The Making of Great Players

There have been times that I've wondered why super athletic players can't seem to excel on the basketball floor.  I've seen guys that are tall and long and can jump through the roof that didn't make it.  These are the guys who in warm ups look great but in the game are not as relevant as you think they would be.  A lot of times you hear the phrase "they couldn't put it all together" being tagged on these people.  Why couldn't they put it all together?  Why is it that their dominance may have been evident against people at the lower levels but faded as they kept trying to climb up the ladder.  After listening to and studying how some of the greats approach the game, I believe that there are 5 elements that make a great player.  Possess all five and you will make it.  Possess four of the five and you can still make it depending on which four you possess.  

The five elements are (ranked in order):

1. Basketball IQ and studying the game, 
2. Having the swag, 
3. Practice, practice, practice
4. Athleticism
5. Basketball Build
   

Basketball IQ and Studying the Game

When you listen to the great ones talk about what their mind was processing during a specific play you realize that these guys are thinking steps ahead from the rest of the pack.  Their basketball mind is so advanced that they can anticipate a play setting up way before others on the floor see it.  Why does this happen?  I think it's a combination of a few things such as film study and experience.  There is no replacement for experience.  This applies to film study as well.  The great ones watch a lot of video and they know exactly what the are looking for when they are watching it (this is a topic for another blog entry).  Whether they are studying an individual opponent or an opposing team, the great ones pick up on the tendencies of the other team and this helps them gain an edge.  Having this mental edge can help any player be a step faster on the floor than they actually are.

Another thing the great ones study is game tape of themselves.  There is nothing more difficult than self evaluation.  The great ones are brutally honest with themselves and watch video of themselves and identify weak spots that they need to work on and then get to the gym and work on them. 

Having the Swag

Having swag is about having the confidence in yourself to go out and compete.  It's about feeling that you are talented enough to be out on the floor and never backing down.  Guys like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant had the swag.  They new they were the best on the floor and rose to challenges.  There are stories about MJ even making up challenges in his mind so he could gain an edge.  

Swag is not just about being the best player on the court however.  It's about not backing down from challenges.  It's about going out there and competing against the best in order to see how you stack up.  It's about having setbacks and using them as motivation and not as a source of discouragement.  It's about stepping out on the floor and letting your opponent know that he's going to get your best shot.  You fear nothing.

 Practice, Practice, Practice

The great players do not get there by accident.  Do you think that the greatest players at the highest level have gotten there with no work to their game?  These guys have sacrificed family, friendships and girlfriends chasing their dreams. These players are not only the best players on game day but they are the hardest workers in practice. MJ, Kobe, and LeBron are all freaks of nature athletically but if you ask any of them, they will say that they never took short cuts.  They put in the work and took nothing for granted.  This is all part of the equation.  Work hard on your game.

It should be noted that when you work on your game, you need to be brutally honest with yourself.  Know what you need to work on and do it.  This is where a good coach or trainer can come in and make a difference.  They can help analyze your game and help you come up with a plan to help you turn weaknesses into strengths.  It should be noted that the harshest critic of a superstars games is the same superstar.  Be your toughest critic and don't be afraid to spend time putting in the work.

One more thing to note, working on your game should not just involve lonely hours at the gym by yourself.  Start practicing a move on your own versus nobody but then progress to small sided games and pick up games to sharpen the skill versus competition.  More on this in a future post.

Athleticism

Is athleticism required to be great?  Larry Bird made it very obvious that if you have the other 4 elements you can get away with this one.  Let's be honest however, being an athletic freak helps. Much of this element is God given but you can improve your athleticism.

Being athletic is about being coordinated.  This is another category that an athletic trainer can help with.  They can help identify weakness and turn them into strengths.  Being in great physical shape is a start but nobody knows how high their athletic ceiling is so keep training.

Basketball Build

What is a basketball build?  For a guy it is being between 6'4" and taller with long arms and legs.  For a women it is being 6'0" and taller with long arms and legs.  Out of all of the elements listed, this is the one that is the most out of our control.  We either have the genetic make up or we don't.  This is not to say that people shorter than our lower limits can't make it.  All it says is that they will need to work harder checking all of the other boxes if they want to make it.  A great example of this is Steph Curry.

There you have it.  This is my list of elements needed to be great.