A: Why didn’t you pursue a career as a professional basketballer? I think you’ve got talent for the sport.

B: Many professional players face a boom or bust situation early in their career, where they are either drafted to a professional league or don’t advance at all. I just hate taking that kind of risk.

Note: “Boom” refers to “success and prosperity,” and “bust” means “failure and recession.” “Boom and bust” in economics refers to a supposed cycle in which periods of prosperity and growth alternate with periods of recession. “Boom or bust” means “resulting in an outcome that will either be very good or very bad.”