January 18, 2021 | Tagged Coaching
Insight on the Basketball Court
Being a great basketball player requires the ability to have insight (inner sight) on the court.
Insight is crucial to becoming a great basketball player. Insight is not a birthright. Insight is a learned skill. Dedicated effort to increase knowledge is step one. Knowledge is information gathering. Second is dedicated time commitment to understanding the knowledge at a practical level. The third is meditation which is the visualization of the skill. Fourth is execution.
Jim Collins writes about insight in his book, Good to Great. Collins researched the top companies and executives and found that the difference between the good and the great came down to two things: Ferocious discipline-- this is the insight to have total intensity and dedication to becoming great at every aspect of the company (or in your game). The second difference-maker was modesty: the insight to eliminate arrogance, defensiveness, or other blocks to becoming better. Those with modesty or humility never disregard an opportunity to learn. These two qualities are essential on the court: ferocious discipline and modesty.
John Stockton, one of the best guards ever to play in the NBA had incredible insight on what he needed to do to help his team become successful. His extreme conditioning and fast pace are legendary. He had the insight to make a commitment to himself never to feel tired in a game and to set an incredibly high tempo. He knew others would let down and the high-octane pace he needed to maintain was a discipline of his mind. He also had incredible modesty about his game. He spent hours perfecting his shooting, passing skills, and tenacity to defend. He was relentless in his push to learn and understand basketball.
Self-Check:
1. At the end of your next game, take a good look at all the words you say to yourself and to your parents. Blame, comparison and bragging are all dangerous words. Are you able to speak about the game with gratitude, modesty, self-confidence, and wisdom? Can you find what you need to change to do better in the next game?
2. Do you have good mentors? List the people who advise you. How often are you meeting with and learning from your mentors?
3. Scarcity or gratitude? Examine the time from the minute you wake up until you go to sleep. Are you constantly saying, "I didn't get enough sleep; I don't have enough time; People don't know how good I am?" or are you speaking what brings you joy and strength?
4. Do you carve out time that isn't ego-related? Too much self-focus makes us poor athletes, students, and people. Get your thoughts off of yourself and expand your insight.
5. Do you have goals and systems in place to live the life you want to live? Do you have a clear plan for becoming stronger physically, mentally, relationally and spiritually? Do you have an actual workout plan for ball handling, jump training, weightlifting, shooting, offensive moves, defensive footwork, improving your basketball IQ, and mental toughness?
About NBC Basketball Camps
NBC Basketball Camp began in 1971 with a few players and has grown to be one of the largest overnight basketball training programs in the world. Located in 7 countries and many different cities, the mission of NBC Camps is to build better players and better leaders. If you love basketball enough to work hard, we want you at camp. Get serious about improving your game. www.nbccamps.com/basketball