Hoop, there it is! Nicky Bucketz shoots his way into the record books once again

For Nicholas DeMarinis (USA), basketball is life! Better known as his alter ego, Nicky Bucketz, this record-breaking baller has now smashed two records.

We caught up with him to learn more about how his passion for shooting hoops turned into two record-breaking achievements.

On 10 September 2025, Nicky set the Guinness World Records title for most consecutive miniature basketball shots, making 232 in a row. His attempt took place at his home in Tampa, Florida, USA, where he lives with his wife and twin boys.

Alongside his work as a company executive and investor, he creates basketball and fitness content on his Instagram page.

He said: “I've started to build a brand around this persona. The idea behind this brand is to inspire other dads that no matter how complex life gets, you're never too old to compete, break records and have fun.”

Nicky has also competed in Pop-A-Shot, reaching the semi-finals in 2025 before losing in the opening round this year. Although he admits the competition is definitely getting tougher, he's eager to return in 2027.

So where did his story begin? He told us: “I've always been good. Ever since I was a kid, I would break the high score on every basketball machine I encountered.”

Although Nicky was always a strong contender in the basketball machine world, he still had plenty of practice to put in before attempting the record. He said: “I tried probably 50 times over several weekends. Each time I got close, and I had to start over, until I eventually broke it.”

Sinking shot after shot might not come easily to most of us, but for Nicky, the secret is simple: “Rhythm and consistency. That's it.”

Read about more records like this in our Sports and Fitness section.

Nicky with his family. Pic courtesy of Nick DeMarinis/@nickybucketz

After making 232 consecutive shots, Nicky said: “I felt good because I knew I had the record, but bad because I knew I could hit more.”

Nicky’s skills don’t end there! On 4 July this year, he broke his own record for the longest miniature basketball shot, hitting the net from 31.39 m (102.98 ft) away!

Nicky is eager to push himself to new limits and has his eye on some other basketball records, so we can’t wait to see what he nets next!