I am heading down to Charlotte, NC this week to work the prestigious Jordan Brand All-American Classic – an event that selects the nation’s top boy’s high school basketball players to represent the greatest player to ever lace up sneakers – Michael Jordan.  This event is an honor and privilege to be involved with.  

A special thanks to the Jordan Brand, Nike Basketball, and Position Sports for their outstanding work in putting on this first class event.

Observing elite level players provides me with an invaluable learning experience. Here are some of the traits that make them special:

·         Elite players love to play basketball.  It’s not a hobby or an activity – it is their passion.  They would rather play basketball than do anything else.  When they aren’t playing basketball they are watching it on TV or playing it on PS2! 

Do you have the same love for the game?  

·         Elite players are competitive and hate losing.  They hate losing more than they like winning! Whether they are playing on ESPN or a game of H-O-R-S-E in their backyard, they always compete as hard as they can. They never concede.  They use this competitiveness in their workouts and practices.  They try to ‘win’ every drill.

Does winning matter that much to you?

·         Elite players don’t rely solely on their natural born talents (size & athleticism). They work hard to maximize their fundamentals and understanding of the game. They spend countless hours on their strength & conditioning and working on their skills and basketball IQ.

Do you work on improving every aspect of your game?

·         Elite players enjoy working hard. It’s part of their identity.  They don’t coast and they don’t look for shortcuts.  They get great satisfaction in giving their best effort in everything they do. Working as hard as possible is non-negotiable.

Do you enjoy putting in hard work?

·         Elite players consistently leave their comfort zone during practice and workouts.  They know that the only way they will get better is to attempt things they can’t currently do.  They push themselves to grow and develop. 

Do you know how to be comfortable being uncomfortable?

·         Elite players have the intangibles that don’t show up in the box score.  They have a positive attitude, they are enthusiastic, and they are great teammates.  They make those around them better. They are energy givers, not energy takers. Talent and ability aside, they are the type of player coaches want to coach and players want as teammates. 

Do you make everyone around you better? 

I would be lying if I told you that every ‘elite’ high school player possessed these qualities.  They don’t.  Some are lazy. A few are selfish. But those are the players that don’t make it (or at least don’t live up to their potential). 

Players like Kevin Durant, Maya Moore, Chris Paul, Skylar Diggins, and Harrison Barnes are examples of elite players who epitomize these qualities – they combine a passion for the game, natural talent, solid fundamentals, an unparalleled work ethic & competitiveness, and a fantastic attitude. 

Here is a video of elite level college players going through a series of movement prep exercises and drills to prepare themselves for an intense workout:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3omyde2ncU

We will be taking the Jordan Brand All-Americans through many of these same exercises before each practice!

For JBC insight and updates, make sure you follow www.Twitter.com/AlanStein and www.Twitter.com/JordanClassic  

I will post a new blog next week!

Until then… train hard, train smart.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

The mission of the LeBron James Nike Skills Academy was the same as the position academies; “positively impact the lives of elite players by providing superior instruction, personal mentorship, and a once in a lifetime experience.”  The goal of the Lebron Academy was to build on the previous academies and teach players how to incorporate the skills they learned specifically for their position in to a team philosophy. Did they accomplish their goal? As George Bush s aid, “mission accomplished.”  Although this time it is true!

Nike set the standard for youth basketball development and the LeBron James Skills Academy and accompanying King City Classic have been heralded as the premiere events of the summer. What made it such an incredible event was the fact that King James himself was so actively involved.  The reigning NBA MVP made a commitment to be an integral part of this event and he came through in a big way.  It is universally accepted that LeBron has an undeniable work ethic, solid fundamentals, and an obvious passion and true love for the game.  He epitomizes everything positive about the greatest game on earth.  And despite his astounding fame, fortune, and world renowned notoriety, he still made the time to give back and to help those aspiring to follow in his foot steps.  I saw first hand, for three and half days, that LeBron is a class act and deserves every bit of the success he has achieved.

In addition to LeBron’s participation, Nike assembled an elite staff of coaches and skill instructors; including many of the games best teachers. The theme at the initial staff meeting was succinct:

• Have energy and enthusiasm at every workout; sweat with the players.
• Teach to your personality; don’t try to be someone you’re not.  Be authentic.
• Keep the drills moving! Less talk, more action!
• It’s not how much you know; it’s how much you bring that counts! Bring your best every workout.
• Improvement is a constant, repetitive process.  Do the little things to keep things fun!

There were 20 hand selected college counselors on hand, including (in no particular order) Jordan Crawford (Xavier), Cole Aldrich (Kansas), Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest), Devin Ebanks (West Virginia), Manny Harris (Michigan), Kalin Lucas (Michigan State), Kyle Singler (Duke), Greivis Vasquez (Maryland), and Willie Warren (Oklahoma).

All 80 players that were invited to the position specific academies were invited to the LeBron Academy.  Some noteworthy attendees included Marquis Teague (Indianapolis, IN), Ray McCallum (Beverly Hills, MI), Austin Rivers (Winter Park, FL), Kendall Marshall (Dumfries, VA), Andre Dawkins (Chesapeake, VA), Perry Ellis (Wichita, KS), Justin Anderson (Rockville, MD – Montrose!), and in my opinion the nation’s top two players – Michael Gilchrist (Elizabeth, NJ) and Harrison Barnes (Ames, IA).

One of the first orders of business was an enthusiastic “media training” session given by ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla.  Fran, a former big time college coach, knows basketball and knows how important it is for aspiring players to deal with the media professionally; as “the media can be your best friend or your worst enemy.”  With media around all week, he told them they were always being evaluated, so to be conscious of what they do both on and off the court. He also told them to be humble when accepting praise, make good eye contact, speak clearly, be engaging, and be appreciative of the reporter’s time.

The official banquet was held on Monday and was absolutely spectacular. The food, décor, and atmosphere were first class.  There was a professional DJ spinning records the entire time and they showed numerous LeBron highlight clips and commercials (many of which haven’t been released yet).  The highlight of the night was a live Q & A with King James and ESPN’s Jay Bilas.  Jay asked numerous questions as well as asked LeBron to say the first thing that popped into his mind when historic pictures of his career were put on the big screen; first Sports Illustrated cover (“I was just a kid”), shaking David Stern’s hand on draft night (“a dream come true”), holding up the 2009 MVP trophy (“hard work paid off”), and hearing the National Anthem upon receiving the Gold Medal in the 2009 Olympics in Beijing (“biggest accomplishment of my career”). LeBron was funny, entertaining, but very truthful.  Again, a total class act.  Nike kept highlighting the fact that LeBron is extremely loyal.  For example he still resides in Akron, where he grew up, and insisted the academy was held in his hometown.  He even chose to have his MVP press conference at his old high school to show the world he hasn’t forgotten his roots.  Nike presented him with a pair of one of kind LeBron 2009 MVP Air Force 1’s.  In closing, LeBron told the players, “I am here for you guys, the players.  You are the games’ future, so take that seriously.  Represent yourselves to the fullest and honor the game.  Heck, one of you might host a camp that my kid goes to one day!”

LeBron could have easily just “mailed it in” like a lot of big time players do who hold camps.  He could have made an appearance or two for the media’s sake, mumbled a few clichés, and then been whisked away.  But that’s not the King.  LeBron was very active every day of camp and laced them up and went hard in the drills with both the high school and college players.  He played each night with the college players; some intense action!  When he played he was sporting some custom made, probably one of a kind, LeBron VII’s – arguably the hottest shoes I have ever seen!  And shoes weren’t the only custom made thing he repped; he pulled up in a custom made L23 V12 white-on-white Benz.  Damn!

While this was my third time meeting and seeing LeBron up close; I forgot how physically imposing he is.  He is an absolute specimen.  He has the perfect basketball physique. I closely followed his every move as I am always trying to learn from the great ones. He had a very standard pre-workout routine (which I wrote down in my notes) he followed meticulously before every workout session. It included getting his ankles taped and having his trainer (Mike Mancias of the Cleveland Cavaliers) stretch him out thoroughly. Once he hit the court he was all business. Intently watching him in the drills, I noticed that everything he did was crisp and sharp.  He did everything at game speed; never just went through the motions.  Every pass, every shot, and even his footwork were perfect.  LeBron has great work habits. He had tremendous focus and an unbelievable level of concentration during each workout.  He was also a great communicator.  Despite balls bouncing, shoes squeaking, and players competing in drills on two courts – you could always hear his voice. He was a presence.  Mark my words; LeBron James is not a great player by accident. He was worked for it.  He has earned it.

Speaking of communication; midway through the first workout, he pulled the high schoolers aside to offer this bit of wisdom, “As the best player on your team, your presence alone should create opportunities for your teammates.  You should demand double and triple teams every time you touch the ball which means your teammates are open.  It’s your responsibility to get them the ball and to help them be successful.  Great players make those around them better.” Amen.

As I mentioned before, LeBron played with the college players each night. Other players making an appearance to play during the week were fellow Cavaliers Mo Williams, Darnell Jackson, 2009 first round pick Christian Eyenga, and second round pick Danny Green.  True to his roots, a few of LeBron’s old high school teammates played as well.  The competition was fierce and the games were always intense as every college player wanted their chance to impress King James. Too much has been made of Jordan Crawford’s dunk.  Everyone gets dunked on at some point!  Who cares?  My hat is off to LeBron for even playing in the first place; he certainly didn’t have to play.  But he did and he provided an amazing opportunity for the aspiring NBA players.

Unfortunately, I never got the opportunity to interview LeBron one on one about his training. So I did the next best thing; I spoke with his trainer!  Mike Mancias, an assistant athletic trainer and strength & conditioning coach for the Cavs, was gracious enough to rap with me for a few minutes and give me some insight to LeBron’s regiment.  While working for the Cavs full time, Coach Mancias is primarily responsible for LeBron.  He goes with LeBron everywhere; even went with him to China for the Olympics.  Since LeBron is such a workout machine, Coach Mancias admitted he is on call and keeps his Blackberry glued to his hip!  He said LeBron does something workout wise almost every day; shooting work with private coach, hits the weights, takes yoga, or does some pool  work. He aims to do 3 or 4 structured strength workouts a week focusing on full body movements, core strength, and improving joint mobility and integrity (ankles, hips, etc.).  He also incorporates some cardio intervals in the mix.  I watched one of LeBron’s strength workouts which included a combination of upper body movements, core exercises, and short intervals on the versa-climber.  I always feel good knowing the stuff I do with my players is the same stuff guys like King James does! I also saw part of one of LeBron’s shooting workouts; very intense.

On the last full day, Mike Procopio of A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics in Chicago gave his annual presentation on what it takes to make it the NBA level.  Here are some of the highlights of his talk:

To play at the NBA level you have to:

• Dominate your position on both ends of the floor
• Be efficient and make very few mistakes
• Have a specialty (shooting, rebounding, defense, etc.)

Reason most players don’t make it:

• Off the court issues
• Lack of fundamentals
• Glaring weakness in their game
• Just not good enough

Making the NBA is relatively easy compared to staying in the NBA.  All 30 first round draft picks sign contracts with the team that drafted them.  7-9 second round draft picks do the same.  So in theory, there are 37-39 “new hires” every season; which means 37-39 guys lose their job each year!

Of the 450 players in the league, 70+ are from overseas (15%)

Average physical stature of the top 10 players (statistically speaking) at each position in the NBA:

• Point guards:                6’ 3”, 190 lbs.
• Shooting guards:          6’ 6”, 205 lbs.
• Wings:                          6’ 10”, 245 lbs.
• Centers:                        7’ 0”, 260 lbs.

Jay Bilas, whom I have always very much respected and admired, brought up a great point about Mike’s talk.  Inevitably, when you ask a group of elite level players “who wants to play in the NBA?” every hand in the room goes up.  Then you ask, “Who truly believes they will play in the NBA?” not a single hand budges – they all stay up. Then you ask, “How many of you have made basketball your #1 priority; have made it 100% your main focus in life?” Again, no hands waver.  Every player in the room swears they have made basketball their life and truly believes they are doing everything they can to make it to the league. 

Yet when you ask them if they spend an hour a day working on their weak hand, or if they make (not take) 400-500 shots a day from game spots at game speed, or if they have read any books by Dean Smith, John Wooden, or Pete Newell, or if they are on a structured, year round strength & conditioning program, if they eat breakfast every day… 99.99% of the time you only get excuses.  A lot of players say they will do anything to make it the NBA, but only a select few actually do.

And then there is LeBron.  LeBron not only talks the talk, he walks the walk. No one can argue LeBron was born with some physical gifts that not many people have been blessed with; but those gifts are only a piece of the puzzle.  There have been numerous players born with tremendous gifts that never made it. Whether LeBron ends up as the greatest player to ever play the game or not is irrelevant.  But what is relevant is that he does all of the little things necessary, on a daily basis, to be the absolute best player he can be.  And believe me, it is working.

I want to extend a sincere thank you to the folks at Nike for the opportunity to be part of such an amazing event and a sincere thank you to King James himself for his involvement.   It was a remarkable experience.

Make sure you subscribe to www.YouTube.com/StrongerTeamDotCom for the latest exercise of the week clip as well as motivational talks and drills from camp.  For exclusive insight to my camps, as well as daily coaching points and quotes, follow me on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AlanStein.

Train hard.  Train smart.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

Let it be known I have always been a “Nike guy.” Ever since I was little I was captivated by everything Nike stood for and represented.  Nike revolutionized international culture, sports marketing, and most certainly… basketball. Prior to launching his own brand, MJ not only wore the Swoosh, but made it one of the most recognizable brands on the planet. He has since passed the torch to Kobe and LeBron; the two reigning megastars of the greatest game on earth. 

Let me also say I am overwhelmingly thankful to be a part of the Nike Basketball family and working their events and camps is always an honor and a tremendous experience. Their summer Skills Academies are a highlight of my busy summer.  I have been involved with Nike Basketball, in a variety of capacities, for nearly 7 years and commend them for their high level of professionalism and applaud the way they do everything first class. Nike sets the standard.

Prior to recapping the Vince Carter Nike Skills Academy; let me back track a tad and lay the foundation for how this all began.

Six years ago Nike accurately recognized the need to focus more attention on improving the fundamentals and skills of grassroots basketball players.  Every summer camp, despite their claims, was focused on playing games and giving kids exposure to college coaches.  Nike wanted to create something that took a step back and put more emphasis on actually teaching the game from the ground up; working on and coaching the fundamentals of passing, ball handling, defending, and shooting. Thus they created the Nike Skills Academy.  What started off as one academy at the Nike headquarters in Beaverton, with a handful of elite coaches, and 20 of the top high school players, has grown in to four position specific academies (point guards, off guards, wings, and big men), sponsored by four NBA All Stars (this year Deron Williams, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, and Amare Stoudemire), an elite staff of NBA coaches and player development personnel, and the top 20 high school and top 10 college players at each of the respective positions.  As if that is not impressive enough, there is a follow up camp where the top 80 high school players and an elite group of college players are invited to the prestigious LeBron James Nike US Skills Academy; the mecca of grassroots basketball development and competition. 

Despite only being around for 6 years, the Skills Academy Wall of Fame is unbelievable. Who has passed through the Nike Skills Academies? Well for starters, 8 of the first 9 players selected in this year’s NBA Draft, are Skills Academy alumni (Ricky Rubio being the lone exception).  Who else? Jerryd Bayless (Blazers), Kevin Durant (Thunder), Kevin Love (Timberwolves), and Derrick Rose (Bulls) to name a few.  Not a bad roster, huh?

This will be my 3^rd year involved; I began when the Academy format expanded to each position. I have had the privilege to work Nike Skills Academies for Kobe Bryant, Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, and LeBron James.  I can fully attest that Nike goes to great lengths to fulfill their mission statement:

Positively impact the lives of elite players by providing superior instruction, personal mentorship, and a once in a lifetime experience.

This year’s Vince Carter Nike Skills Academy was held in Orlando, Florida and included the nation’s top wing players (3’s and 4’s).  DeShaun Thomas (Fort Wayne, IN), Tristan Thompson (Brampton, ONT), Jereme Richmond (Waukegan, IL), and Perry Ellis (Wichita, KS) highlighted the group of high schoolers (NOTE: top rated players Michael Gilcrest and LaQuinton Ross where set to come but cancelled at the last minute).  Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest), Devin Ebanks (West Virginia), DeShawn Sims (Michigan), and Delvon Roe (Michigan State) headlined the college players.

As always, Nike assembled an incredible coaching staff led by Kevin Eastman (Boston Celtics) and the legendary Tates Locke (who has been involved in basketball for 54 years; he actually hired Bobby Knight for his first coaching job!).  Kenny Atkinson (Knicks), Paul Cormier (Nets), Rod Baker (Rochester Razorbacks), Paul Biancardi (ESPN), Craig Ehlo (former NBA player), Miles Simons (former NBA player), and yours truly rounded out the staff.  My job was to ensure the players were warmed up and adequately stretched, serve as a strength & conditioning resource, and mentally prepare them for their workouts.  I was also the “energy” guy and made sure every workout began with a high level of enthusiasm.

At the initial staff meeting, Coach Locke, amidst an array of hilarious one liners, kept his rules very succinct: be on time, work hard, and don’t lie.  Coach Eastman took it a step further and asked the staff to teach the players three things; how to work out properly, how to play their position, and how to be a professional.

Coach Eastman also added in several other coaching points worth mentioning:

• Be early; on time is late.
• Coach in sound bytes, not paragraphs.
• Sweat with the players.
• Have a positive impact on at least one player’s life each day.
• Be demanding, not demeaning.
• Respect their coach at home.

The first day of camp got off to a great start with both groups; it was obvious from the start there was a tremendous amount of raw talent present.  It was also obvious both groups had great attitudes and were very coachable.  Coach Locke said the college guys were the best group of listeners he has ever worked with.  The initial focus of both workouts was weak hand development (series of lay-up, passing, and ball handling drills) and perfect footwork (proper pivots and shot preparation).

Vince Carter was there for the entire two and half hour high school workout and was very hands on.  He spoke (and demonstrated) about the importance of being efficient with their movements and to eliminate all wasted motions (“stay tight”).  He showed how change of speed is the key to getting open on the wing and getting the ball where you want it (not where the defense wants you to get it).  He mentioned several times that “just because the game is played at a fast pace; doesn’t mean you have to run around frantic. You can play slow and be very successful.”  He also talked about the significance of finishing strong around the basket, “don’t make a $1,000,000 move and a $1 finish.”

Each of the successive workouts built upon prior workouts and foot work and off hand development continued to be emphasized.  Defensive “expression”, intimidating ball pressure, quality post moves, “Euro lay-ups”, and being “ball ready”, were also taught and stressed.  VC was there every day, sweating with the players, and jumping in nearly every drill to show them first hand how it’s done in the league.  Jared Jeffries of the NY Knicks stopped by to grab a shooting workout with Coach Atkinson and talked to the players about the value of being versatile and honestly evaluating your strengths and weaknesses.

The high school players played five on five games (with referees) for the last 30 minutes of each nightly workout.  Despite having all wing players (no point guards); the games were highly competitive and fun to watch.  The kids played above the rim.

I can honestly say the kids made improvement in the three days they were there. Obviously that will be short lived if they don’t go home and continue to practice what they were taught.  “Repetition is not a form of punishment.” 

The Academy as a whole could not have gone any better; it was a success by all standards. Vince was a class act the entire time. I could not have been more impressed with his involvement and attitude towards helping the players.  He even got the phone call letting him know he was traded to the Orlando Magic while he was at the gym! He was super excited and we were the first to know! On Thursday, VC came to the hotel and watched the draft with the kids.  VC walks the walk.

Make sure you check my other recent posts; my interview with Mr. Vince Carter himself and a book review of Jack Canfield’s The Success Principles.

I am in Boston now and will be working the Paul Pierce Nike Skills Academy this week and the LeBron James Nike Skills Academy next week! I will post a blog recapping each of those events as well as continue to add additional NBA player interviews and pertinent book reviews.

Make sure you subscribe to www.YouTube.com/StrongerTeamDotCom for the latest exercise of the week clip as well as motivational talks and drills from camp.  For exclusive insight to my camps, as well as daily coaching points and quotes, follow me on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AlanStein.

Train hard.  Train smart.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com