The office staff play a basketball game against the warehouse workers in which Jim shows off to impress Pam and upstage her fiancee who is on the opposing team.
WAR
27.3
Wins Above Replacement
“Basketball” ranks #141 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 74.0 — Great. The episode packs 54 scored jokes at 2.9 per minute, averaging 6.5 on craft and 6.5 on impact, with Michael landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Michael: The great thing about sports is that it is all about character. And you can learn lessons about life even if you don't win. But we did, because we were ahead.
Michael Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Michael: African Americans!
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jim: Pam gets a little down. Her toaster having broke, which she got at her engagement shower, for a wedding that still has yet to be set. And that was three years ago.
Jim Observational Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Roy Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Oscar: I think that goes without saying.
Oscar Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 54 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Michael: I'm sinking a few, you know swish swish swish, nothing but net! And their jaws just drop to the floor.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Michael: African Americans!
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: Here's what I'm going to do. The hand strikes and gives a flower.
Michael · Dwight: Assistant to the regional manager. - Same thing. - No it's not. It's lower so. - It's close.
Jim: God this is so sad, this is the smallest amount of power I've ever seen go to someone's head.
Jim Observational Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Pam: Maybe I should sleep with him. I'm kidding. Kidding. Totally kidding.
Pam Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Michael: This is our warehouse, or as I like to call it, the whorehouse.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Cringe/Discomfort Michael: But don't you call it that, I've earned the right.
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: And here we have 'Miter' Roger's neighborhood'.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Darryl: Darryl Filben, then Bridges, then Rige, then Roger, then Miter' Rogers.
Darryl Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: You're still getting it regular man? I mean I can tell her it's part of the job.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Roy Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Jim: Pam gets a little down. Her toaster having broke, which she got at her engagement shower, for a wedding that still has yet to be set. And that was three years ago.
Jim Observational Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Michael: Well, I'm glad that sometime is a busy time because whenever I'm down here, it doesn't seem too busy to me.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: You can dish it out but you can't take it.
Michael · Dwight: Like that dwarf, from 'Lord of the Rings'. - Gimli. - Nerd. - That is why you're not on the team.
Michael: Oh ul, I'll ul. Dragon Slayer. Ten point power sword. That's him.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael · Stanley: Stanley, of course. - I'm sorry? - What do you play, center? - Why of course? What's that supposed to mean?
Michael · Stanley: I don't know, I don't remember saying that. - I heard it. - People hear a lot of things, man.
Ryan · Michael: But I'm getting paid to skip lunch right? Yes. Yes, this is business. The business of team building and moral boosting.
Michael: I will use your talents come baseball season my friend, or if we box.
Meredith · Michael: I have sport's bra. No, no! Ridiculous.
Michael: Threat neutralized.
Michael: You know, some pink tails, little halter top you can tie that up, and you know something a little... just useful for a change, just this once.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael: Yeah I bet you would, just try not to be too gay on the court. And by gay I mean, you know, not in a homosexual way at all, I mean, you know, like the bad at sports way.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Oscar: I think that goes without saying.
Oscar Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Dwight: Bless would be those who sit and wait.
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist Michael · Roy: Right in your face. Why don't we make it more interesting? Loser buys dinner at Farley's.
Michael: I like the way you think. You know what I'll take that one step further: Loser works on Saturday.
Michael Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Roy: No, that's not of much fun.
Roy Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat Michael: Classic beginners mistaken, eating before game.
Michael Character Comedy Observational Pam: I'm just saying Roy is very competitive, and he wants to take the wave runners to the lake this Saturday, so...
Pam Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Jim: Well I'm going to the outlet mall on Saturday, so if you want to save big on brand names, and Roy has to work, which he will, because I'm also competitive, you should feel free to come along.
Jim Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Pam: I think I'll see you at the mall... yeah.
Pam Reaction Beat Character Comedy Michael: Of course if you beat us, you're fired. That's a joke!
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Ryan: I stretched before I came.
Ryan Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Michael: So Dwight you have the east German girl.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Dwight · Michael: Ok we'll be skins! - No. Come on Dwight. - What? Shirts on or off? - On! Put it on! - You're sure? - Yes.
Roy: Don't listen to him Pam, trust me. Tip it my way or you'll sleep in the car!
Roy Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Michael: Oh come on, what is wrong with me today? Usually hit those.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Callback Michael: When I'm playing hoops, all of the stress and responsibility of my job here just melts away. It's gone, in the zone. Three! What's with me today? Who am I? Am I Michael Scott? I don't know. I might just be a basketball machine.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Michael: What's Dundler Mifflin? I've never heard of it. Filing, paper works, who cares? Possible downsizing? That's probably going to happen actually.
Michael Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Michael: Is that like the robot?
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Football, is like rock'n'roll, it's just... And basketball is like Jazz, you know you kind of... downbeat, it's in the pocket, it's like you...
Michael: What's going on? You guys are playing like a bunch of girls.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Ouch! How much does it hurt?
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Game over! That is it. I'm sorry you know. I hate to do it this way, but you know that's just, we're having a friendly game, it's a shame! This is a damn shame! We're like a family here, and that's just, that won't fly.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Great. Now you see who was work on Saturday, your face.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: You guys believed me? Come on... dogs you know, you should know me better than that.
Michael Character Comedy Misdirection Michael: We're coming in Saturday.
Michael Misdirection Character Comedy Roy: Yeah he's pretty good uh?
Roy Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat Michael: Screw corporate! Nobody's coming in tomorrow, you have the day off.
Michael Character Comedy Misdirection Stanley: Like how even an extra day is going to prevent us from being downsized?
Stanley Dark/Subversive Observational ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: The great thing about sports is that it is all about character. And you can learn lessons about life even if you don't win. But we did, because we were ahead.
Michael Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch ⏩ The part you fast-forward
Our scorer flagged 15:00-16:00 range with mostly physical comedy that's harder to assess from transcript as the stretch with the fewest or weakest comedic moments. Everything else lands harder.
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