Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

In professional basketball, particularly during the heightened intensity of the playoffs, some announcers are fond of saying that a particular player is "making a statement." This often occurs when a player takes the ball strongly to the basket in the face of intense pressure. The "statement" is that the player intends to be tough and unintimidated by rough play; that the player is prepared to make a major sacrifice in order to win the game. These "statements" in an athletic competition are thought to give the athlete at least a psychological advantage over an opponent who must accept the fact that only superior performance-not extraneous considerations-will prevail.