• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Click here to download the  free ebook of Alberto Juantorena’s  detailed training workouts leading up to the 1976 Montreal Olympics

SpeedEndurance.com

Success in Track & Field ... and Life

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Track & Field
    • 400 meters
    • 800m & Mile
    • 1/2 & Full Marathons
    • Long & Triple Jump
    • Hurdles
  • Training
    • Weight Training
    • Abs & Core
    • Injury Prevention
    • Shoes & Spikes
    • Masters
  • Coaching
    • Freelap Friday Five
    • Interviews
    • Sports Nutrition
    • Sport Psychology
  • Archives
  • Shop
    • My account
    • Checkout
    • Basket

Six Keys to Success for Basketball Players

You are here: Home / Other Sports / Basketball / Six Keys to Success for Basketball Players
20
SHARES
FacebookTwitter

October 30, 2007 by Jimson Lee 1 Comment

Last Updated on January 11, 2009 by Jimson Lee

I’ll be writing a lot of John Wooden articles in the near future. I’ve covered John Smith, Clyde Hart and Tom Tellez quite in detail, and it’s time to cross sports, keeping the Coaching and success theme intact. I’ll also do a few articles on another great basketball coach, Pat Riley.

On that note, with the NBA season kicking off, Guest Blogger and former professional basketball player Patrick Chylinski submitted this article on the Six Keys to Success for Basketball Players. I hope you enjoy it.

I’m often asked this question: what are the keys to becoming a great basketball player?

I give them a two-word response: hard work.

All joking aside though, hard work is a key component of success in basketball (or any other area of life for that matter). But a more detailed, useful answer is really in order.

I have broken down success as a basketball player into 6 broad categories:

    1. Basketball skill
    2. Physical ability
    3. Confidence
    4. Aggressiveness
    5. Thinking big
    6. Being in the moment

Let me go into detail on each of these items.

Basketball Skill

First and foremost, you have to be able to play the game. From shooting, to dribbling and passing, to rebounding and defense, you’ve got to know the game, and be a good player. This is, it goes without saying, the foundation on which every successful basketball career is built.

Physical Ability

In addition to being able to play the game, great players are usually exceptional athletes. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to be the fastest, strongest, highest jumping player on the team. But it does mean that you have to be very mobile, very agile, have good hand-eye coordination, and have good endurance (among other things). Being a good all-around athlete allows your basketball skills to flourish and grow.

Confidence

Having basketball ability and physical skills takes you only so far. Taking your game to the next level requires massive confidence, the belief in yourself that you can go out on the floor and dominate, each and every game. Look at the great players (Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Kobe, et al)…these guys think one thing when they play: that they are the best player on the floor, and they are going to dominate the opponent.

Aggressiveness

In addition to believing in yourself, you have to be extremely aggressive every time play the game. You may be a nice, quiet person off the court, but once you put on a uniform and get into a game, you have to be fierce and determined, passionate and competitive.

Thinking Big

I coach a lot of players that doubt themselves and what they can do on the floor. Get rid of that kind of thinking. Don’t be satisfied with what you were able to do last season, or last month, or yesterday. Set high goals for yourself, and think big…and you’ll be amazed at how you are able to achieve more than you did before, just by picturing yourself playing better than you did in the past (picturing it, and expecting it).

For example: if you scored 10 or 12 points a game last season, plan on increasing that by at least 2 or 3 baskets a game. If you grabbed 4 or 5 rebounds a game, plan on upping that number to 6 or 7. Now, remember that scoring more points doesn’t necessarily mean you are playing better than before, but you get the idea. The point is to expect more of yourself, set higher goals for yourself, and set firmly in your mind the belief that you will play better than you have in the past. Believe it, and it’ll happen.

Being in the Moment

Lots of players over-think the game. Whether it’s psyching yourself out at the free throw line, letting a bad play compound itself and negatively impact the next play, or being hesitant to take the ball to the basket for fear of getting blocked, you can’t allow these types of negative thoughts, or over-thinking to keep you from playing at your best.

The key is to be in the moment, be in the flow of the action, and let your physical abilities, and all the practice you’ve done take over. Don’t think or worry, just play.

These are the 6 main areas of success in basketball. Think through each of these, and really figure out a way that you can get better in each one. What can you do today, tomorrow, or next week that will help you improve in these areas?

Come up with some answers…then go out and make it happen!

Author Description
Patrick Chylinski is a former college and professional basketball player. He is now a private coach based in Los Angeles. Visit www.basketballsuccess.com for playing tips, articles, newsletters, DVDs, and e-books.

See also  Training for Peak Performance - Mental Edge Sports Seminar

Category iconBasketball,  Coaching Tag iconBasketball,  Clyde Hart,  John Smith,  Tom Tellez

About Jimson Lee

I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. cyusa gilbert says

    October 13, 2012 at 1:53 pm

    thank for your kind words.am basketbal young player.and my dream and my future plan of life is to play in NBA.I am not writting for you that coz i want you to help me nuh.i just wanna be me in God i trust.even if it is complicating me to get a high school but i know soon as possible i ll be in USA.,..AM READY

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Recommended

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xbs-aWxyLk

Shop Our Store

  • Bud Winter (9)
  • Championship Productions (6)
  • Clyde Hart (2)
  • Derek Hansen (1)
  • Electrical Muscle Stimulation (2)
  • Jim Hiserman (6)
  • Jimson Lee (4)
  • Uncategorised (0)

Articles by Category

Products

  • Jim Hiserman - Developing 800m Runners: Identifying, Categorizing and Developing 400m-800m Type Athletes $42.99 $39.99
  • Private Coaching - Monthly Plan $600.00 $525.00
  • Jim Hiserman-Developing-Distance-Runnersv2 Jim Hiserman - Developing Distance Runners Volume 2: A Systematic Approach to Developing Individual Success within a Dynamic Team Culture $34.95 $29.95
  • Feed-the-Cats-Clinic-3-Pack-701 'Feed the Cats' Clinic 3-Pack $64.99
  • Tony Holler's Feed the Cats": A Complete Sprint Training Program Tony Holler's "Feed the Cats" Complete Sprint Training Program $49.99
  • Bud Winter and Speed City presents Arthur Lydiard 509x716 Bud Winter & Arthur Lydiard MP3 [Download only] $9.99

RECENT POSTS

  • Oregon22 Coaches Club now Online
  • IFAC 2022: The Return of In-Person Conferences (with Virtual option)
  • Here is our 400m Discussion Recording… over 2 Hours Long
  • The Best Free Coaching Book – post Beijing 2022 Olympics
  • The Ultimate 400m Track Webinar for Coaches & Athletes
  • NACAC Athletics Coaching Science Series 2022
  • Top Six 400m Predictor Workouts (Number 4 is my Favourite)
  • Best 6 Podcasts for 2021 (and Beyond)
  • Why Karsten Warholm’s 45.94 400mH WR is my Highlight of 2021
  • Sprinting: 10 Research Articles for Effective Sprint Training [Part 23]

Copyright © 2023. SpeedEndurance.com is owned and operated by Aryta Ltd. Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}