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Why is an assist called a dime in basketball?

Author

Sarah Smith

Published Jan 13, 2026

The passer is credited with an "assist" for this effort. The term in question seemed to have originated by persons "dropping dimes" to homeless persons to make a phone call if needed, as pay phones at the time cost 10 cents. Sadly, this form of charity was often done in a derogatory fashion as 911 calls are free.

What does the term dime mean in basketball?

What is a “dime” referring to in basketball? A “dime” in basketball is the same thing as an assist. For those unfamiliar, a basketball assist occurs when one player makes a pass to a teammate which leads that teammate to score a basket.

Why do they say dropping dimes in basketball?

Dropping dimes is a catchy slang phrase for assists in basketball. The phrase is normally used when a basketball player makes a highlight reel type of pass like a no-look pass or an alley-oop that ends in a vicious slam dunk. This usually results in the crowd going crazy!

What does a dime pass mean?

You get it. But NFL's Next Gen Stats sought to define what an actual “dime” is and which quarterbacks are the best at throwing them. They define a “dime” as a pass that travels at least 30 yards in the air and fits into windows of one yard or less.

What is an assist in basketball called?

In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist.

29 related questions found

Does inbound pass count as assist?

An assist is credited to the player tossing the last pass leading directly to a made field goal, but only if the player scoring the goal demonstrates an immediate reaction toward the basket after receiving the pass. Note also that an inbound pass can be credited as an assist if it leads directly to a field goal.

Is it an assist if a player gets fouled?

Yes. Referees need all the assists they can get. if a good pass lead to a player being fouled and he got the two free throws..

Why is it called a dime?

“Dime” is based on the Latin word “decimus,” meaning “one tenth.” The French used the word “disme” in the 1500s when they came up with the idea of money divided into ten parts. In America, the spelling changed from “disme” to “dime.”

Where did drop a dime originate?

The term drop a dime first appeared in detective novels in the 1920s-1930s. The idiom drop a dime conjures the image of someone putting a dime in a payphone to call the police and betray or “rat out” a criminal.

Why are football passes called dimes?

They define a “dime” as a pass that travels at least 30 yards in the air and fits into windows of one yard or less. Meaning: Wilson hit Romney with a 38 yard dime? But that wouldn't allow me to post a pic of Denise Roberts. The pass was so accurate that it could hit a dime from 38 yards.

Do STH at the drop of a hat?

If you say that you are ready to do something at the drop of a hat, you mean that you are willing to do it immediately, without hesitating.

What is a dime girl?

Dime is still used as a teenage slang synonym for a beautiful woman. This stems from the 1979 movie ''10,'' starring Bo Derek, and is rooted in ''On a scale from 1 to 10, she's a 10. '' She is now a dime.

Why are nickels called Nickels?

Nickel's name comes from the Saxon term 'Kupfernickel' or Devils' Copper. 15th century miners in Germany found a brown-red ore which they believed to contain copper. They called it Kupfernickel or Devils' Copper because they couldn't recover copper from it. Coins in the USA first used nickel alloyed with copper in 1857 ...

What is the symbol on the back of a dime?

Reverse (tails): Displays a torch with an olive branch on the left and an oak branch on the right. The torch signifies liberty, the olive branch peace, and the oak branch represents strength and independence.

Does an off the backboard pass count as an assist?

According to NBA spokesman Mark Broussard, though, the league's position is that no pass off the backboard should count as an assist.

Is it an assist if they dribble?

Most people agree that assists should only count if the scoring player makes two dribbles or less before scoring a field goal. However, in some circumstances, assists occur if there is extensive dribbling on the play.

Can you get an assist on a free throw?

Free Throw Assists

A free throw assist in basketball is credited to a player that makes a pass to a teammate and that teammate goes on to make at least one free throw after being fouled. For a free throw assist to count the teammate must be fouled within four seconds and at most two dribbles.

How many dribbles allowed for an assist?

An assist can be awarded for a basket scored after the ball has been dribbled if the player's pass led to the field goal being made.” It seems the consensus for what is an assist is a pass that leads to a score of two dribbles or less.

Can you block in basketball?

A block in basketball is a successful deflection of an attempted shot by a defender. Defenders often play with their hands up or out, ready to stop any pass or shot attempts by an offensive player. Blocks can be made anywhere on the court, but are most commonly seen at the low post, close to the basket.

What does turnover mean in basketball?

A player is charged with a turnover if they lose possession of the ball to the opposing team before a shot is attempted.

Why is a dollar called a dollar?

The word dollar is the Anglicized version of the German word thaler (Czech tolar and Dutch word daalder or daler), a shortened version of the word Joachimthalers. The word thaler comes from the German root “thal” which means valley and “thaler” indicates a person or thing from the valley.

Why is a cent called a cent?

Etymologically, the word 'cent' derives from the Latin word centum meaning hundred. The cent sign is commonly a simple minuscule (lower case) letter c. In North America, the c is crossed by a diagonal stroke or a vertical line (depending on typeface), yielding the character ¢.

Why do we call a cent a penny?

During the colonial period, people used a mixture of coins from other countries. A popular coin was the British penny, which was the smallest part of the British pound coin. That's why we call our cent a “penny.” In 1857, Congress told the Mint to make the cent smaller and to mix the copper with nickel.

What does it mean if I find a dime on the ground?

Finding dimes, or seeing the number 10, is said to be a message to “pay attention,” and “trust your instincts and intuition.” Sometimes the coin is from a year that was important in some way in your relationship with someone who has passed, and it may be a sign that your loved one isn't as distant as you thought.

What does didn't bat an eye mean?

US, informal. : to show no surprise, fear, concern, etc. He thought the news would make her upset, but she never batted an eye. He listened without batting an eyelash.