In Superior Court, lawyers can be aggressive, but they are constrained by judicial rules and decorum. On the basketball court, there are far fewer restraints.

“Every move is contested by a sweaty guy, one hand jabbing you for a hip check, the other trying to swipe the ball,” said Gregory Klein, a 44-year-old Danbury personal-injury lawyer who calls basketball his obsession. “Hard fouls are part of the game. [And there's] plenty of trash-talking and name calling to go around.”