Posted by Ganon Baker at 10:47 am
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.
Posted by Ganon Baker at 7:09 pm
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:
Posted by Angie Diamond at 10:58 am
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…
Posted by Angie Diamond at 6:49 pm
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!”
Posted by Micah Lancaster at 11:34 am
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!
Posted by Angie Diamond at 6:08 pm
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.
Posted by Angie Diamond at 8:41 am
Believe me this is a big issue. I was at a clinic the other night with HS players and I demonstrated the step through finish off 2 feet then 1 foot and a few of them said refs call it a walk when you go off 1 foot. So let me reiterate again, IT’S NOT A WALK.
When you take your moving foot across your body and then lift your pivot foot, you can shoot a layup legally as long as you release the ball before your foot comes down!!!
Refs it’s your job to know. Some coaches don’t get paid, neither do the players. We have to know the rules, why can’t you. Players are getting penalized for correct footwork… girls especially and it’s not right!! Heaven knows a girl couldn’t do a Euro step, so she must have traveled. Refs need to get educated!! I’ve also heard Ref’s say things like, Ganon, the game is just so fast now, and I’m trained to watch the defender when they shake and bake it’s hard to tell. Well then DON’T call it if you have question, any doubt! Don’t stop the game when the crowd, the coach, and the player made a hell of a move! It’s not good for the game! If you have doubts, then go to clinics and LEARN!!!
I respect the position, I wouldn’t do it, every time you make a call half the folks think you screwed up, but like all really good people in any position… it’s the communicators, the folks that can relate to others in a respectful manner that are good at what they do. Like everyone else in this great game, the refs have to KEEP SWEATING Too!!
Posted by Angie Diamond at 5:17 am
TOP SELLING BASKETBALL INSTRUCTIONAL APP
NOW AVAILABLE FOR GOOGLE ANDROID PHONES
Ground Breaking ‘23 Ways to Destroy Your Defender With Ganon Baker: Moves & Counter Moves of the Superstars’ Is The First of Its Kind App For The Android Platform
BURLINGAME, Calif. -April 26, 2010 – After becoming a featured top seller on the Apple iPhone platform, the groundbreaking and award-winning basketball instructional app, “23 Ways to Destroy Your Defender… with Ganon Baker” is now available at the Google Android App Store for a special introductory price of just 99 cents for a very limited time!
Created by Level X Hoops, “23 Ways To Destroy Your Defender” uses a Smartphone’s portability to make it easier for players and coaches to immediately perfect their technique on the court with video, and now, with, Android’s global reach online and “affordable pricing” the app will reach a “much wider” audience of basketball players and coaches globally, CEO Brian Brinkerhoff said. “We just couldn’t ignore the deluge of email requests from players and coaches the world over begging for us to release this Android version. We listened to our customers and now our reach around the world has more than doubled virtually overnight!.”
The 30-minute app features Ganon Baker — a Nike-sponsored NBA Skills Coach who often commands thousands of dollars in fees — walking users through 11 stars’ signature moves in a video with “Hollywood-quality” camera angles, editing and sound, explains Brinkerhoff, a former executive with the Walt Disney Company.
Basketball-instruction videos typically require players to recall moves they’ve seen in film rooms or at home once they hit the court to practice, and their reach has been limited by premium instructional-market pricing and a slew of country-specific DVD codes, according to Brinkerhoff, of Level X Hoops, the App Store division of Full Court Basketball — a producer of over 30 basketball instructional DVDs.
“Smartphones have revolutionized how and where people use video to practice and teach basketball,” Brinkerhoff said. “You rarely see a player or coach dragging a TV to the court, but you see them taking their phones everywhere — so now they can watch the videos anytime, anywhere they want.”
The video footage was shot at the EA Sports gym in Redwood City, Calif. was adapted for Android by Tek Reliance.
The app features moves and counter-moves used by the following players:
- Derrick Rose – Killer Crossover, Killer Crossover Counter
- Chauncey Billups – X-Plosion, X-Plosion Counter
- Dirk Nowitzki – Step Back, Step Back Counter
- Ricky Rubio – 2X, 2X Counter
- Allen Iverson – Killer X, Killer X Counter
- Steve Nash – Jab Swivel, Jab Swivel Counter
- Chris Paul – Inside Out, Inside Out Counter
- Manu Ginobili – Jab, Jab Counter
- Tony Parker – Combo, Combo Counter
- Grayson “The Professor” Boucher – Stutter, Stutter Counter
- Deron Williams – Spin Series (3 Moves)
The “23 Ways” app gives users full DVD-like control of the video, including the ability to skip and rewind footage — as well as re-play moves in slow motion. The app also allows users to tag moves as favorites and organize them in a folder for immediate access.
Each move is broken down by instructor Baker in the same manner: Baker explains the move, points out key nuances and demonstrates the move several times against a defender. Each move is then shown in slow motion and followed by a graphic that lists the move’s key steps.
“We dissect each move and show you how to practice and master it,” Baker said. “And the app puts players in a great position to practice the moves over and over again on the court and build up their confidence, which, of course, is essential at all levels.”
Level X Hoops will continue to roll out Android versions of various basketball-instruction apps throughout the year that cover a full range of skill development and coaching techniques.
About Level X Hoops
Level X Hoops is a producer of basketball instructional videos for mobile platforms. Level X is dedicated to delivering basketball instruction to players and coaches “Anytime, Anywhere” with the handheld devices. The company is the App Store division of Full Court Basketball, which has produced over 30 basketball instructional DVDs and worked on projects with ESPN, AND1 and adidas. Full Court was founded by Brian Brinkerhoff — a former executive with the Walt Disney Company. Level X Hoops works closely with Canopus Projects, a digital post-production boutique in the San Francisco Bay Area specializing in 3D animation and visual effects. http://levelxhoops.com/
About Ganon Baker Basketball Services, Inc.
Ganon Baker Basketball Services, Inc. is run by Ganon Baker, an internationally renowned basketball instructor and personal coach to various NBA stars. Baker is an NBA Skills Coach, Nike Skills Coach, motivational speaker, national/international clinician and skill-development coach. Baker and his team of trainers offer personal training, team training, camps, clinics, consulting, skill-development certification and highlight DVD/recruiting support. http://www.ganonbakerbasketball.com/
Posted by Ganon Baker at 6:08 pm
Refereeing is the hardest job to perform in sports especially in the rec, AAU, and HS levels. I am here today to support referees and I know how hard it is to perform efficiently in this environment. However they must improve, they must understand the rules of the game, and realize how important communication is with the coach
I have viewed many AAU and HS games and sometimes referees are flat out wrong. For example a EURO Step or a side step lay-up is not a walk. A EURO Step (Dwayne Wade, Raja Rondo, Manu Ginobili) is not a walk at any level, if the player takes two steps as they are picking up the basketball, a ref may say “well you are only allowed one and a half steps.” “What?? How can you measure one and a half steps,” I said, “you want the kid to cut off half of his foot, so he does not walk?” The rule is clarified as the player’s ball is in the air going to his hand, he gets 1 step, then as he picks the ball up, his second step is executed. His third step is the actual jump. Any referee out there, please continue to read this.
A regular lay-up is never called a walk because when the player shoots a one handed lay-up it is executed as follows:
Most lay-ups are the same technique only two different angles of the step. Refs stop penalizing the kids for something they work hard on, enjoy doing, and is legal. You frustrate the coaches, players, parents, and skill teachers, like me, who teach legal moves. Please let the coaches defend after the game or half time what they believe and teach. Respectfully both of you guys will learn something. To defend your call by saying the move is only allowed in the NBA is irrelevant. Frankly ignorant statements like that tick me off. The neat thing about the NBA is that it is a game played by extraordinary talent executing elementary moves. There is definitely a natural progression of teaching moves to players. But if the player can execute a EURO step, step away, or a behind the back pass in a 6th grade game, and then don’t suffocate his potential talent and joy within basketball. Please tune in next week for part 2.
Posted by Ganon Baker at 12:41 pm
Here at Ganon Baker Basketball we do a lot of teaching on the physical skills of the game. We get players bodies ready! Their strength, stamina, skills and explosiveness are very important. Today we wanted to talk about the mental part of the game. This article can be very beneficial for both players and coaches.
In my experience of training pros and college players, all of them embrace taking their MIND to the gym as well as their BODIES. A good way to do that is to watch film. When I spent 5 days with Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, he constantly talked about watching himself on film during the summer. Here is what he looked for:
1) His defensive stance on and off the ball
2) His offensive movement, particularly off the ball
3) How his defender guarded him, off the ball, on the catch, on the drive, on the finish.
4) His moves (this is where he said he wore the rewind button out). If he made a shot he wanted to see how he could repeat that again, if he missed a shot he wanted to see how he could correct it.
5) His jump shot form and his shot selection.
6) Now during the season Kobe gets a game tape of his opponent before every game. He wants to STUDY who he’s guarding, their tendencies, and what the other team is running. He wants to see a game film of that team the last time they played the Lakers. He wants to know what defense they threw at him, how many defenders guarded him and where the double was coming from. This man is COMMITTED to getting better and developing his BB IQ!
Another guy that watches film is Amar’e Stoudemire. When I would pick him up for training he would be watching old films of Hakeem Olajuwon. He would be studying his offensive footwork, his positioning, and poise when he caught it in the post. We would then go out and work on those moves. You See it, You can Think it, now You go out and Do it!!
Watching film is a great way to develop your game in your mind.
Look out for the next article on Questions Every Basketball Player Should Know. This will be a list of questions we ask and quiz our Nike All- Americans on.
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