# Why is 3 point line called "downtown"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-3-point-line-called-downtown/657451>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [May 3, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-3-point-line-called-downtown/657451 "2013-05-03T20:37:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-3-point-line-called-downtown/657451/1 "2013-05-03T20:37:19Z")

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It doesnt make sense. Under the basket where its crowded with the biggest people, that’s downtown. An 8 foot jumper is downtown. The 3 point line, that should be called the suburbs. I always ask this question of my wife once the NBA playoffs start and she is frankly tired of hearing me squawk. What say you? Is there any other sports descriptors that drive you absolutely nuts?

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**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-3-point-line-called-downtown/657451/2 "2013-05-03T20:41:08Z")

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Because basketball arenas aren’t normally located downtown, thus downtown is far away? Sorry, that’s all I got.

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-3-point-line-called-downtown/657451/3 "2013-05-03T21:11:47Z")

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“Foul pole.” And it’s called downtown because it’s far away from the hoop. Maybe it’s outdated to assume most of the people will be uptown.

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**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-3-point-line-called-downtown/657451/4 "2013-05-05T13:45:43Z")

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The term seems to have entered the lexicon courtesy of the long-distance shooting exploits of Seattle SuperSonics guard Fred Brown. According to [this article](http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/19900722/SPORTS11/50624007/Fred-Brown-University-Iowa-1990) (scroll down to the section headed **National Champ** ):

> [@](#):
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> Brown said he acquired the nickname Downtown Freddie Brown during an autograph-signing session following a Seattle game.
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> “The kids who came up to me asked if I’d sign my name Downtown Freddie Brown,” he said. “There were some media people there at the time, and they picked up on it.”

When I was in college (graduated 1981), the student PA announcer for a game I was attending celebrated a field goal “from downtown”. When an even longer shot found the net minutes later, the feat was hailed as “from the suburbs!”

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**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-3-point-line-called-downtown/657451/5 "2013-05-05T19:21:36Z")

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I’d personally assume it’s just an extrapolation from referring to areas farther away from the basket as “downcourt”.