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You are here: Home / All The Lingo / Sports Terms That Begin With ‘S’ / Sixth Man

Sixth Man

sixth man

What Is The Definition Of The Sixth Man In Basketball?

What Is The Sixth Man In Basketball? Definition & Meaning

1. This refers to the player who is usually the first substitute called off the bench during the game. This player is usually the best player on the team who is not in the starting lineup. A basketball team’s starting lineup consists of five players, hence the “sixth man” is the first man who’s not in the starting lineup.

Examples Of How Sixth Man Is Used In Commentary

1. The coach looks down the bench for his sixth man and tells him to enter the game. Hopefully he can provide a spark to a struggling offense.

SportsLingo Goes The Extra-Inch With The Meaning Of The Sixth Man

The sixth man on a basketball team tends to be a player who’s a proven scorer and will be substituted into the game in order to add a scoring spark, or to maintain the scoring ability of the team. In addition, the sixth man is a player who’s minutes tend to be in line with those of the starting lineup, playing equal or slightly less minutes than the starters.

Jamal Crawford, a prolific scorer who can be a starter on many teams, has made a good career at being the sixth man on a team. He’s been named the NBA Sixth Man Of the Year in 2010, 2014 and 2016, becoming the first person to win the award three times.

Sport The Term Is Used

1. Basketball

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