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Candid Interview with Lebron James

Candid Interview with Lebron James at the 2010 Lebron James Skill Academy

Every year I have a chance to work the Lebron James Skill Academy in Akron, OH.  We get a chance to work out the top 80 players in the country in H.S., and have a chance to spend some time with Lebron on and off the court.  Below is an interview he did with Jay Bilas of ESPN this year

Question 1

Jay:  “How did life change when you became famous?”

Lebron: “As a person it did not change me.  I’m still the same person now, as I was when I was broke.  I have just worked harder because there is so much higher expectations I put on myself.  I have gotten wiser and made better decisions.”
Question 2

Jay: “Where do you think you get your determination from?”

Lebron: “From my mother.  She had me when she was 16, she had to grow up fast.  I can remember from the time I was 9-12 or 13, it would seem like we would move every month to two months.  We would sometimes have 1 meal a day.  I’d come home from school and we would have no heat.  Sometimes there would be roaches in the cookie boxes.  But we moved forward.  We survived.  She would not let us fail.”

Question 3:

Jay: “What do you know now, that you wish you would have known back in H.S.?”

Lebron: “Well to have more fun.  Now we had fun in H.S. and I would like to think we cherished every moment and enjoyed the process.  When you get to the NBA its still fun but it’s a JOB.  Its competitive, there is a lot more at stake, a lot more distractions and sometimes I think “Did I embrace H.S.?”  Also, I wish I would have studied business more.  The stock market, economics, stuff like that.  But who does that in HS, you know?  All I wanted to do was play ball, hang out with friends, and talk tot girls.  My word to you young guys is be SAFE with your money, save it, invest it, don’t be careless with it.  So many NBA guys waste their money.
Question 4:

Jay: “Who is your financial trustee?”

Lebron: “Warren Buffett is my financial advisor.  His last advice he gave me about money is to trust my gut.  9 times out of 10 your first thought is your correct thought and right action.  The more you think about something the more you will begin to cloud your judgment.”
Question 5:

Jay: “We all know Jay Z is one of your boys, what’s the best advice he gave you?”

Lebron: “Was to keep working and don’t look back.  He grew up in Marcy projects, poor like me.  No one gave him a chance to move forward.  I can do anything!”

Question 6:

Jay: “What does working hard mean to you?”

Lebron: “Well what does that mean? Work hard at what?  So many coaches say “we got to work hard” but they don’t specify… to me its work hard on defense, fulfill your potential as a player.  Whatever you are doing at the moment do it with all the energy you got.”

Question 7:

Jay: “What is the typical offseason?”

Lebron: “I take 2 months of from the court.  During those 2 months I might cross train to stay in shape, Pilates, off road biking, yoga…  I then go into my summer workout with lifting, stretching, skill work, playing pick-up Monday-Friday.  I might go 3-4 hours a day.
Question 8:

Jay:  “What do you enjoy doing off the court?”

Lebron:  “I love to play softball, xbox 360, and NBA 2k 2010.  I won a championship with Oklahoma City thunder and now I’m the Lakers trying to win.  I also gamble but I don’t recommend it to young people (ha ha)
Question 9:

Jay: “What are your future goals?”

Lebron: “Simply to get better and win a championship.”
Question 10:

Jay: “What is your game day routine?”

Lebron: “I go to shoot around 10-11am.  Then I come back to nap for 4 hours 12pm-4pm.  I eat a light meal of rice and chicken or fish at 4pm.  I then head to the gym at 5:30 for an 8pm game.”

Keep Reading…

How to Turn Our DVDS into Gold – by Micah Lancaster

As my Keys to a Quick Handle DVD – the Complete Medicine Ball Workout continues to be a best selling DVD, I wanted to take some time to offer some advice. Just like any DVD you purchase from Ganon Baker, Alan Stein or myself, the value is in the information. And by that I mean, you must get organized if you want to maximize your investment.

Especially in the case of the Keys to a Quick Handle, it’s not enough to watch the DVD and do some of the drills here and there.  And it’s especially not a good plan to try to do the whole workout EVERY day! You have to take the drills and determine which ones NEED to be included in your weekly or monthly workout plan, and then plan it out and spread it out.

In this DVD, medicine balls are used as replacements for cones and replacements for tennis balls. That means you don’t even have to own a medicine ball to put this workout to action. However, if you have the resources to purchase a medicine ball along with the DVD, you have to understand the importance of organization to get the true benefit and the right amount of rest.

The medicine ball is the BEST TOOL ON THE PLANET for increasing hand strength, increasing explosion on the drive  by forcing players to drop low and explode with added weight, and adding resistance to a player’s hands and arms by simulating a defender’s reach-in and pressure on the drive.

However, if done EVERY day your forearms and hands will burn out. It’s like lifting weights. No one bench presses every day. Your muscles need to time to recover in order to build.  Your hands and forearms need that same kind of rest.

The Complete Medicine Ball Workout needs to be in your weekly workout, but you should only allow yourself to do it 2-3 times a week. Not the whole workout every one of those days either. The importance is doing the entire workout weekly.  So if you haven’t done it yet, this needs to be your game plan. Watch the DVD again and write down all the drills you need to incorporate into your workout. Then space out the workout into 3 days a week. MAX! Not only will you get the most out of the Medicine Ball Workout,  but you will have more time for everything else you need to do also.

Don’t underestimate the importance of having an organized schedule when it comes to training. Basketball is the most skilled game in the world! Footwork. Shooting. Finishing. Ball Handling. Driving. Passing. The list goes on. A plan is required for you to do all that needs to be mastered for you to find success.

So for any of our DVDs you own, the greatest value is with how you organize them. Take some time. Write down what you want to do and schedule your Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesday, and on. Then you will take our DVDs and turn them into gold for your game!

Annual Coaching Skill Development Class a Success

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We just finished up our 2nd annual GBB Coaching Class. We had 53 coaches from 19 different states. We also had Australia, Canada, and Puerto Rico represented.  What an honor it was to be associated with such a hungry group of coaches. These are good people doing great things in their community.

We ran into a snag.  Our gyms AC broke so for Friday (4 hours) and Sat (7 hours) we had zero air- conditioning. Thus my zealous butt got severe heat exhaustion and dehydration. I had to be transported to the hospital for treatment and multiple IVs.  Tyler Relph, our new pro staff trainer, stepped in for 3 hours Sat afternoon, and did a great job!! By 7 pm Saturday I was back at it! You know what I always say, “Pain is weakness leaving the body!”

I think the highlight of the weekend was our session Sunday morning. We had an alternate gym, matter of fact; it was the same gym we used for the Nike Vince Carter Skills academy 2 years ago. We had coaches demonstrating on the court. Mike Kennedy and Terry Drake proved they still got Game.  They were destroying the HS girls out there. :)  

Overall thought it was an unbelievable weekend.  Next year, we will have two clinics, one in May in Orlando and one in August in Dallas. I enjoyed the passion and genuine love for the game our coaches had.  I think everyone involved left inspired, re-energized and feeling rejuvenated, ready for their next workout!!

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Seven players. Two trainers. Ten weeks. One goal. Can He Dunk?

Seven players. Two trainers. Ten weeks. One goal.  Can He Dunk?

That is the question. Do you think we can get 7 high school basketball players to dunk after 10 weeks of training? Please visit www.CanHeDunk.com to find out!

In early April we selected 7 high school basketball players who could not dunk a basketball to participate in a rigorous 10 week training program. We documented their progress by filming their weekly dunk attempts. We were looking for the answer to one question… Can He Dunk?

The purpose of this project is to show the world the realistic results you can attain from proper training.  We aim to discredit the folks that claim they can help you get a 50” vertical or add 12 inches to your vertical jump in 6 weeks.  Those programs are bogus.

Our goal is to show real players attain real results.

We partnered with www.ESPNRise.com to document the 10 week program. We will feature 5 webisodes that will include footage from the workouts, the weekly dunk attempts, and player interviews. This is reality TV at its finest!

The first webisode will air next week (the week of July 12, 2010).  We will air one webisode a week for 5 straight weeks.  So you need to check back each week to see… Can He Dunk?

After the final webisode airs, and you see how many of the 7 players actually dunked, we will post detailed notes on each player’s journey.  We will share their increase and improvement in bodyweight, strength, and (estimated) vertical jump.

Check out www.CanHeDunk.com!

Train hard.  Train smart.

Alan Stein
www.StrongerTeam.com
www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

 

Where is Lebron Going?? My Thoughts

Hi All,

Just wanted to let everyone out there that follows Ganon Baker Basketball know that I have an opinion on where Lebron James is going.  I don’t comment much on drama off the court like this and this has nothing to do with instruction, inspiration, or motivation, but I thought it would be fun to give my opinion.  I did spend the last 4 days at the Lebron James skill academy and I have come up with my own opinion.

Keep Reading…

WHAT PLAYERS NEED TO GET TO THEIR NEXT LEVEL – The Killer Instinct!!

I hear so many coaches tell their players they have to be meaner in practice. They have to be more selfish in their play (not with the ball in regards to shots but on defense, attacking on offense). Some coaches even tell their players they have to be a prick!  I think what they really mean is listed below:

Keep Reading…

Keys to Success – Alan Stein

This blog was 100% inspired by a concept I read on www.CopyBlogger.com (an invaluable resource for anyone who writes their own blog).

You need talent, luck, and persistence. Pick any two if you want to be successful.

Whether you are a basketball coach or player, you can reach your (realistic) goals and achieve a high level of success with just two of those three.
Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look…

Keep Reading…

A True All American

ganon_baker1

I worked out Harrison Barnes recently in Ames, Iowa.  As a player he is very skilled, has a great understanding of the game, and really loves basketball.  Of course I found some flaws, and things he needs to work on but more importantly he represents everything I could ever want my future son to have when he turns 18.  This guy “Gets it!”

Keep Reading…

Cut up the Boxes by Micah Lancaster

The word “coach” was derived from the term used for a horse and carriage. A coach was the vehicle in which brought people from one destination to another. I don’t want to be negative, but it may be time that many basketball coaches in this country come to terms with the root of this word. A coaches job is to take each player from one place to another place. The problem is many coaches, if not most, have merely focused on taking only the team from one place to the next. In this context, the TEAM, TEAM, TEAM approach can become a negative!

Keep Reading…

Grassroots Refs Need to Get Better Too – Part 2

My other issue is that when a coach wants to respectfully talk to a ref, then the refs should give that coach 10-20 seconds of time.  A good referee response should be “Okay Coach, I will look at it closer next time” instead of “That’s enough coach, I don’t want to T you, but I will!”  Some referees do not even acknowledge the coach; in my opinion some referees have a Napoleon Complex, little man syndrome, inferiority complex, or whatever you want to label it as.  You can tell that they feel very awkward talking to the coaches about their call. Some referees would rather just go to the other side of the court, wait till the coach/player blows up, and then T-up everyone.  Then the ref feels empowered and shows everyone who is in control.  This only makes things worse.  The result of refs, parents, and coaches that can’t get along are damaging to the kids and the game.  Many games are now attended by multiple police officers to solve these confrontations, this is not good.  If refs could learn the game and do research on what is being taught, this will improve their IQ.  If they could talk to the coach or even better listen and nod their heads during situations in games if the coach has issues, there would be a little more continuity and less frustration in games.  The games are about the kids.

We teach NBA skills to elementary players, it is appropriate, the kids love them, and it motivates them.  If a kid does an NBA move congratulate them don’t suffocate their talent and potential by making the wrong call.