In its early days, when the sport of basketball used peach baskets rather than metallic rims, there was no such thing as a trick. For years, in fact, the main shot used was the bland-looking "set shot," which consisted of holding the ball evenly with both hands and foisting it up without jumping. But those days are long gone. The players of today slam-dunk the ball with ease and have a variety of trick shots in their respective arsenals.
Bank Shot
The bank shot has become somewhat of a lost art in recent years, but it's a great trick for a player to keep up his sleeve for use at the right time. A bank shot involves intentionally bouncing the ball off the backboard and into the basket, rather than shooting directly at the rim. A player can shoot a bank shot from any angle, and it often comes in handy when shooting from a spot diagonal to the basket. It helps for the player to use the square painted on the backboard as a target for where he wants the ball to carom.
Half-Court Shot
The half-court shot is one of the most exciting plays in basketball because of the difficulty of the shot and the circumstances during which it occurs. Half-court shots are "buzzer beaters" that take place when a player is forced to heave the ball from mid-court--which is located 47 feet from the basket--because the clock is about to expire in a period, half or game. Though it's not a shot that's attempted during the game other than at desperation time, many teams do regularly practice half-court heaves in preparation for such situations.
Reverse Lay-Up
The reverse lay-up has become a popular way of avoiding an oncoming would-be shot-blocker and laying the ball in. It consists of a player driving to the basket, leaping into the air from one side of the hoop as if to try a lay-up, but passing underneath the hoop and scooping it in from the other side. Because of the elevation and body control required to travel that distance in the air and still get off a shot before landing, it's usually the more athletic guards and wing forward types who excel at the reverse lay-up.
Alley-Oop
The alley-oop's advent came after that of the dunk. It occurs when one player lobs the ball toward the rim and a teammate jumps, catches it and dunks it. Like the half-court shot, it's among the most exciting plays in basketball. Though a staple of highlight reels, it's actually a high-percentage shot that many coaches install in their offensive schemes. Often, it actually involves three players: a passer, a screener who picks off the eventual dunker's defender to clear him a path toward the hoop, and the alley-oop recipient.
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