Ted Cruz just totally flubbed this sports reference

Portland Trail Blazers v Los Angeles Clippers — (Image credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Ted Cruz tried to earn points with sportsball fans in Indiana Tuesday evening, only to awkwardly stumble over identifying the thingamajig the basketball goes through in order to score points.

"You know, the amazing thing is, that basketball ring here in Indiana is the same height as it is in New York City and every other place in this country," Cruz informed his supporters.

The stumble made the whole pep talk come off as significantly less inspiring than it does in Hoosiers. "I have never heard anyone say 'basketball ring.' Honestly, I didn't think it was possible for a person to not know it's called a rim," The Big Lead marveled afterward.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.