Basketball: Work

From Beyond Basketball, by Coach Mike Krzyzewski

Nobody feels like working every day. Professionals, in life or sport, show up and work even when they don't feel like it.

Hard work improves and it calls attention to the worker. 

Jon Gordon shares examples of hard work in The Hard Hat. Great teammates are always hard workers. Hard work is the 'x-factor' that helps guys make teams who otherwise wouldn't. 

Players can benefit from examples of hard work. 

1) The chase down. LeBron James had a 'chase down' block in the 2016 Finals game 7. 

2) "Champions do extra." Kobe Bryant's grueling off-season workouts were shared in Tim S. Grover's Relentless. The numbers that stick - 100 days, 1,000 shots per day, 100,000 shots in a summer. 

3) Fighting through screens. NBA guards can get screened 25-50 times per game. "Switch everything" defenses can lighten but not remove the load. 

4) Cut urgently in "a game of separation." Thresh.

5) "Pressure the ball." With the athleticism, skill, and deception of modern offensive players, ball pressure and containment has never been harder. 

Lagniappe. Play with joy. 

Joe Mazulla to Tatum :

'It's ok to smile during war.'

A concept that is overlooked by most, myself included, is that JOY IS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.

When we view joy this way, instead of assuming that joy = soft/lack of caring, it's a huge paradigm shift in culture,…

— Chris Steed (@steeder10) October 6, 2024

Lagniappe 2. Celtics 5 out player and ball movement. 

Celtics 5-Out offense in their second preseason game v the Nuggets:

• Big almost always slips, pass to opposite wing (in & out, quality paint touch).
• Throwback pass is out early.
• All great shot fakers, lock & load feet, use hip elevation.
• Transition offense, quick 3's. pic.twitter.com/wy2yIFAi2G

— Thibaut Tagnon (@TagnonThibaut) October 6, 2024

Lagniappe 3. Players must move on from mistakes and refocus for the good of the team. 

Billy Donovan said, "Mistakes are going to happen through all 48 minutes, but it's how you collectively respond to overcome what's in front of you."

It means choosing to respond, not react.
• Accept the mistake.
• Acknowledge it.
• Refocus.

5 Steps to Overcome Setbacks [🧵] pic.twitter.com/zn02kq2vfe

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) October 6, 2024