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Reader question: Please explain this sentence, particularly "hot hand of a basketball player": She had the “hot hand” of a basketball player “who couldn’t miss.” My comments: She, whoever it is, has just had a string of success doing something and having "the hot hand of a basketball player" is how she explains it. It's like saying, whatever she did she was successful, as if she were a basketball player who just cannot miss no matter how they shoot the ball and no matter where on the court they shoot the ball from. In basketball and in other sports, the "hot hand" refers to the situation in which a player seemingly has, so to speak, the Midas touch. Midas touch, of course, refers to the legend of King Midas who briefly has the power to turn anything and everything he touches into gold. In our discussion, the player who has the hot hand of a basketball player seems to have that kind of power, the power that allows them to succeed in everything and in every way. If you've played the game of poker you probably will have experienced this phenomenon: For an hour or so, you seem to get all the good cards and seem to always play your cards right - and win. That's when you have got the hot hand. You're on fire, as they say. You can do no wrong. On the other hand, if you've played a lot of poker or mahjong but never experienced the hot hand, well, poor you. | 
