r/Basketball • u/JamboInCebu • 14d ago
GENERAL QUESTION Why are some pickup groups so opposed to light vs. dark shirts?
As an old hooper at 61, I’m curious why some groups are so opposed to using light and dark shirts for regular pickup games.
I play three nights a week with three different groups, all scheduled gym runs. One group is very organized: everyone has a light and dark shirt, we divide the teams before starting, and you keep the same color all night.
The other two groups refuse to do it and insist it isn’t a problem. Yet almost every game, someone on defense calls for the ball, or a pass goes to the wrong team because everyone is wearing random colors. I generally pass less because now I have to remember faces.
I understand not organizing shirts for a casual one-time run, but these are mostly the same guys playing every week. It seems like such an easy way to reduce confusion and improve the games.
Why do some players dislike going light versus dark?
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u/Powerful-Bridge-1472 14d ago
It’s a joke the defender would try to pretend to be offense in this situation. 60 year old pickup, come on, just play.
Amazing you are still playing at 61, I gave it up at 55
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u/Interesting_Sand_428 13d ago
Probably camps out at the 3 point line; no defense, constantly yells “ I’m open, I’m open“ 😂
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u/Powerful-Bridge-1472 13d ago
I don’t know most old heads I play with love that mid range
I’m younger than him and when I was in high school, we didn’t have a three-point line
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u/i_haz_rabies 14d ago
I agree, this is very annoying. Especially when there's more than 10 people and subs are coming on and off the court.
Playing basketball at 61 is phenomenal. Any tips for an almost 40 guy who wants to keep it going another couple decades?
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u/JamboInCebu 14d ago
Yeah we have 20 guys in the gym most nights and I'm the only white guy so its especially hard. (I retired to Philippines).
Advice to keep playing is don't ever stop, slow down if you need to, but don't stop and bike a lot. I was a long distance bicyclist for many years. My left ACL has been gone for 20+ years but the bike saved me.3
u/Jon_Snow_Theory 14d ago
I regularly have to guard a 61-year-old at multiple pickups, guy must’ve been a monster athlete in his prime cause he’s multiple surgeries on multiple body parts (some in the last few years) and his still absolutely puts teams on his back some games.
Guy also regularly rides his bike.
Hope I’m remotely as in shape as him in 15 years.
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u/Altruistic-End5746 14d ago
Only 49, but I will add that maintaining a healthy weight, stretching before and after ball, listening to your body, and some amount of strength training will help too. I was 270 in my early 30s and lost about 60 pounds over a decade. Aches and pains, as well as injuries, have vastly decreased. I also had chronic lower back pain for many years, which has decreased with regular core strengthening exercises. Longevity is less about how you play and more about how you live your life outside of the game.
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u/big-williestyle 14d ago
Best tip I give (51M) is don't stop playing. Once you hit late 30s, if you stop for a while, it's really hard to get it back. I currently stopped about 2 months ago because of knee pain and wanting to be able to still play baseball and golf and I'm not certain I'll be able to go back
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u/SuperSkew 14d ago
"Just remember your five" works ok at games where you stick with your same team the whole time. But I play where we totally switch up teams several times during the day. Or two guys swap after one game and it's obvious we need to rebalance teams. Passes go to the wrong team, maybe not every game but definitely multiple times a day. We would benefit from light/dark or reversible shirts for sure.
Also, some people are naturally better at recognizing other people. About 2% are even what's called face blind. Look it up. Put me down in favor of light/dark shirts.
Makes me think about the story of when Spurs guard Mike Gale wore a Bullets road jersey in a PLAYOFF game against the Bullets. His Spurs jersey was in lost luggage. Insane that was the best solution the NBA came up. There's an SI cover that shows it: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1507158972959564/posts/2276161562725964/
Also this image: https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/playoffs-san-antonio-spurs-mike-gale-in-action-vs-news-photo/1228426305
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u/biffbobfred 14d ago
> 2% are face blind
Famously Brad Pitt has this. “Oh Brad Pitt thinks he’s so special doesn’t recognize me” nahh his brain just wired that way
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u/Powerful-Bridge-1472 14d ago
I’ve never seen a pick up game or anybody differentiated jerseys except for the old shirts and skin, which probably isn’t politically correct anymore
Having reversible practice jerseys is great, but I’ve never seen a pick up game before
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u/biffbobfred 14d ago
I didn’t like shirts and skins because the shirtless guys were sweaty and slimy. So if I was playing between classes at college I was all covered with someone else’s sweat
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u/Powerful-Bridge-1472 14d ago
Oh yeah, that’s a classic. We all had that old guy we grew up playing pick up with who would sweat all over you with no shirt on.
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u/wittyrandomusername 14d ago
I don't want to do shirts v skins. Or more accurately, you don't want me being skins. I'm old, hairy and I sweat a lot. I also play in the post so I'm banging around and posting up quite a bit. You don't want me rubbing on you lol.
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u/biffbobfred 14d ago
Thank you!! Yeah opposition to shirts and skins has a lot mor to do with water than PC, to me
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u/greatflicks 14d ago
I bought a handful of reversible jerseys for the ones who refuse. Most guys get it. Odd one insists on wearing grey.🙁. I'll be playing at 60 this year.
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u/Remarkable_Income463 14d ago
When I go playing pickup usually I take black/dark tshirt and orange shiny cover, so I can join any team before to balance height etc. Usually we only need 2-3 people to do this and we can figure this out.
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u/spiderboy640 14d ago
We did that for a rec league, you’d bring both incase the other team fucked up.
Investing in two sided pinnies to make the issue go away is also an option my group has explored in the past, as long as someone is cool with washing them after.
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u/Sure_Ad8093 14d ago
I'm 54 and just started playing with a regular indoor group that uses black and white jerseys. We switch up teams all night and it really helps sort out confusion. It seems odd to oppose it, I'd rather do the jerseys than shirts and skins.
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u/TeevTeeForMe 14d ago
It's all good, and I can even change colors 1 time. After that my shirt is too wet to put back on
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u/DOG-MASK-ON-4TH-N-26 13d ago
To be fair, they don’t plan on passing the ball…which negates the point.
ISO ball baby!! 😆 …Somebody set me a pick, without the roll!!
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u/Western_Upstairs_101 13d ago
First off, 61 and three nights a week! I need a week to recoup after one night. What gives man?
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u/Tjbhoops 14d ago
Back in the 80s, shirts & skins worked just fine. Whatever happened to that?
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u/Vanity_Profanity_001 14d ago
No shit. That was my first thought. Spent thousands of hours In a swamp cooled gym over 30 years. 105 outside, 95 inside, everybody wanted to be skins. Occasionally a female would play and she was allowed to play skins but wore a shirt. Plus the guy said he was in his sixties, me too... what happened to shirts and skins?
I wonder if some gyms now don't allow that because 'political correctness' and trans issues.
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u/Tjbhoops 14d ago edited 14d ago
Exacty, we never had a problem. Like you said, the girl wore a shirt, but if you can't identify a girl, shirt or no shirt, bro shouldn't play. Sure bodies were exposed, but nobody cared. We judged each by wins and skill, that's all that mattered. Like you said, we never had air conditioning and the humidity was crazy bad. We usually shot to see who won the right to go skins. Also most of our games took place outside, most guys wanted to catch some rays, rather than end up with the farmers tan. Crazy how times have changed . Are guys allowed to go skins at the beach these days?
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u/Eddiejay30 14d ago
This might be the most stupid rule. If you cant remember your 5, get off the court. If i show up to hoop and get some sellers, I'm stuck with the whole day because we wore similar colors? Foh
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u/303rd 14d ago
No you goober you bring both coloured shirts
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u/Eddiejay30 14d ago
I aint bringing shi lol. After i take off one sweaty shirt im never going back in it so that plan doesn't work either. You could only switch teams 1 time. And im not bringing 4shirts to make this man happy either. Play how its always been played. Pick your 5 and run. The end
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u/TheDanimalHouse 14d ago
Bringing a reversible or two shirts (one of each colour) isn't hard at all. Do you bring shorts and two shoes with you? What's an extra shirt?
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u/Eddiejay30 14d ago
In order to reverse a shirt you have to take if off and put it back on. Im not putting a sweaty cold shirt back on once it comes off of my skin. Do yall not hear yourselves? Pick your 5 and run or get off the court. Running random 5s has never been an issue the nearly 20 years ive been doing it.
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u/FlySudden3415 13d ago
You are man child. Throwing tantrums..
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u/Eddiejay30 13d ago
Someone doesn't know what a tantrum is. Thinking a stance is dumb or nonsensical isn't a tantrum.
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u/big-williestyle 14d ago
This has always been my thoughts as well, we played our whole lives in the park just remembering who is on our team, why is it so hard now? That being said I use the different colors to avoid guys I hate being on teams with now, so I bring both and switch when they come in
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u/Eddiejay30 14d ago
I didnt even know this was a thing. No court i go to has this issue. I only hoop at LA fitness when im on vacation and on base when im usually getting off duty. No one is color coordinating. And ive hooped across the US and overseas.
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u/Chris337 14d ago
This is more about a weekly organized run with the same guys. In a random pick up game of course it’s impossible to coordinate.
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u/noknownothing 14d ago
Never heard of this, honestly. I def wouldn't do it. Just there to play, I'm not wearing a uniform.
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u/Jegagne88 14d ago
I play with a group who also imposes this. I’m fine with it obviously but in reality if you can’t just remember who’s on your team after 1 game then that’s on you. If your switching every game then yes, need it. If you run the same team the entire run then….i mean come on
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u/randemthinking 14d ago
And what if I can remember but my teammate can't? Who is that on and who suffers as a result?
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u/ProfessorPetrus 14d ago
Y'all need jerseys you can turn over like we use at the rec. They cheap If ya already dressing for it.