One of the overriding concerns on everyone’s mind in a rec league basketball game, beyond even the thought of winning, is simple: do not get injured. It’s a notion slightly outside the bounds of pure competition, but one that never strays far from my mind given the amount of reckless (and supremely uncoordinated) play that is often involved. Turns out random people playing a sport for “fun” can be... clumsy.
In any case, while I don’t want to get all Roy Batty on you here, I’ve seen things — a shoulder dislocated in an attempt to stop a pass, elbows dropped down mercilessly onto faces, even a torn ACL.