Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The line announces the best state in the game: you cannot miss until the other team scores. Fans shout it for anyone on a streak, and it seeped into basketball culture until it was said about real players, too. It is one of the most borrowed phrases a video game ever gave sport.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for NBA JamShow the scene
NBA Jam (Midway, arcade 1993) is a two-on-two arcade basketball game with exaggerated, superhuman dunks. When a player scores three baskets in a row the character is 'on fire': the ball burns and singes the net, and the player gets unlimited turbo and improved shooting precision, until the other team scores. The announcer, voiced by Tim Kitzrow in a style reminiscent of Marv Albert, calls it. 'He's heating up' and 'He's on fire' are among the phrases identified with the game, which later also gave its name to the 2011 follow-up NBA Jam: On Fire Edition.
Sources (1)
- NBA Jam (1993 video game), WikipediaGameplay, Popular culture and release historyReference checked
Context reviewed
