Every week, you play pickup basketball with your buddies, but you can’t keep up.
You’ve been banging the heavyweights to improve your fitness, but nothing is working. What’s the greatest approach to improve your court skills? By learning from some of the finest athletes in the world, you’ll be able to pick up tips, techniques, and training advice.
We offer several choices for you to improve your pickup abilities for passing and stamina.
Here’s how you can improve your basketball skills:
Passing
Jason Kidd: former NBA point guard, Milwaukee Bucks head coach
Jason Kidd had one of his greatest seasons when he was 34, matching Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson as the only athletes in NBA history to score at least 13 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds per game. Kidd discusses how to make accurate passes and accomplish your individual triple-double of strength, agility, and stamina.
Passing skills
Kidd has always thought that passing is more about anticipation than it is about practicing on passing: What does the eye observe, and therefore can his mind communicate that to his body? What is the other guy’s favorite pastime? Is he a right or left-hander? Can he get it to him in strides if he sees someone going backdoor?
Hand-Eye Coordination
How do you practice passing and sight? In the [batter’s] box, try to strikeout. Can you continuously pitch on the inner corner of the plate if you’re playing strikeout with a friend and you see he does not like the ball inside? Can you regularly toss pitches to a seven-year-old that you know he or she can hit? Kidd thinks this is helpful for everyone with a child. Is it possible for you to toss the ball into their tipping point? That isn’t an easy thing to accomplish.
In the Gym
Kidd does a lot of heavy leg work such as step-ups with 15 kg dumbbells, leg press, calves, and calf raise, and between each set, he performs sit-ups. Pilates is a great way to keep your strength in check, he suggests. He can flex and focus on his fluidity and abs for about an hour. Kidd doesn’t run often, but he does attempt to swim at least five times each week. He also plays one-on-one with a close friend, with the goal of chasing him down, staying in front of him, and moving his own feet.
Stamina
Kobe Bryant – Retired NBA legend, Los Angeles Lakers
Bryant was the overall best scorer in the NBA when he was at his greatest. Bryant bulked out by combining Olympic lifts with track work over the years. He revealed his tips for maintaining the same level of energy on the court every time you step on it.
Conditioning
You want to be in the best possible form for the forthcoming season. Jogging, whether on a track, on a pitch, or just performing suicides or sprints on the court, has helped Bryant stay in shape. Whichever regimen you choose, the most important thing is to push yourself to the point of pain. Conditioning is impossible to achieve without putting yourself through it. You’ll have to experience some discomfort, like if your lungs are on fire, and that sort of stuff. This is Bryant’s philosophy.
Consistency
Bryant believes that training should be a common occurrence for an athlete. You must stick to your schedule no matter what.
In the Gym
During the season, he puts a lot of emphasis on weight training, gradually increasing his stamina as the season advances. Clean pulls, deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, back squats, and similar exercises are examples. It’s all about growing stronger and more nimble throughout the off-season for him. Bryant suggests that after this, you’ll want to get out on the field and practice your abilities.
