Click here for part one

Not everyone is created with equal abilities, but everyone is created with equal ability to persist.

Interpretation:

A player cannot control their genetic makeup. Some are going to be smaller, some are going to be slower, some are going to lack jumping ability and natural coordination. However, the ability to go after a goal, give it everything you got, and never give up is one that everyone has a equal share of. In that sense, there are no excuses. Some might have an easier path, but the path is still yours to travel if you are willing to persist! So go get what you want!!!

Drill:

Double Curls

• Player dribbles hard with two basketballs, firmly placing a ball in each chair without slowing down or prematurely stopping dribble. Player then cuts under the basket.
• Player then curls around each chair for a shot.
• Repeat.

Bible Verse:

My grace is sufficient for you, , for My strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Interpretation:

If we really believed what the Lord is saying in this verse I believe we would all be more confident in what we do. Our weaknesses have a tendency to hold us back in terms of what we are willing to try. Fear takes hold of us and we don’t go after what we truly want. Persistence is an act of believing in this promise. We truly are strongest when we trust God in our weaknesses.

Article by Ganon:

Successful Free-Throw Shooting Methods

I love to talk and teach about free- throw shooting.  I was a national ELKS free- throw state champion.  I also shot 82% in my college career.  I love to follow the Dallas Mavericks who have been leading the NBA in free-throw shooting the last few years.  Let me share some techniques that might help your free-throw shooting.

There are two parts to free-throw shooting, the physical side and mental side.  I firmly believe that both are equally important in a player’s success.  Listed below are some techniques you can use on the physical side to increase your percentages.

1)     Get perfect feet when setting up for free- throws.  This means ten toes are pointed toward the rim, your body is aligned at the center of the rim, and your feet are shoulder width apart.

2)     Before the referee gives you the ball take a couple practice shots without the ball.  This means you mimic the form of your free-throw.

3)     Once the referee hands you the ball, take one or two deep breaths.  This relaxes you and allows more oxygen to your muscles.

4)     Go into your routine.  It might be no dribbles, one dribble, take the ball behind your back like Gilbert Arenas.  My point is do whatever makes you comfortable before you go into your release.

5)     Set your eyes on the rim, keep your body still, and shoot the ball in one clean motion where your elbow lifts up over your eye and you lock your elbow and wrist finishing with all five fingers down to the ground or at the rim.  Some players jump and some do not.  Most important thing is to have slight flexibility in your knees and legs.

6)     Hold your release until the ball goes through the net.

The mental side is just as important as the physical.  Listed below are some mental techniques to use.

1)     As you approach the free-throw visualize yourself making it.  As you take a practice shot see it go in.

2)     Be a deaf player for one moment; close your ears to where you hear nothing.

3)     Concentrate in the moment and not the outcome.  The score and you making or missing it, is irrelevant.  What you need to focus on is your routine and shooting it.

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.”

Question 11:

Jay: “What has changed since you got older?”

Lebron:  “My level of intensity has changed.  My approached to the game has changed.  I’m working harder and more focused.  I take 1 day off a week and I work the 6 days.  My will to work has gotten better.”

Question 12:

Jay:  “What is your Favorite Nike Commercial?”

Lebron:  “Man, I always wanted to have my own commercial since I was younger.  When I saw Jordans Nike commercials, I wanted to have my own.  I was so hyped when my 1^st one came out.  I just wanted to see it.  When I did I was BLOWN away.  My favorite is the Lebron character commercial I did for Nike.  The funny thing was, I stayed in character off the set and off camera as well.”

Question 13:

Jay: “What is your favorite meal?”

Lebron: “Thanksgiving meal.  I also love fried chicken and mac n’ cheese.”

Question 14:

Jay: “What is your favorite place to visit?”

Lebron: “South of France.  I also want to visit Rome and the Coliseum.  I love London and I want to go back there.  I want to visit Africa as well.”

Question 15:

Jay:  “What is a typical day for you?”

Lebron:  “It’s unpredictable.  If I’m not working out, I play with my kids.  Some days I might just wake up and fly somewhere. “

Question 16:

Jay:  “If you would have gone to college out of HS, where would you have gone?”

Lebron:  “OSU… I would have played football too, I was a good wide receiver.”

Question 17:

Jay: “Of you would have played in the NFL, where would you have liked to play, Cleveland Browns?”

Lebron:  “Heck No, not the Browns, no way… Never.  I would have played for the Dallas Cowboys.”

Question 18:

Jay: “How important is your shoe brand to you?”

Lebron:  “Very important.  My goal is to have the best shoe in the NBA.  I think have won it in the last 3 years and we will win it this year as well.  M.J. had the best shoes in the NBA.  I’m talking about structure and the best looking.  I aint stepping out on no court with UGLY shoes.   I want ours to be the best.  Theres 1 thing I cant stand is an NBA player in Ugly shoes…  And there are some out there.  I am not stepping on the court with out my “Swag”  I want to always have sway.  I wear a different pair of Lebrons for every game.  Every gam I have to have a new pair of shoes.  I have over 200 pairs of shoes at home, I love shoes.  I have mine, Jordans, Air maxes, Ken Griffey’s, Bo Jacksons, Deon Sanders.

Question 19:

Jay: “What in your game, are you working on this summer?”

Lebron:  “My midrange game.  I want to improve the space between my 3 and the lane.”

Question 20:

Jay: “With free agency going on, what is the funniest thing that has happened?”

Lebron: “Well the N.Y. Knicks came in and pitched their program; Chris Rock said some funny stuff about Cleveland vs NY, about their helicopter stayed hovered over my house for 7 hours 1 day straight just to get a pic of my license plate.
Question 21:

Jay:  “What are some closing words you can express to these young men tonight?”

Lebron:  “Every one of you is the MAN at your school.  But your reputation or legacy won’t be GREAT unless you WIN and make your teammates better and make everyone around you better.  No one cares about you if you don’t win.  My teammates and friends careers are better because I made them better in HS .  We shared victories!!  You guys have no life responsibilities right now.  Work hard, be safe, and make people around you better.

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!

THE MOVE

1. The Butterknife: When you get in the paint, great things happen. Defense breaks down and collapses. Confusion happens. The butterknife is an effective technique to draw attention in the paint and then pass through the paint. Whether  a player shoots, passes, or simply dribbles out,  the defense had to collapse and recover; they had to work. A great move to practice! Just remember, take no more than two dribbles to slide in and out of the paint!
2. The Cut Back: Now, in order for you to push the ball into the paint you have to have a solution if the defense closes in too quickly. The counter in this case, is having the ability to bring the ball back to the outside hand quickly and efficiently. The tough part here is you still only have 2 dribbles. Dribbling too much in the paint is a risky practice. So have the ability to plant the outside foot and cut back while working on different dribble moves to return the ball to the outside for a finish.

WHY PRACTICE THIS MOVE?

The answer is very simple. Your footwork, quickness, control and handle will improve and you will possess the ability to slither into the paint at a moments notice while having the ability to pull the ball away from trouble if the first move goes bad. In other words, your reaction to a congested lane will result in a positive solution rather than a turnover!

Enjoy and have fun with this one!!!

Click here for Part One

1 on 1 Drill

-Make it take it

-Game to 10

-Score in 3-4 seconds from a fast break drive

-Stay on the side of the cones

Click here for Part Two

Keep shoulders square to rim

Dont turn your body unless you have to drill

1- Make 7/10 at the 3 pt line

2- Make 8/10 pullup jumper at elbow

3- Make 8/10 pullup jumper at low block

4- Make 8/10 step back jumper at elbow

5- Make 8/10 step through shot at elbow

6-Make 8/10 back pivot at elbow

7-Make 8/10 step back at low block

8- Make 8/10 step back, fake J, then hook in lane

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!!

Now signing autographs is by no means what I base success on but it does tell me one thing. I must be doing something right. And I know what it is. Do you know why I am successful?  Do you know why I will continue to succeed? The answer is real, real, REAL simple. I believe!!!

Now, before you jump the gun and assume I’m getting generic with the ‘just believe in yourself and everything will work out’ message, let me take it one step farther.

I’m successful because I believe….IN YOU!!!

Did you catch that? Because there is power in what I just said.

See, I first found a level of success in this game because I believed in myself when no one else would. I learned very quickly that if I were just willing to believe and then act on my belief, big things would happen for me. In fact, God has poured favor into my life for simply having faith in Him and believing that I really could accomplish anything I set out to do.

But nothing really happened for me as a skill trainer until I brought it to the next level. It’s easy to believe in yourself, it’s another thing completely to believe in others.

I don’t know how many times I’ve asked kids to tell me where they’d like to play college basketball. Some say “North Carolina”, or “Duke”, or “Kentucky”, but they say it with shame on their face and in their demeanor. Other’s take prodding and need to be persuaded to finally tell me their goal is this school or that school. But there’s one thing that separates me from many coaches and trainers. I BELIEVE THEM!

I recently received this letter from a mother:

“Micah,

I am sure you have had a lot of people thank you for helping them with their basketball skills, but this isn’t what this is for.

I want to thank you for giving (my daughter) something she hasn’t had since 6^th grade. The belief in herself.

WHEN SHE TOLD YOU SHE WANTED TO GO TO DUKE, YOU WERE THE ONLY PERSON (besides me) THAT DIDN’T LAUGH AT HER.

I can’t tell you what that did for her. She has been trying so hard…it makes her more determined. So thank you again for giving a little girl back some hope, and happiness that someone saw some good in her.”

Can I just say that letters like this really shock me. I am overjoyed that I was able to make such a profound difference in this player’s life, but why is it so hard for coaches and even most adults to believe in a kids dream? I don’t mean to brag but my training has produced incredible results. I’ve seen an 8^th man Junior put in a summer of hard work and make his dream of college basketball a reality! I’ve seen a barely all-conference Junior player put in one summer of organized, professional training and raise his scoring average 18 points on his way to a D1 Scholarship. And I continue to come across players who have recently been cut from middle school and high school teams, and have pushed them to not only make their teams but soar above their old teammates and beyond.

Look, the training I provide these kids is top of the line. I am confident in that and what I do. But that’s not the most important ingredient. I truly believe these kids succeed because I believe them when they tell me their dreams. I don’t shoot their hopes down with percentages and “realistic” statements, I simply tell them:

I believe you.  But if that’s what you want then you need to understand how much farther you have to go. Let me show you.

Once I reveal to them where they are, I then show them how much sweat, work, and time needs to be invested. I show them the details and the skills they need to master. And after laying out the plan, I ask one more question:

Knowing what you have to do to get what you want; DO YOU STILL BELIEVE?

Some don’t. But for those who still do, they SUCCEED!  It’s that simple.

Any skill trainer or coach in the world can find success in what they are doing if they learn to believe and instill belief in their players. If you have the ability to look past where a player is, and look to what they can become you’ll effectively point them in the right direction. Dreamers respond to solutions and answers, not limitations and restrictions. And once they believe in their chances, know the right steps, and then put in the work, your work is done. Their success becomes your success.

Coaches, skill trainers, parents, adults, stop being “realistic” with your players. Stop telling them what you see, and start telling them what they can be. It’s NOT getting their hopes up to dream Duke. Just tell them what they have to do to give them a chance. Bottom line: if somebody else determines any player’s sense of what’s realistic, they’ve already placed limitations on their potential.

So please, if you want to find success as a coach or a trainer never forget this.

It doesn’t matter if you believe in yourself, until you truly believe in others.