airball

plural airballs · alternative air ball

1. ball gamesA shot that misses the backboard, rim and net entirely.

   As soon as the shot left his hands, the spectators could see it was going to be an airball.

   2 more examples

   Johnson also could have tied the game, at 66-66 with 14 seconds left. But his jump shot was an airball. From that scramble Lopez emerged with the first of his key foul shots.

   1990 April 3, David Levine, “COLLEGE BASKETBALL; Fordham Defeats Iona to Advance”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 25 May 2015

   Bryant’s path to becoming a champion, after all, began with a series of infamous misses: his playoff airballs as a rookie against Utah. Clarkson sees those airballs as a metaphor for Bryant’s clunky start against the Jazz two decades later.

   2021 April 13, Bill Oram, “Remembering Kobe Bryant’s final game: Five years later, five untold stories about the Lakers legend’s 60-point night”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 30 Nov 2024

2. slangAn unfunny joke or remark.

present singular third person airballs · participle present airballing · participle past airballed · past airballed · alternative air ball

1. transitiveball gamesTo throw an airball.

   The Timberwolves lost 128-125 when KAT airballed a falling 30-footer at the buzzer.

   2024 January 23, Zach Harper and Shams Charania, “Joel Embiid’s 70-point NBA welcome to Victor Wembanyama. Plus, Shams on Heat-Hornets trade”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 08 Dec 2025

   1 more example

   Tatum struggled with fatigue through the final two rounds of the postseason and was exhausted to the point he was airballing shots by the time the Warriors were closing out the championship.

   2022 August 8, Jared Weiss, “Jayson Tatum opens up on lessons from Celtics’ finals loss, Kevin Durant trade”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 08 Dec 2025

2. slangTo make an awfully unfunny joke or remark.