The Stern Button (thuh sturn but'-n) noun. A device that is used to instruct NBA officials -- possibly via small bursts of electric shock -- when to make a call and when to swallow the whistle. This device is typically used in crucial playoff games to extend an exciting series or ensure that big market teams advance.

5. Games 3, 5, and 6 of the 2006 NBA Finals: The Stakes: An NBA championship for fan favorites Dwyane Wade and Shaq. Wade was awarded 18, 25, and 21 freethrow attempts in three crucial victories for the Miami Heat. In those three games, the Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks by margins of two points, one point, and three points. It's pretty clear that Wade's 64 FT attempts in those games were kind of important.