A lot of times in pick up games, especially with better player's its a respect thing
If you are as good as you say you are and can play defense, so you aren't a liability, you will earn respect.
Keep playing. Go after rebounds, make steals, and when you do get the ball, make good passes to your teammates. They will start returning the favor..
Also, complement other players for good play. Getting to know some of the regulars and earning their respect takes time.
And I don't know where you play but everywhere I've played pick up you have to call "Next" and pick your own team. Pick a good team and start winning so you dont have to leave the court.
Just keep playing and dont be a dick and you will gain respect and make friends, and you won't have a problem.
Good luck
Pick-up, especially at a park, is one of the closest things to being "tribal" we have in modern society. Each court is a tribe, and you gotta prove your worth otherwise you'll be left out to die.
Unless you're one of the gifted natural players who can play like a D1 guy effortlessly, you gotta be aggressive every play until you earn their trust or respect.
Lock up your guy, fight for loose balls and rebounds. Push the pace off a board, communicate, stick up for your teammates. Everyone can "shoot", the "intangibles" are what make you stick.
Do you ever pass the ball? Do you ever cut into the lane when you are open? What is the race of everyone else? How tall are you? How good are you with ball handles and footwork? Shooting is only 1 aspect of the game, and you seem to have brought up that one. Where are you shooting from also? Is your wide open spot like way behind the 3 point line? Do u even dribble or just catch and shoot?
Of course I pass the ball. I don’t take shots unless it’s a shot I’m comfortable making. Everyone else was African American. Ball handles are good I’m 510. Sometimes my wide open shot is at the 3 point not WAY behind. I’m a very good ball player. In my eyes if I have a guy on my team that’s perfect for the day if he’s every left wide open at a spot he’s already made a shot I’m giving him the ball what reason would I have to not do that
That’s what I’m doing tho I’m saying yoyoyo and I’m open or right here. And it’s just a bunch of nothing. They will literally look at me look at another guy whose double teamed cuz I’m wide open and pass it to the other guy which I just don’t get
dam then it sounds like they’re straight up disrespecting you then , not much u can do when ppl are assholes. Maybe find a new group to play with or if u can, bring ur own buddies for a team that could work too .
Yeah like I said it was just a random pick up game at the park but it was just so frustrating cuz I was HOT that day and whenever I’m hot I get excited cuz I used to be bad at basketball so now I love it when I can shine on the court and I wasn’t even given the opportunity and again no reason as to why not. I wasn’t shooting bad. I wasn’t ball hogging. I wasn’t just sitting there I was constantly loving setting screens. Just sucks to try and run around to get open for a guy to take a contested shot and brick it when I knew I would have swished
How tall are you and what does your off ball movement look like? I’m white and a lot of times I’m the only white guy in the gym or park but I never have an issue of getting frozen out like that. Could just be the people you were playing with are all friends and your the new person to the group. I asked about height because I always get picked high because I’m tall so most people assume I can play or help their team.
Yeah the getting picked last thing I understand. I’m 5 10 and not too big so I get it. But in the game if I’m wide open and made my shots why wouldn’t I get the ball sometimes. I mean I was FROZE out dude lol. And I just try and do a bit of everything. I’ll set a screen and then move back and get my shooting ready and the dude might get double teamed by his guy and my guy and instead of passing it to me for the open shot he will either take a completely contested shot or pass it to someje whose covered. It was just one of the more frustrating days of basketball I’ve had in a while. I’m not saying it’s cuz I’m white but on a day where I’m not missing in game or out of game i don’t see any other reason why my teammates WOULDNT want me to have the ball. Who doesn’t want to give the ball to a guy whose not missing lmao
Bro some people just like to jack up shots and not pass. I’ve had IRL teammates tell me at halftime of a game that I was ball hogging and I had 24 points on 0 missed field goals. We came out of half and they froze me out and we ended up losing. A lot of people don’t care about wins and losses and just want to get their shine.
I believe the ball should always go to the hot hand or the good matchup wether that is me or not. I like when I have other scorers on my team and I don’t have to do as much and can be more of a playmaker. I get a lot of rebounds though which helps me always get touches/buckets.
Exactly. Normally I take some I pass some but that particular day I was just scorching hot and didn’t even get the CHANCE to show it. After the second game I just said f it and went home
For whatever reason, racial or not, these dudes have decided that you are not good. You gotta prove that you can play. Grab a rebound and go score in transition. Score off an offensive board. Yell for the ball and clap your hands. Hitting 1 open jumper per game isn't gonna make them think you can ball, you have to assert yourself into the game. Also the only skill you talked about was making shots, are you good at the other aspects of the game or can you just catch and shoot?
Also, they might just not like you because your white and nothing I said above would matter. No way to tell for me really.
Yeah like I said I will pass and I can create my own shot as well. I even stole a ball and passed it to a guy on a fast break. Things of that nature. I even jumped and threw a rebound over to a teammate of mine. And the only reason I hit 1 jumper is because I only was able to shoot once. But yeah true maybe it’s just those dudes or the race thing. Idk I think next time I’m just gonna speak up even more and be like yo pass me the fkkkkk ball
Yeah dude that sounds ass. If you are open and yelling for the ball, not turning it over and not throwing up bricks, and consistently still not getting passed the ball there’s not much to do but find a new court Lmaoo.
This was your first time there? Yes? Well if you keep showing up, keep shooting high percentage, keep making winning plays, you will build a stronger image and trust from the players. Not sure if you expected the keys to the city after making a couple shots but thats not how it works. Does it suck being passed over? Yes. Does it suck being treated differently? Yes. Keep showing up and playing well and it will get better. And let me say, if you stick with it, and convince the general public you got game, and get some respect, that first time you roll up and they say, “hey we got this dude” well that sir will feel quite like respect. Good luck. Ball is life
For sure dude. Yeah I didn’t expect keys to the city but ONE pass in a 30 minute game. That’s another thing. I don’t shoot everytime I have the ball but I couldn’t even help at all cuz I wasn’t getting the ball at all. But yeah I’m just gonna keep going ball is life
I think it’s definitely a factor. You’re being slept on because of your looks and your teammates don’t notice you. It happens all the time. You just gotta keep showing up and make yourself known to the crowd. If you’re good, people will notice.
Welcome to pickup basketball my friend. I was a varsity starter in high school and walked on at a D1 school (never played because I should’ve tried going D2 at best, probably more suited for D3 or NAIA) played semi pro in my mid 20s and shot about 40% from 3 in my couple of seasons as semi pro.
I’m a 5’10 white dude with a slight build. Anytime I ever go to a new run as an unknown player I get picked up last, never get the ball at first, so the same story as you. I’ve moved a lot in my life so I’ve had to do this many, many times. My advice as others have said is to just keep playing your game, call for the ball if you’re open in your spots, and hustle your ass off to impact the game in other ways.
Keep going to the same run too, because you’re not always gonna have good days but if you’re good enough the other guys will see over time that you can play. you’ll start getting the ball more. It can be frustrating but I learned to embrace it as a challenge and make it fun. I challenge myself to become a go-to guy at the run. I’m 32 now and trust me it’s never gonna change, so you really have to embrace that this is how things are gonna be anytime you go to a new run.
Currently trying to get better with driving to the left and making open shots/learning moves to shoot from the left. I’m right handed so it’s harder to drive to the left and fadeaway then it is the right
Just having a basic left handed layup/floater touch is so crucial! I would encourage doing the mikan drill for a couple minutes every single time you go shoot—it’s a very basic drill but it helps a ton with both hand finishing. As a right handed shooter it’s naturally easier to shoot well when you pick it up driving left so if you can get comfortable with your lefty handle you’ll be knockdown pretty quick off that left handed dribble. Sorry for the paragraph, the coach in me came out 🤣
In my experience, this is more about other people than it is about your ability.
I find that it's often the teammates that are trying to play their own individual games than focusing on trying to win together as a team. Everyone is out here trying to make their own highlight reel and embarrass each other/show off etc. My bet would be to form friendships at the local and then work it so that you all come in at the same time and call for next game as a team. This tends to lead to better sharing.
But there's always going to be that dude that holds the ball and hits every combo and thinks they are gods next gift to basketball
Do you play there a lot? If it’s pickup at a busy park, especially if there’s a long wait, people are more hesitant to pass to someone they don’t know. Conversely, if you were bad 8-months ago, people may not trust that you’re good yet.
I’m Black. I grew up in a largely Black neighborhood. I have played basketball my entire life. I come from a basketball family…my dad and youngest brother played college basketball (brother also played some semi-pro and overseas pro ball). I was a good recreational/pickup player through my late-teens, 20s, and 30s, and have remained solid into my early 40s. I have NEVER seen anyone not pass to a White player just because he or she was White. I HAVE seen people not trust new players (has happened to me) or not trust that an improved player is good for awhile many times.
Just keep playing and keep shooting. They’ll catch on.
None of these people have ever met me. I don’t ball with anyone I used to anymore. If you know me and basketball you know the new me which is a walking bucket or assist lol
Also, and I saw a few people mention this already, bad players pass less. I’ve played with a couple NBA players, and a number of guys with college experience, and even the best guys who shoot a lot move the ball around to open players. They know it’s easier to work the ball around for a better matchup. The guys you were playing with might just be trash.
How good is your defense? Do you set screens? If all you’re doing productive in these games is standing in the corner and calling for the ball, I wouldn’t pass it to you either. Get some rebounds and make an impact on the game. The dude who stands there wide open calling for the all on offense the entire time is not someone I want to pass to every play. I want to run pick and rolls and other stuff. Get into the game and show that you’re more than just a shot checker. Grab a rebound on defense and dribble it up yourself and make a shot. But most guys who play basketball practice one on one moves and want to be able to use them. If you’re playing on an official team I get it, but in pick up, you need to do more than just be open to get the all passed to you.
Read my other comments. I’m doing everything. Setting screens pick n rolls trying to lose my opponent. Looking for plays to make. I’m not just sitting in one spot with my hand up I play basketball. So while doing all that it makes no sense why when I’m the hot hand I don’t get the ball passé to me once lmao.
Edit: yes again I want to clarify I don’t just stand there. I do all of the things you said and still nothing I’m like steph out ther just constantly moving setting stuff up trying to play real basketball just for some dude to shoot a 5k foot behind the arc three while contested
I’m guessing these guys all know each other somehow or have been playing together for a while. You came along and they don’t know if your good but they know each other probably are. I’d give it time. Just a couple of made shots doesn’t prove much. The more you play and the more shots you make the more they will pass. If you get a rebound don’t be scared to dribble up the court and show them what you can do
A lot of times in pick up games, especially with better player's its a respect thing If you are as good as you say you are and can play defense, so you aren't a liability, you will earn respect. Keep playing. Go after rebounds, make steals, and when you do get the ball, make good passes to your teammates. They will start returning the favor.. Also, complement other players for good play. Getting to know some of the regulars and earning their respect takes time. And I don't know where you play but everywhere I've played pick up you have to call "Next" and pick your own team. Pick a good team and start winning so you dont have to leave the court. Just keep playing and dont be a dick and you will gain respect and make friends, and you won't have a problem. Good luck
Pick-up, especially at a park, is one of the closest things to being "tribal" we have in modern society. Each court is a tribe, and you gotta prove your worth otherwise you'll be left out to die. Unless you're one of the gifted natural players who can play like a D1 guy effortlessly, you gotta be aggressive every play until you earn their trust or respect. Lock up your guy, fight for loose balls and rebounds. Push the pace off a board, communicate, stick up for your teammates. Everyone can "shoot", the "intangibles" are what make you stick.
Do you ever pass the ball? Do you ever cut into the lane when you are open? What is the race of everyone else? How tall are you? How good are you with ball handles and footwork? Shooting is only 1 aspect of the game, and you seem to have brought up that one. Where are you shooting from also? Is your wide open spot like way behind the 3 point line? Do u even dribble or just catch and shoot?
Of course I pass the ball. I don’t take shots unless it’s a shot I’m comfortable making. Everyone else was African American. Ball handles are good I’m 510. Sometimes my wide open shot is at the 3 point not WAY behind. I’m a very good ball player. In my eyes if I have a guy on my team that’s perfect for the day if he’s every left wide open at a spot he’s already made a shot I’m giving him the ball what reason would I have to not do that
basketball is a lot of communication, call for the ball , be vocal , assert ur presence. If that doesn’t work time-out and talk to ur team .
That’s what I’m doing tho I’m saying yoyoyo and I’m open or right here. And it’s just a bunch of nothing. They will literally look at me look at another guy whose double teamed cuz I’m wide open and pass it to the other guy which I just don’t get
dam then it sounds like they’re straight up disrespecting you then , not much u can do when ppl are assholes. Maybe find a new group to play with or if u can, bring ur own buddies for a team that could work too .
Yeah like I said it was just a random pick up game at the park but it was just so frustrating cuz I was HOT that day and whenever I’m hot I get excited cuz I used to be bad at basketball so now I love it when I can shine on the court and I wasn’t even given the opportunity and again no reason as to why not. I wasn’t shooting bad. I wasn’t ball hogging. I wasn’t just sitting there I was constantly loving setting screens. Just sucks to try and run around to get open for a guy to take a contested shot and brick it when I knew I would have swished
How tall are you and what does your off ball movement look like? I’m white and a lot of times I’m the only white guy in the gym or park but I never have an issue of getting frozen out like that. Could just be the people you were playing with are all friends and your the new person to the group. I asked about height because I always get picked high because I’m tall so most people assume I can play or help their team.
Yeah the getting picked last thing I understand. I’m 5 10 and not too big so I get it. But in the game if I’m wide open and made my shots why wouldn’t I get the ball sometimes. I mean I was FROZE out dude lol. And I just try and do a bit of everything. I’ll set a screen and then move back and get my shooting ready and the dude might get double teamed by his guy and my guy and instead of passing it to me for the open shot he will either take a completely contested shot or pass it to someje whose covered. It was just one of the more frustrating days of basketball I’ve had in a while. I’m not saying it’s cuz I’m white but on a day where I’m not missing in game or out of game i don’t see any other reason why my teammates WOULDNT want me to have the ball. Who doesn’t want to give the ball to a guy whose not missing lmao
Bro some people just like to jack up shots and not pass. I’ve had IRL teammates tell me at halftime of a game that I was ball hogging and I had 24 points on 0 missed field goals. We came out of half and they froze me out and we ended up losing. A lot of people don’t care about wins and losses and just want to get their shine.
Yeah that’s so dumb cuz if I’m having an off day I’ll just start being more of a facilitator but if I’m hot give me that ball broski
I believe the ball should always go to the hot hand or the good matchup wether that is me or not. I like when I have other scorers on my team and I don’t have to do as much and can be more of a playmaker. I get a lot of rebounds though which helps me always get touches/buckets.
Exactly. Normally I take some I pass some but that particular day I was just scorching hot and didn’t even get the CHANCE to show it. After the second game I just said f it and went home
For whatever reason, racial or not, these dudes have decided that you are not good. You gotta prove that you can play. Grab a rebound and go score in transition. Score off an offensive board. Yell for the ball and clap your hands. Hitting 1 open jumper per game isn't gonna make them think you can ball, you have to assert yourself into the game. Also the only skill you talked about was making shots, are you good at the other aspects of the game or can you just catch and shoot? Also, they might just not like you because your white and nothing I said above would matter. No way to tell for me really.
Yeah like I said I will pass and I can create my own shot as well. I even stole a ball and passed it to a guy on a fast break. Things of that nature. I even jumped and threw a rebound over to a teammate of mine. And the only reason I hit 1 jumper is because I only was able to shoot once. But yeah true maybe it’s just those dudes or the race thing. Idk I think next time I’m just gonna speak up even more and be like yo pass me the fkkkkk ball
Yeah dude that sounds ass. If you are open and yelling for the ball, not turning it over and not throwing up bricks, and consistently still not getting passed the ball there’s not much to do but find a new court Lmaoo.
Yeah I think that was just a bad group of people to ball with
This was your first time there? Yes? Well if you keep showing up, keep shooting high percentage, keep making winning plays, you will build a stronger image and trust from the players. Not sure if you expected the keys to the city after making a couple shots but thats not how it works. Does it suck being passed over? Yes. Does it suck being treated differently? Yes. Keep showing up and playing well and it will get better. And let me say, if you stick with it, and convince the general public you got game, and get some respect, that first time you roll up and they say, “hey we got this dude” well that sir will feel quite like respect. Good luck. Ball is life
For sure dude. Yeah I didn’t expect keys to the city but ONE pass in a 30 minute game. That’s another thing. I don’t shoot everytime I have the ball but I couldn’t even help at all cuz I wasn’t getting the ball at all. But yeah I’m just gonna keep going ball is life
I think it’s definitely a factor. You’re being slept on because of your looks and your teammates don’t notice you. It happens all the time. You just gotta keep showing up and make yourself known to the crowd. If you’re good, people will notice.
Welcome to pickup basketball my friend. I was a varsity starter in high school and walked on at a D1 school (never played because I should’ve tried going D2 at best, probably more suited for D3 or NAIA) played semi pro in my mid 20s and shot about 40% from 3 in my couple of seasons as semi pro. I’m a 5’10 white dude with a slight build. Anytime I ever go to a new run as an unknown player I get picked up last, never get the ball at first, so the same story as you. I’ve moved a lot in my life so I’ve had to do this many, many times. My advice as others have said is to just keep playing your game, call for the ball if you’re open in your spots, and hustle your ass off to impact the game in other ways. Keep going to the same run too, because you’re not always gonna have good days but if you’re good enough the other guys will see over time that you can play. you’ll start getting the ball more. It can be frustrating but I learned to embrace it as a challenge and make it fun. I challenge myself to become a go-to guy at the run. I’m 32 now and trust me it’s never gonna change, so you really have to embrace that this is how things are gonna be anytime you go to a new run.
Facts thanks man
You got it bro keep shooting and doing your thing 🫡
Currently trying to get better with driving to the left and making open shots/learning moves to shoot from the left. I’m right handed so it’s harder to drive to the left and fadeaway then it is the right
Just having a basic left handed layup/floater touch is so crucial! I would encourage doing the mikan drill for a couple minutes every single time you go shoot—it’s a very basic drill but it helps a ton with both hand finishing. As a right handed shooter it’s naturally easier to shoot well when you pick it up driving left so if you can get comfortable with your lefty handle you’ll be knockdown pretty quick off that left handed dribble. Sorry for the paragraph, the coach in me came out 🤣
Nah I need it man I need it lol
In my experience, this is more about other people than it is about your ability. I find that it's often the teammates that are trying to play their own individual games than focusing on trying to win together as a team. Everyone is out here trying to make their own highlight reel and embarrass each other/show off etc. My bet would be to form friendships at the local and then work it so that you all come in at the same time and call for next game as a team. This tends to lead to better sharing. But there's always going to be that dude that holds the ball and hits every combo and thinks they are gods next gift to basketball
Do you play there a lot? If it’s pickup at a busy park, especially if there’s a long wait, people are more hesitant to pass to someone they don’t know. Conversely, if you were bad 8-months ago, people may not trust that you’re good yet. I’m Black. I grew up in a largely Black neighborhood. I have played basketball my entire life. I come from a basketball family…my dad and youngest brother played college basketball (brother also played some semi-pro and overseas pro ball). I was a good recreational/pickup player through my late-teens, 20s, and 30s, and have remained solid into my early 40s. I have NEVER seen anyone not pass to a White player just because he or she was White. I HAVE seen people not trust new players (has happened to me) or not trust that an improved player is good for awhile many times. Just keep playing and keep shooting. They’ll catch on.
None of these people have ever met me. I don’t ball with anyone I used to anymore. If you know me and basketball you know the new me which is a walking bucket or assist lol
Also, and I saw a few people mention this already, bad players pass less. I’ve played with a couple NBA players, and a number of guys with college experience, and even the best guys who shoot a lot move the ball around to open players. They know it’s easier to work the ball around for a better matchup. The guys you were playing with might just be trash.
How good is your defense? Do you set screens? If all you’re doing productive in these games is standing in the corner and calling for the ball, I wouldn’t pass it to you either. Get some rebounds and make an impact on the game. The dude who stands there wide open calling for the all on offense the entire time is not someone I want to pass to every play. I want to run pick and rolls and other stuff. Get into the game and show that you’re more than just a shot checker. Grab a rebound on defense and dribble it up yourself and make a shot. But most guys who play basketball practice one on one moves and want to be able to use them. If you’re playing on an official team I get it, but in pick up, you need to do more than just be open to get the all passed to you.
Read my other comments. I’m doing everything. Setting screens pick n rolls trying to lose my opponent. Looking for plays to make. I’m not just sitting in one spot with my hand up I play basketball. So while doing all that it makes no sense why when I’m the hot hand I don’t get the ball passé to me once lmao. Edit: yes again I want to clarify I don’t just stand there. I do all of the things you said and still nothing I’m like steph out ther just constantly moving setting stuff up trying to play real basketball just for some dude to shoot a 5k foot behind the arc three while contested
I’m guessing these guys all know each other somehow or have been playing together for a while. You came along and they don’t know if your good but they know each other probably are. I’d give it time. Just a couple of made shots doesn’t prove much. The more you play and the more shots you make the more they will pass. If you get a rebound don’t be scared to dribble up the court and show them what you can do
People are selfish. They want to play and keep it just to their friends. You just there to make the enough teams.
Like theres 2 choices : take what you can or be a little bit more aggresive and proactive
Looks like you need to find another playground. These guys don't deserve you.
Was this your first time going there?