Paint

The paint is an area on the basketball court that is referred to as the key. The paint is located under each basket and begins at the endline and ends at the top of the key, with the side boundaries being the free throw lane.

It is known as “the paint” because this area of the court is usually painted in a different color than the rest of the basketball court. The paint is perhaps the most active area on the court, as most of the action occurs in this area. However, a common violation that occurs in this area is the three-second violation, as an offensive player cannot stay in the paint for longer than three seconds. This is to help avoid an offensive player from “camping out” underneath the basket.

Examples of how the Paint is used in commentary: Williams breaks the ankles of his defender at the top of the left elbow and drives in for the easy layup in the paint.