Every sport has certain unwritten rules that each player or coach must follow. These rules must be followed out of respect for the game. These are some of the unwritten rules that apply to basketball.

1. Never fill out your stats. For example, a player should not shoot 3-pointers at the end of a game in which his team has a big lead just to be able to break the record for the most 3-pointers in a game. A player must not intentionally miss a shot in order to get the rebound and have a triple-double for the game. A player shouldn’t pass up open shots because he’s trying to break an assist record. These are examples of intentionally padding statistics.

2. Never take a last second shot if your team has a big lead. This is simply considered unsportsmanlike. Usually, at the end of a blowout, if the winning team has the ball for the last possession, the losing team won’t even bother to protect the offensive players. This is a sign that the losing team has conceded the game. At this time, the player with the ball must dribble the ball and run out of time.

3. Never solidly pressure a team you are beating. Even if you’re a team that likes to run the full-court rush, you shouldn’t do it when the game is out of control in your favor. Clearly, your team was much better than the other team in that game, and putting pressure on the losing team will usually only magnify how bad the other team was. It’s just not right to do it.