When people talk about in 6 in basketball, be careful when you enter the discussion. Be sure you are with the flow because in 6 have different meanings, and you don’t want to see people scratching their heads when you talk.

Michael Jordan played in 6 NBA Finals and won all of them. It could also mean that the ball moves at a pace of six feet per second. The Golden State Warriors have crowned 2021-22 NBA champions by beating the Boston Celtics in 6 games.

Learn more about in 6 in this material and add this phrase in your basketball-tionary.

What Does “In 6” Mean in Basketball?

The meaning of “In 6” in basketball depends on how the phrase was used in the conversation. Listen carefully and understand the topic because “In 6” has different meanings. 

“In 6” Championship

When people talk about the GOAT basketball players, they associate the number of championships won in the discussion. For instance, fans may say that Bill Russel was involved in 6 championship playoffs and won all of them. That’s slightly true. The thing is, Russel participated in 165 playoff games from 1957 to 1969. He registered 107 playoff wins, lost 58 times in his 13 years (1956-1969) in the league and won 11 championships.

Michael Jordan played in 6 championship playoffs and won them in two 3-peat fashion, 1991-1993 and 1996-98. His Airness played 179 playoff games winning 119 and losing 60 for a 66% winning playoff percentage. To date, this is the record to beat in the NBA.

“In 6” Man

During a game, in 6 refers to a player who is the first substitute coming off the bench. The starting lineup has five players, and the sixth man is not a starter. A sixth man comes off the bench more often than starting in the season. He is a do-it-all player who contributes to a reserve role and holds the team together.

For the 2021-22 NBA season, Tyler hero playing with the Miami Heat won the Sixth Man of the Year award. Hero recorded 20.7 ppg, 5.0 RPG, and 4.0 APG in 66 games with 10 starts.

“In 6” Games

The phrase in 6 is used in playoff games. When someone says in 6 it means that a team will win in six games, four wins, and two losses. The series won’t go the full distance of seven games. Usually, fans predict an in 6 when their team is up 3-2.

But the ball is round, you don’t know the result until the final buzzer goes off. In 2021-22 two teams were down 3-2 in the Conference Semifinals and clawed back to snatch the series: the Celtics won over the Bucks in the East and the Mavs defeated the Suns in the West.

History Behind “In 6” in Basketball

The story of “In 6” basketball slang began in the 2012-13 season thanks to former Buck Brandon Jennings. The Bucks were seeded eight and facing off the top team Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Jennings was attending the Wisconsin Sports Awards when he was asked about their chances with the LeBron-led Miami Heat. Jennings’ reply was winning the series in six games.

The result was a 4-0 sweep, the Heat went on to win the NBA championship against the Spurs in seven.

All was not lost, the coined phrase “Bucks in Six” caught the fancy of fans, broadcasters, and online and print media and became the motto of the Bucks ever since.

Jennings was traded to the Detroit Pistons, but the phrase remained in the hearts and minds of fans. Jennings was the 10th pick by the Bucks in the 2009 NBA draft, he created waves with a 55-point performance against the Warriors in his rookie year, but he was not able to sustain his success.

In the 2020-21 season, the Bucks were battling the Suns for the championship. The Bucks were buried in a 0-2 hole, the team fought back and made a 4-0 game run to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy. It was the “Bucks in Six” for the NBA crown.

How the NBA Playoffs Work

The playoffs and the finals bring out the most exciting games in the NBA season. 

The teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences are ranked based on their win-loss percentage from the regular season. The teams occupying first to sixth place are automatically seeded in the playoffs.

In the 2020-21 season the NBA adopted the play-in format. The seventh-to-tenth-ranked teams in each conference will play elimination games. The winner of the match between the seventh- and the eighth-ranked team takes the seventh spot in their conference. The ninth and tenth teams square off. The loser goes home, and the winner faces the loser in the first game for the eighth seed.

From 30 teams in the regular season, there are 16 teams left standing in the playoffs. The playoffs have three phases: the first round, the second round or semifinals, and the Conference Finals. The winners of the Conference Finals face off for the NBA championship.

In the first round, the top eight teams in each conference are matched based on their standing. 

• number 1 versus number 8
• number 2 versus number 7
• number 3 versus number 6
• number 4 versus number 5

The team that wins four of seven games passes the turn and proceeds to the next level. The home-field advantage favors the team with the highest win-loss percentage during the regular season and follows a 2-2-1-1-1 format. The first two games are played in the home court of the team with the best record, and the venue changes alternately until the seventh game if needed.

Wrapping Things Up: What Does In 6 Mean in Basketball?

In 6 is a basketball slang coined by former Buck Brandon Jennings when he predicted the “Bucks in 6” against the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2013 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Jennings was referring to the Bucks beating the Heat in six games (4-2), instead, the LeBron-led Heat swept (4-0) them.

Fans chanted Bucks in 6 when the team was in a 0-2 hole in the 2020-21 NBA Finals. The team responded by winning four games in a row to beat the Suns and close out the series in six games. The prophecy became real.

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