General
heat-seeking
What does heat-seeking mean?
Describes a player laser-focused on scoring, always looking to get their own bucket.
"He came out heat-seeking and had 20 by halftime."
Origin
Missile metaphor for a hunting scorer.
Frequently asked questions
What does heat-seeking mean in basketball?
It describes a scorer who is laser-focused on getting their own shot, aggressively hunting buckets.
Where does 'heat-seeking' come from?
It's a missile metaphor — like a heat-seeking missile locking onto a target, the player locks onto scoring.
Is being heat-seeking a compliment?
It can go either way — it praises a scorer's aggression but can also imply they're ignoring teammates.
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