the aircraft crashed.
Many people, including basketball fans and NBA employees, will forever remember Bryant as one of the kings on the court. One of his many achievements is being on the list of having several successful and-1 attempts.
5. Stephen Curry
It’s difficult not to hear cheers from fans when the ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’ enters the basketball court. Stephen Curry, the point guard for the Golden State Warriors, is the last player in this list of the best and-1 players in NBA history. However, it doesn’t mean that he’s nowhere near as good as the others. The fact that he can pull off many successful and-1 attempts is still a great achievement, of which many NBA players don’t come close to achieving this accomplishment.
Final Words
The and-1 play in basketball is a fairly challenging strategy that can include an opposing player receiving a foul. Then, the offensive player can get a free-throw attempt from the violation brought to the defending athlete. This strategy requires proper strength, accuracy, and determination to pull off successfully. Some NBA players have these traits, such as Jamal Crawford and JJ Redick, which they become the rulers of the court for their many successful and-1 plays.
