— Rebounding: You can’t just jump for the ball
· Box someone out
· Connect, and create contact with someone
· If shooting, hustle into the paint and crash
· Be powerful, make it intentional every time
· Read the ball, if the shot is from the left side, either going to bounce right or in the middle of the paint
· Jump high towards the ball, land hard, elbows up, chin the ball, and hold tight
· YOU WANT TO WANT IT! GOOD REBOUNDERS WANT IT EVERY TIME
— Dennis Rodman: One of the best rebounders in the NBA because he knew his role on the court when he used to play for the Chicago Bulls, Spurs, & Pistons.
· No matter what team he was one, he was a defensive madman
o 2 time defensive player of the year,
o 7 time NBA all defensive first team,
o 7 time NBA rebounding champion,
o 11,954 rebounds in his career average 13.1 rebounds each game
· He knew he was a defensive threat every time he put his feet on the court
· Hustled every time, HE WANTED IT EVERY TIME
2. Stubbornness– un-coachable basketball players become unsuccessful players
—Freshman year I thought I knew everything there was to know about basketball. Guess who crashed and burned? I sat the bench that year.
· My coaches program was something I never encountered
· I didn’t have to just listen to the plays, you had to watch were the ball went to know what play you were in
· Had to read the defensive to see what the best way was to get a shot
· I noticed quickly you cannot just have skill, you have to have basketball knowledge, and a clear mind
· Have to have the correct mindset to know you might fail but have to make it up in the next play
· TAKE THE COACHES ADVICE. They know what they are talking about
3. Pride– if you think you have all the answers you better start asking better questions. Keep a white belt mentality!
—Ask questions: My coach created this drill that myself and my other teammates couldn’t understand.
· No one wanted to ask a question, including myself
· We ended up messing it up every time, resorting into us just running the rest of the practice because she wanted to teach us a lesson.
· She thought the running was more beneficial for us and taught us to ask any questions so we know exactly what is going on.
—Kevin Durant: A MVP winner, an all-star, and a 7-foot-tall basketball star that can guard anyone.
· He could have been a better player when he played for Oklahoma City but him and Russel Westbrook had some issues.
· If they put their differences behind them, talked on the court, and asked each other what they next action they both needed to tackle on court, they would had had better chemistry
4. Self-Doubt- enough said
—Foul Shots: Foul Shooting is all concentration!!!
· Foul Shooting tends to be one of the highlight statistics in basketball
· The foul shot is often viewed as an “easier” shot because it provides a player with an uncontested, stationary shooting opportunity from close range.
· Yet, every time I’m at the line, I have never felt more nervous, and more doubt in my head
· If the game is close, it makes it even harder to focus because there is a lot of pressure for that easy point or two
· Filter out the external distractions
—Shaquille O’Neal: Had a lot of self-doubt with it came to foul shots
· 5,935-11,252 foul shots, 52.7% from the line
· Even though he was one of the biggest and most dominant players in the game, foul shooting was the only area he was not dominant in.
· He played in 19 NBA season and shot a 5.5% better on the court then he did on the line.
5. Cautiousness- if you hesitate you lose. One of our saying is “You got to err on the side of gutsy and Pull the Trigger!”
—Offensive Foul: Trying to get a charge in the game is all mental. Most people don’t try doing it because they believe they will end up hurt, so they become hesitant.
· One thing I was very good at is staying in the paint, and letting the opponent fall into me, and taking that charge.
· Once I tore my ACL, I became hesitant because I thought I was going to get hurt again.
· I thought I might get the foul on me as well because they put a ring under the basket. No matter how good your defense is, you will get the foul is your foot is in that ring.
· I had to mentally prepare myself every time that I might not get the charge, and I might become injured again.
—not enough defense played: In the NBA and college, defense seems to be the last priority for players in a game
· DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS!
· Hussle back, take a charge, rebound the ball
· These are all very important to the game and need to be utilized every time on the court
· Forget the mistake that might have happened on offensive and win the ball back on defense.
6. Perfectionism- the ultimate double edge sword.
—Shooting: Something that needs to be very perfect. It is very hard to get the ball into the hoop. What I’m focusing on here though is the shots that are forced.
· I know before the season starts, my coach gives me a goal percentage she wants me to have before the end of the season.
· When playing, I don’t think about stats, and what I need to make to get to that goal, I just play.
· If you worry about that, your mental game becomes a statistic, and you cannot focus on reacting correctly to the opponents in front of you.
· Don’t take sloppy shots, or shots you are not comfortable with. Know where you are a threat on the court, and just do what feels right.
· You might not do it perfect, but its better than taking a shot that was forced.
—Steph Curry: One of the best shooters in the league. Most of his shots look perfect, but some are forced
· In his career, he has an average of 22.9 points a game making him 47.6% from the floor and 43.5% from the 3-point line.
· These percentages don’t seem good, but that because he has missed over half the shots he has taken.
· This doesn’t make him a bad player, he is taking chances, but some shots are forced.
· He isn’t going to be perfect every game and stats shouldn’t matter.
· The importance is that he tried his best mentally and he wanted to win the game.
7. Over-seriousness- Basketball and life is supposed to be enjoyable. Don’t take life too serious you’ll never get out alive (thanks Dr. Seuss). Basketball is important to all of us but at the end of the day it’s just a sport. Enjoy it, Seize the day and Have Fun!
—The Game in General: There is a time when you have to be in “the zone” to have full concentration.
· But if you aren’t having fun playing as well, why are you even playing?
· The game of basketball is supposed to be a time to escape from your life problems
· I love it because everything I’m stressed about, worried, don’t want to deal with in life at the moment, is forgotten for a couple hours because I am doing something that I love.
· Basketball might add some stress, but in my eyes, this is good stress. I am working out, bettering myself physically, clearing my mind, and I feel refreshed after a game or practice is over.
· At the end of the day, basketball is a sport. Just have fun!