“Success leaves footprints… are you following them?”

 

If you want to be successful, you need to learn from the path successful people have taken.

 

I had the opportunity to be around several of the NBA’s best and hear some invaluable insight on what it takes to be great.  Kevin Eastman, Tim Grover, Amar’e Stoudemire, Andre Iguodala, and Deron Williams left some footprints. 

 

I am most certainly going to follow them…

 

Kevin Eastman is an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics and the Director of the Nike Basketball Skills Academies.  He has coached at every level and is one of the most respected basketball minds in the world.

 

Question: What makes Kevin Garnett a future Hall of Famer?

 

Coach Eastman: His drive, focus, and discipline.  He does all of the little things necessary to be great and he does them daily.  He is always looking to learn.

 

Question: What did Rajon Rondo do differently this past off-season to propel him to the upper tier of NBA point guards?

 

Coach Eastman: He didn’t do anything drastically different.  He has just continued to grow and mature at a steady pace and this past year reflected many years of hard work (not just one off-season). Rajon has always been very dedicated to his craft and has always worked hard.  One example of his dedication is the fact he worked with a shooting coach (Mark Price) and concentrated on improving his accuracy from two specific spots, the short corners and elbows. This is where he gets 90% of his shots in our offense.

 

Question: Ray Allen is one of the best shooters in the history of the NBA.  What is his shooting regimen?

 

Coach Eastman: Ray is the only player I know who arrives at every game 3 hours before tip-off.  He follows an intense shooting routine and works himself into a full sweat.  He pays close attention to detail, especially with his feet.  He makes sure he uses the exact same form every single time. Ray Allen is not one of the best shooters in the league by accident!

 

Question: How would you describe Paul Pierce’s game?

 

Coach Eastman: Paul is a professional scorer.  He knows how to score.  He is not the quickest or most athletic player, but he understands how to play the game, how to use ball fakes, and how to play at different speeds. He lets the game come to him. He gets shots from where he wants, when he wants.  He is really hard to stop.

 

Question: What are the biggest skill deficiencies you see in high school players?

 

Coach Eastman: They play too fast, they over dribble, and they care too much about “me” and not enough about “we.”  Getting players to understand tempo is extremely challenging, but it is a quality that all of the top players have.

 

Question: What advice would you give young coaches?

 

Coach Eastman: Never say no to a basketball opportunity.  You never know what doors they will open. Gather as much knowledge as you can, from as many different sources as you can.  Sift through that knowledge and formulate your own system and philosophy.  You can learn everywhere, so always carry a pen and paper.  Network and build quality relationships. Try to be in the company of successful coaches and soak up their knowledge.  Ask questions. Coach to your personality and be authentic (don’t try to be someone else).

 

Question: What aspects of the game do coaches need to emphasize more with their players?

 

Coach Eastman: Most coaches are great with drills.  They know millions of them.  But they need to teach their players to transfer those drills into playing the actual game.  That transfer is the ultimate goal. Most high school (and many college) players don’t really know how to play.  Coaches need to emphasize time and score, proper spacing, ball movement, help defense, post feeds, tempo, etc.

 

Question: What are the 3 most important qualities of being a successful coach?

 

Coach Eastman: (1) You must be a lifelong learner.  (2) You must be honest with yourself, with your staff, with your players. (3) You must understand the importance of relationships.  Coaching is all about inspiring and motivating to improve performance. What you “bring” to each workout (energy, enthusiasm, effort, patience, etc.) is more important than what you “know.”

 

I highly recommend you visit www.KevinEastmanBasketball.com to learn more about the upcoming Coaching U Live.  It will be the most intense, detailed, no-nonsense look at all aspects of teaching and coaching the game.  Coaching U promises to deliver well over 700 teaching/coaching points!

 

Tim Grover is an internationally renowned basketball trainer who has worked with Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Dwayne Wade (among numerous others).

 

Question: What makes Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Dwayne Wade so remarkable?

 

Tim Grover: They are never satisfied.  They look at ways to improve every workout, every practice, and every game.   When they look at game stats, they look at turnovers, fouls, and how many points the guy they were guarding scored. They work diligently on improving their weaknesses.  They pay attention to the smallest details… especially footwork. They constantly study the game.  They study their opponent (to expose weaknesses).  They study their teammates (to highlight their strengths). They study the history of the game and respect previous generations.

 

No matter how successful they are, they do these 3 things every day: show up on time, listen, and work hard. The great ones are always the hardest workers.  They set the tone. They set the standard.  They are confident but they do not feel entitled.  They feel they need to prove their greatness day in and day out.  They know basketball can be taken away immediately… so they don’t take it for granted.  They play every day like it could be their last. Great players also believe the harder you work out, the easier the game becomes.

 

Question: Who was better, Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant? 

 

Tim Grover: Michael Jordan is hands down the best player of all-time. Even Kobe would agree. MJ had a feel for the game that is unparalleled.  His instincts offensively and defensively were amazing.

 

Amar’e Stoudemire, Andre Iguodala, and Deron Williams are NBA All-Stars and three of the top players in the league.  Each is committed to working extremely hard in the off-season.

 

Question: What does a typical day in your off-season consist of?

 

Amar’e Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns: 

·         I wake up at 8:00am.

·         I eat breakfast, usually Granola and fruit. 

·         I warm-up, stretch, foam roll, do corrective exercises, core work, and lift heavy.

·         I go right to the court.

·         I start with inside work: jump hooks, baby hooks, short jumpers, and Mikan drill. 

·         Then I move to perimeter stuff: ball handling series, face-up moves, game shooting. 

·         I finish around 12pm (3+ hours of intense work). 

·         I don’t play 5 on 5 in the off-season, but rather focus on my individual development.

·         I follow this schedule 5-6 days per week.

 

Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers:

·         I wake up at 8:30am.

·         I eat a light breakfast.

·         I start my workout at 10:00am. 

·         I start with a ball handling series, working hard on my off-hand. 

·         I then go through a comprehensive stretching series. 

·         Then I do 1.5 hours of intense game-like shooting (500+ makes).  

·         Then I head to the weight room. 

·         I lift legs/core twice a week and upper twice a week.  I lift heavy. 

·         I don’t play much 5 on 5 in the off-season.

·         I work out 4-5 days per week.

 

Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz:

·         I wake up at 8:00am.

·         I eat breakfast. 

·         I start with my strength training. 

·         Most of my focus is on core strength and stability.  I do a lot of bodyweight stuff. 

·         I also focus on quickness and agility and proper movement. 

·         For cardio I do a lot of biking and swimming to give my joints a break. 

·         Then I go to shooting.  I intentionally shoot from spots I don’t shoot well from in games.

·          I record shots/makes and compare to last year’s numbers.  I must improve!

·         Then I do a finishing series: working on floaters, runners, power lay-ups, Euro-steps.

·         Then I do ball handling drills. 

·         I try to play 5 on 5 three times per week. 

·         I work out 5-6 times per week.

 

I think it is very important to highlight that all three of these NBA All-Stars wake up early, eat breakfast, and are dedicated to their strength & conditioning and on-court basketball development.

 

Everyone one of these brilliant men constantly stressed the importance of working hard. But what does it mean to “work hard”?

 

By my own personal definition, hard work is the conscious choice to leave your comfort zone.  To push past what you are capable of doing.  It is giving as much as you have at that moment.  When things get uncomfortable, do you back down or do you push ahead?  The great ones work hard consistently.  Anyone can work hard occasionally.  Working hard is a learned characteristic and a trait each of us has 100% control over.  Working hard is a choice.

 

If you want to see the drills from the Deron Williams Nike Basketball Point Guard Skills Academy please check out http://TinyUrl.com/DeronWilliamsSkillsAcademy

 

Please let me know if I can ever be a resource to you for your program. You can email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

 

Train hard.  Train smart.

 

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

I have been involved with annual NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp since 2005.  I worked the camp in 2005 and 2006, then took two years off because of a scheduling conflict, and have resumed in 2009 and 2010. 

 

I am honored, fortunate, and overwhelmingly thankful to be a part of the NBPA family.  For an overview of what this unique camp is about, I recommend you read my recap from last year: http://TinyUrl.com/2009NBPACampBlog

 

You should also check out a motivational talk I gave last year: http://TinyUrl.com/2009NBPACampTalk

 

Even though the campers, the NBA players, and the guest speakers were different this year, the overall mission was the same. And the four-day experience was as remarkable as ever. This camp is about so much more than basketball. It is about character, about avoiding “career killers,” and about truly deserving success.

 

Here are a few inspirational stories of success I heard at camp:

 

1)    Do you know what Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo had his team do at their first practice of the 1999-2000 season?  No shooting drills.  No ball handling drills. No defense, no rebounding, no passing, and no sprints. At the first practice he had his players practice cutting down the nets.  That’s right, they practiced cutting down the nets! It must have worked because less than 6 months later Coach Izzo and the Spartans did cut down the nets at the RCA Dome after they beat Florida for the National Championship. Success can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

2)    During the end of the 1996-1997 regular season, Tim McCormick of the NBPA had an opportunity to go watch a Chicago Bulls practice.  The Bulls were pursuing their 2^nd straight (and 5^th overall) NBA Championship and had set an NBA record with 72 wins the previous season.  As excited as he was to be there, he was a little disappointed because he assumed he wouldn’t get to see Michael Jordan practice.  After all, the Bulls just played 4 games in 5 nights and he assumed MJ would take a well deserved day off.  Especially since they won all 4 of those games and his Airness had scored something like 38, 42, 46, and 34 points (and played over 40 minutes each game).  Much to his surprise, MJ showed up 45 minutes before practice.  He began with some form shooting and then quickly moved to a variety of up-tempo shooting drills (using an assistant coach as a rebounder).  He got up around 200 shots. He was focused and intense and was in a full lather of sweat by the time the rest of the team arrived.  Sensing his team needed a light day, Phil Jackson told the team that practice was only going to consist of a scrimmage to 20 baskets.  MJ proceeded to score 12 of his team’s baskets and assisted on 3 others. He dove for loose balls and even took a charge! Needless to say, his team won easily.  On a day when Michael Jordan deserved to take a day off and rest… he still outworked everyone and gave 100%. His commitment to excellence and his competitive fire never stopped.  Michael Jordan wasn’t great by accident.

 

3)    Sam Presti, the Executive Vice President & General Manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder, shared these reasons as to why Kevin Durant is an NBA superstar:

 

·         KD is a notable teammate.  He has relationships with everyone in the organization. From the guy who sweeps the floor to the team owner.

·         KD is an impressive practice player.  As hard as he plays in games, he practices even harder.  He knows that improvement comes from practice.

·         KD is focused on the process and on the long term.  He isn’t in search of a magic bullet.  He embraces slow, incremental gains. He knows greatness takes time.

·         KD takes care of his body.  He lifts weights year round, ices after games, eats well, and isn’t a party animal.  His commitment shows in his daily workouts.

·         KD is the team’s unofficial off-season leader. He organizes group workouts and pick-up games.  Wherever he is, he is always setting up places to play and inviting (and encouraging) his teammates to join him.

·         KD absolutely loves to play basketball.  His passion is pure.  He respects the game.

 

4)    Steve Kostorowski, Chris Paul’s long time personal trainer, sent an email with the subject line: “Things CP does in the off-season before most guys are even out of bed!”

 

·         Wakes up at 5:00am.

·         Drives to the gym.

·         Does a thorough warm-up.

·         Does 30 minutes of injury prevention and corrective exercises.

·         Does between 500-750 abdominal crunches.

·         Lifts between 4,000-5,000 lbs with every major muscle group (legs, chest, back, etc.).

·         Does a variety of balance and coordination drills.

·         Performs 1,000 reps of jump rope.

·         Does 40 minutes of on-court ball handling and conditioning.

·         Eats a nutritious breakfast (post workout meal).

 

5)    There is no excuse for not being a good shooter.  Shooting is a matter of practice.  There has never been a great shooter who didn’t shoot every day.  But you can’t just be a casual shooter.  You need to pay close attention to correct mechanics, proper footwork, and progressing to the point where you are taking game shots, from game spots, at game speed.  Take a look at how some “extra” shooting adds up:

 

·         100 extra shots x 5 days a week x 50 weeks a year = 25,000 extra shots a year

·         200 extra shots x 5 days a week x 50 weeks a year = 50,000 extra shots a year

·         400 extra shots x 5 days a week x 50 weeks a year = 100,000 extra shots a year

 

How could you not be a great shooter if you took an extra 100,000 shots a year?! Why aren’t you doing it?

 

If you want to see some innovative ball handling and shooting drills from the “Breakfast Club” workouts at the 2010 NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp, please check out http://TinyUrl.com/2010NBPACamp

 

I can’t make any promises, but I will do my best to get similar footage from all of the Nike Skills Academies (Deron Williams, Kevin Durant, Paul Pierce, Amar’e Stoudemire, and LeBron James).

Please let me know if I can ever be a resource to you for your program. You can email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

 

Train hard.  Train smart.

 

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

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…

 

Talent

 

To some degree, what most people refer to as talent, is nothing more than passion.  If you love to do something… you will do it every chance you can.  And the more you do it, the better you get.  Now obviously there are several uncontrollable factors that determine someone’s ultimate talent and success on the basketball court (height, athleticism, etc.), but in many instances, talent comes from non-stop, obsessive practice. I have never met a lethal shooter who didn’t practice all of the time… who didn’t shoot thousands and thousands of shots every single week.  Being a talented shooter is 100% controllable.

 

There is no debate that Kevin Durant was born with numerous physical gifts. But so are a lot of people.  So how come KD is an NBA All-Star and the league’s youngest leading scorer of all time and other 6’9” guys don’t play past high school or college? Because KD has an unparalleled passion for basketball and he works on his craft every single day.  The same can be said for Greivis Vasquez.  I met Greivis the day he got to the United States (from Venezuela) in 2005.  He spoke very little English and weighed 150 lbs.  Now he is about to be picked in this year’s NBA Draft.  How is that possible? He made himself talented by working on his game every single day.

 

Same goes for coaching.  Who are some of the most talented coaches in college basketball? Coach K? Tom Izzo? Jay Wright? Do you have any idea how much time and effort those guys have put into their coaching skill sets? They love the game of basketball and work relentlessly at becoming the best they can be. 

 

And talent doesn’t have to be all encompassing.  You don’t have to be good at everything.  You just need to have a specialty… a specific talent that makes you stand out.  It might be defense (Bruce Bowen), it might be rebounding (David Lee), or it might be shooting (Ray Allen).  Working on your weaknesses is important, but so is making your strengths even stronger!

 

Talent is the ability to make the most of what you have with where you are.

 

Luck

 

Honestly, I don’t believe in luck.  I think unsuccessful people use luck as an excuse. I believe luck is when preparation meets opportunity. I love the quote, “the harder you work, the luckier you get.” There is so much truth to that statement. So that means, in order to be lucky, you need to be well prepared when opportunity knocks.

 

Do you even know how to prepare?  Players, what do your daily workouts consist of?  Do you just jack up 300 shots or do you take game shots, from game spots, at game speeds?  Do you practice ball handling drills looking down at the ball or do you force yourself to look up (even though you may lose the ball initially)? Do you visualize a defender in front of you when making moves to the basket or do you just do the drill? Do you have a solid strength & conditioning foundation or do you just play pick-up? Equally important, are you a great teammate? Are you the type of player other players like to play with and coaches like to coach? Trust me… you’ll be a lot luckier if you are!

 

Coaches, do you just study the X’s and O’s or do you work on communication and leadership?  Do you put all of your focus on your out-of-bounds plays or do you spend time learning how to most effectively communicate with every member of your program? Do you reinforce great work habits with your players 365 days a year? Do you read, watch film, and network with other coaches?

 

I realize many resources cost money… camps, clinics, DVDs, and trainers, which can be a limiting factor for some.  However there are numerous resources that don’t (like this blog or my YouTube channel). Find them. Use them.

 

If you want to be lucky, you need “to be in the right place at the right time.” Instead of waiting for that to happen, you need to make an effort to create real value in every place you go and every person you come in contact with. 

 

When opportunity knocks, will you be prepared to answer?

 

Persistence

 

This one is pretty obvious.  Don’t give up on anything you can’t go a day without thinking about it.  Never quit. Keep practicing.  Keep working.  Most people think they are persistent, but in reality, they give up after a couple of “no’s” or a few minor failures.  Be too stubborn to quit.  Don’t be so pig-headed you won’t try new approaches or make adjustments along the way… just don’t quit. Ever.

 

My twin sons, Luke and Jack, will be 3 months old next week.  They have an unyielding persistence. They don’t stop until they get what they want! They are relentless and they don’t take no for answer. While that has certainly caused me a handful of sleepless nights, I hope it is a quality they never out grow.  If they apply the same persistence to the game of basketball as they do to wanting to be fed… they will indeed be McDonalds All-Americans in 2028!

 

Bottom line is this. If you want to be successful, on the court, or in anything in life:

 

Make your own talent.

 

Make your own luck.

 

Never quit.

 

If you want to see some impressive drills from three action packed days at the 2010 Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp, please check out http://TinyUrl.com/CP3Camp2010.

 

My intense summer camp circuit is in full swing.  Stay tuned for blogs, videos, and Tweets with behind the scenes insight from the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp and all of the Nike Skills Academies (Deron Williams, Kevin Durant, Paul Pierce, Amar’e Stoudemire, and LeBron James). It’s going to be an epic summer.

 

Speaking of which, we have officially wrapped up our 10 week long Can He Dunk? Project.  I will post the highly anticipated promo video, along with a ton of content, at www.CanHeDunk.com in early July.  ESPN/Rise is editing the final webisodes which are scheduled to air a week or two after the site launches.

Please let me know if I can ever be a resource to you for your program. You can email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

 

Train hard.  Train smart.

 

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

 

PS: I sincerely apologize, but I have had to discontinue the 100 Exercises in 100 Days promotion because of technical issues.  However, I will be posting some valuable content in its place, as well as adding a weekly Coaching Nugget downloadable PDF (free!).  You can find these resources in the Media Gallery at www.StrongerTeam.com.

My next blog, 3 Keys to Success, will be ready on Monday or Tuesday.  I have had the rough draft done but have not made the time to finish the final revisions.  I apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience.  In an attempt to not leave you completely hanging, I wanted to post a quick update.

I am currently in Winston-Salem, NC working the 2010 Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp.  This is always an amazing event because of how hands-on CP is.  He does everything with the players here; he works out with them, he teaches them, he talks to them, he eats with them.  He knows the meaning of “giving back.”  Chris Paul is a class act and represents everything that is right with sports.

This year’s high school rosters boast’s nationally renowned talent such as Quinn Cook (Bowie, MD), Bradley Beal (St. Louis, MO), Jabari Brown (Oakland, CA), and PJ Hairston (Chatham, VA).

This year’s college roster might be the most talented we have ever had! Players include Duke’s Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, and Seth Curry, North Carolina’s incoming freshman Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall, Connecticut’s Kemba Walker, Villanova’s Corey Fisher, Georgetown’s Chris Wright, Washington’s Isaiah Thomas, and Syracuse’ Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche.

And of equal importance, this year’s staff is a phenomenal group, made up of many of the nation’s top high school coaches and numerous NBA personnel.

In CP’s opening statement to the players and coaches he said he wanted to stress 3 things all weekend:

·         Be thankful (and humble) for this opportunity to be around great players and coaches.

·         Take advantage and learn as much as possible.

·         COMPETE in everything you do. When you step between the lines be ready to battle in every drill and every game.

Last night was the first workout and it was incredibly intense! The kids went hard. I will do my best to get quality video of this weekend’s workouts and post next week.

For an overview of what the CP experience is all about, please read my recap from last year’s event at http://TinyUrl.com/CP3Camp2009.

Also, if you want to see clips from my Cutting Edge Reaction, Quickness, and Agility Clinic in super-slow motion, please check out http://TinyUrl.com/SlowMotionDrills. Pay close attention to the feet in every drill.

As always, if I can ever be of service, please email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

Play hard. Have fun.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

I am not sure if you saw it, but Steve Nash cried after his Phoenix Suns lost to the LA Lakers in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals this past Saturday.  After showing sincere sportsmanship in congratulating Kobe and crew, the cameras briefly caught him shedding a few tears in the locker room as he hugged coach Alvin Gentry.

 

Seeing him cry made me respect him even more.

 

Steve Nash has a genuine passion you rarely see in professional sports.  In the past couple of weeks, he has had his eye split open and his nose broken… and not a tear in sight.  And yet he cares so much about winning, about his teammates, about the organization he plays for, and about the game of basketball… he was brought to tears when the season was officially over.  I love that.  I admire any player with that type of passion. 

 

A colleague of mine, Brian McCormick, has been saying for years that even though Nash isn’t a highlight reel dunker, he is absolutely one of the best athletes in the NBA.  I adamantly agree.  Most people judge athletic prowess solely on one’s ability to jump.  But Nash demonstrates his elite athletic ability in a myriad of other ways – hand/eye coordination, body control, balance, and the power to decelerate on a dime.  And let’s not forget his stamina.  He is always one of the best conditioned players in the league.  I watched him do a halftime interview this past season and he wasn’t even remotely out of breath. And he had just played the entire first half!

 

Steve Nash is the epitome of everything you want in a basketball player. He is fundamentally sound and understands the game.  He is savvy, unselfish, and physically and mentally tough. He is committed to being the best player he can be, is a remarkable teammate, and a resilient leader.  And to top it off, he is a two-time league MVP, consistent All-Star, and a future Hall of Famer.

 

I have been very fortunate to work the Nike Basketball Skills Academies since their inception four years ago. In 2008, I had the pleasure to work the Steve Nash Point Guard Academy. True to form, and the reason the camp is named after him, Steve Nash was spectacular.  I am so thankful for having had the opportunity to meet him and to learn from him.

 

Despite his commanding presence on the court, he was very soft spoken and humble.  Instead of just showing up because he had to, he spent quality time with the players. 

 

He explained how the key to life is being able to find solutions (on and off the court).  Plenty of people have (and/or cause) problems, but the people that consistently find solutions are the ones who are successful.  He also focused on the importance of being a good teammate - someone people want to coach, want to play with, and want to be around.  Lots of guys have talent in the NBA, but the ones who have long careers are the ones who do the little things to get better every day.  He said this quality is paramount for point guards. 

 

Steve credited his work ethic and desire to get better as the pillars to his success.  He said he wakes up every day and asks, “How can I make myself better today?”  He has a master list of every shot in his offensive arsenal - jump shots, runners, floaters, Euro-steps, quick lay-ups, and “wrong” foot lay-ups.  During his off-season workouts, he makes 50 of each shot every day at game speed.  So when you see Steve Nash make an amazing shot in a game, it isn’t luck. He has practiced it thousands and thousands of times.

 

He also told the players that point guards need to be able to change direction, change speed, and understand the game better than every other player on the floor. He told them that basketball is all about percentages (“always make the highest percentage pass available and take the highest percentage shot”) and angles (“your angles dictate your percentages”).  He acknowledged that most people don’t think of him as a great athlete because he doesn’t jump very high and dunk over people.  But he adamantly disagrees.  He knows there is much more to being a good athlete than jumping. Steve also placed a high priority on being in impressive basketball shape, since that is a trait every player has complete control over.

 

His off-season workouts consist of training with his strength coach three times per week. They put a focus on core strength and stability.  Many of his strength exercises add a balance component because he performs them on an unstable surface: BOSU ball, wobble board, etc.  He doesn’t play 5 on 5 during the summer, but instead plays in two soccer leagues, jumps rope, and runs stairs for conditioning.  He gets in daily shooting workouts to keep his handle and shot sharp.  He stressed the importance of having a solid daily routine and creating sound work habits.

 

Just watching him in action with the campers was astounding. Even though he didn’t go 100%, you could see how quick he is, how high his basketball IQ is, and how precise he is with everything he does.  He is part sniper, part magician, and part conductor.

 

On the court, nothing he does is haphazard and he never appears flustered.  He is always in complete control, regardless of the situation.  Steve Nash represents everything that is right with the game of basketball and I sure enjoyed watching him work.

 

Another thing that makes Steve Nash so impressive is his longevity.  He has maintained a consistently high level for a long time (just finished his 13^th year in the NBA).

 

“Anyone can be great for a day or a week or even a year. It is consistent, long term excellence that is most impressive.”

 

While I would have loved to have seen Nash make it to the finals, I am happy to see a Celtics vs. Lakers rematch.  No, I am not a Celtics or a Lakers fan (nor do I pretend to be).  But I am a fan of any person, team or organization who can sustain success for long periods of time. And both of those organizations have achieved greatness for decades. That is impressive.

 

Speaking of which, when I was in the 7th grade (1988), I got my hands on a very controversial cassette tape (kids, ask your parents what a cassette tape is) – N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton.  This album ignited the gangsta rap genre and put hip hop in the public eye.

 

Two of the founding members of N.W.A., Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, are not only still around, but are two of the most influential businessmen in pop culture today.  They have managed to stay on top of the ultra competitive entertainment industry for the past 20 years. Ice Cube is the producer of a new TV show on TBS (which for the record, I don’t plan on watching) and Dre has created the hottest headphones to ever hit the streets (of which I own a pair and love them).  Do you think anyone will even know who Lady Gaga is in 20 years? Or the Jonas Brothers?

 

Coaching is about making people better. It’s not just about making players better, but also about making one another better.  I am a voracious reader and spend an inordinate amount of time working on my own professional development.  While I learn from a wide variety of sources, there are two coaches in particular I follow regularly and suggest you do too:

 

Kevin Eastman (Assistant Coach with the Boston Celtics)

www.KevinEastmanBasketball.com

Twitter: @KevinEastman

 

Brian McCormick (Author of the brilliant Hard 2 Guard Player Development Newsletter)

www.180Shooter.com  

Twitter: @BrianMcCormick

 

If you would like to subscribe to Brian’s FREE newsletter, simply email hard2guardinc@yahoo.com and put “Subscribe” as subject.

 

In addition to these two, I subscribe to numerous newsletters and blogs. I file them in an email folder in Outlook called “Professional Development” and then print (and read them) at the end of every week.

 

Lastly, I will leave you with this concept. The key to improving agility and conditioning is intensity.  One of the best techniques for elevating intensity is through competition.  Here are members of the DeMatha Basketball team competing in a series of agility races during an off-season workout:  http://tinyurl.com/CompetitiveDrills

 

My intense summer camp circuit is about to begin.  Stay tuned for blogs, videos, and Tweets with behind the scenes insight from the Chris Paul CP3 Elite Backcourt Camp, the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp, and all of the Nike Skills Academies (Deron Williams, Kevin Durant, Paul Pierce, Amar’e Stoudemire, and LeBron James). It’s going to be an epic summer.

Please let me know if I can ever be a resource to you for your program. You can email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

 

Train hard.  Train smart.

 

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein