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Chick Hearn's naming business: He brought branding to professional basketball and never missed a chance to invent the right name for a play.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 10, 2002. Legendary Los Angeles Lakers basketball play-by-play announcer Chick Hearn has died at the age of 85.

We'd like to celebrate this genius of sportscasting by simply listing some of his many outstanding contributions ("Chickisms") to the language of the game, the English language, and yes, to the branding of professional basketball:

Air ball
A shot that misses everything.

Boo birds
Fans who boo their own team when they play badly.

Can't throw a pea in the ocean
This team is shooting horribly.

Caught with his hand in the cookie jar
Reaching in, got called for a foul.

Give & go
Give the ball to a team-mate & cut to the basket.

(so and so left him) Hanging out to dry
When someone fakes a defender out of his shoes. Not quite as severe as in the popcorn machine.

He has two choices, slim and none (and Slim just left town).
The player has no chance of success with this play.

He's human after all.
When a player is on a streak and finally misses.

He's not a happy camper.
A bad call was made and a player got upset.

(He) Kicked him in the wallet...and he's got a thick wallet!
Kicked him in the rear, and he's well-paid.

No harm, no foul
also no blood, no ambulance
A non-call by an official when significant contact has occurred.

Popcorn machine
When a player is faked out badly, he's put in the popcorn machine, which is so far off the court and out of the play.

Pressure cooker
A situation when the game is in the balance.

Put the baby to bed
A soft lay-up.

The game's in the Refrigerator
The game is out of reach.

Slam Dunk
A shot that is thrust down into the basket.

Words-eye view
Chick's description of their commentary.

(He's) Working on his Wrigleys
He's chewing gum.

Years ago, Hearn was asked what should be put on his tombstone. Without missing a beat, he said, "No harm, no foul."