Thread by @PGCbasketball

How to crush it at basketball (without being 6’11)

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Explore the edges of the sandbox.
Color outside the lines.
Spill some milk.

Experiment a lot. Fail a little. Discover often

There are many ways to play this game and you must uncover the one that fits you best.

Be creative. Be unique. Be YOU.

The limits to your future self are set by your present imagination.

Think bigger.

Players often ask, “what skill should I spend the most time training?”

NBA Coach @ronaldnored answers that question at :33 seconds.

Volume Up 🔊

When first learning to read, you sound out the letters until you get the word down.

It’s hard, improvement is slow & you get easily frustrated.

Then, over time, you don’t have to think so hard. It becomes automatic.

Shooting Is similar. Enjoy the journey to automatic.

We asked @jj_redick about shooting footwork. Here’s what he said:

Standing in the garage doesn't make you a car. Being in the kitchen doesn't make you a chef. Going to the gym doesn't make you a shooter.

Scientists collect data, analyze it, then make adjustments.

Many shooters shoot shots, don’t count makes & misses, and wonder if they're improving.

A scientist doesn’t base their work on wonder.
Shooters shouldn’t either.

Plan workouts. Chart results. Measure improvement.

Bad shots, probably more than anything else, lose basketball games.

Forget Fadeaways.

They don’t help you win games.
In fact, they help the other team beat you.

Get balanced. Balance is better.
Balance helps you make more shots.

Balance communicates to your teammates you care about them, because you care about the best shot for the team.

Be kind. Say thank you. Look people in the eye.

Know who you are. Know who they are.

If they're slow, beat them off the dribble
If they can shoot, make them a driver
If they can’t dribble, pressure them!

Basketball is a game of opposites.

Unnecessary dribbles are devastating to your team. They:

- Kill your explosiveness
- Slow down your team movement
- Often trigger traps

Use dribbles to go somewhere.
Get someplace. Make something happen.

If you do, you’ll stand out!

On defense, be irritating.

Like a little brother seeking attention.
Like a fly in your face at a night campfire.
Like your friend who eats the last cookie & leaves the container.

Play D in the bubble & force the opponent to think, not about their offense, but about YOU.

Max Out Your Body.

- More greens
- More water
- Less sugar
- Less processed foods
- Own the weight room
- Get more sleep

The result? Higher-level performance.

To become great, pay the price.

The hours required, sacrifices made, and failures experienced must be expended to get the thing you want.

If you don’t get what you want, you either didn’t want it or bargained over the price. (Rudyard Kipling)

Fake more.

Most players fail to fake...enough, or ever.

"When should I fake?"

Before you catch. After you catch. Before you dribble. After you dribble. Before you shoot.
After you shoot (got ya 😉)

The point is, fakes are under-taught, undervalued & underused.

Fake more.

The ability to be consistent is what separates a good player from a mediocre one. Good players expect to perform tasks over and over again.

Develop a ridiculous attention to detail. Make every practice count.

That’s what “good” is.

MOOOOOVE!

Make it impossible for the other team to stay with you by eliminating the disease of standing still!

You’re here. You’re there. You run hard. You stop fast.

Oo, and in case you already forgot… Don’t stand.

MOOOOOVE

Next time you play one on one,
Don't hold the ball. Don't take your time.

You’re getting worse.
Instead, try this:

5 seconds to score. 3 dribbles. 1 shot.
Watch your game improve dramatically… and fast!

Basketball is an incredible sport. One where new talent can emerge, old talent can be restored, and the spurs always win.

This video will forever change how you look at the game (in a good way)

A real offensive threat moves their defender. Force them to go here. Then there. Then recover. Then get back.

Does your defender casually glide from place to place, or do you force them to scramble, and scramble often.

Like eggs, scrambling is better!

Be Ready.

When you step on the court, you’re ready... for anything.
The unforeseen, unpredictable & unexpected.

And when something happens (and it will happen), you react — because you didn't stand around waiting.

You prepared & came ready!

Play low.

Have you ever watched a boxer box?
Have you ever seen a third baseman prepare for a pitch?
Have you ever noticed a tennis player's stance before receiving a serve?

Play low to react quickly!

You have magic in your hands.

A portal to the world. A time machine to learn from past legends & present stars.

Don’t just use your phone to consume, use your phone to connect, learn & do.

You don't have to be 6'11. You don't have to be super athletic.

Do the little things that make a big impact. Think the game in a new way, and you'll give yourself a chance! No guarantees, but a better chance!

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