How the Best Get Better and Better

This is an excerpt from the Harvard Business Review titled "Leadership & Strategy"

According to the author:

"The real key to excellence in both sports and business is not the ability to swim fast or do quantitative analyses quickly in your head; rather, it is mental toughness. Elite performers in both arenas thrive on pressure; they excel when the heat is turned up. Their rise to the top is the result of very careful planning—of setting and hitting hundreds of small goals. Elite performers use competition to hone their skills, and they reinvent themselves continually to stay ahead of the pack. Finally, whenever they score big wins, top performers take time to celebrate their victories."

Based on his work with elite athletes, he outlines how the "best of the best get better and better."


1. Learn to love the pressure. "Top sports performers don’t allow themselves to be distracted by the victories or failures of others. They concentrate on what they can control and forget the rest." (A think forward mentality!)

2. Set long-term goals, then outline short-term objectives and action steps. "Much of star athletes’ ability to rebound from defeat comes from an intense focus on long-term goals and aspirations. At the same time, both sports stars and their coaches are keenly aware that the road to long-term success is paved with small achievements. The trick here is to meticulously plan short-term goals so that performance will peak at major, rather than minor, events."

3. Compete against the best in order to improve. "If you hope to make it to the very top...make sure you train with the people who will push you the hardest."

4. Seek constructive criticism, feedback, and advice. "How do you motivate yourself to embark on another cycle of building the mental and physical endurance required to win the next time, especially now that you have become the benchmark? [Elite performers have] an insatiable appetite for feedback. They have a particularly strong need for instant, in the moment feedback."

5. Work hard; play hard. "Elite performers...put almost as much effort into their celebrations as they do into their accomplishments. Celebration is more than an emotional release. Done effectively, it involves a deep level of analysis and enhanced awareness. The very best performers do not move on before they have scrutinized and understood thoroughly the factors underpinning their success. Dwelling on success for too long is a distraction and, worse, leads to complacency. Celebrate—but push on."

6. An intense desire to compete. "What drives all elite performers is a fierce desire to compete—and win. That’s what truly separates elite performers from ordinary high achievers. It takes supreme, almost unimaginable grit and courage to get back into the ring and fight to the bitter end."

The Transformation of Kobe Bryant

Throughout his career there have been few questions on the talent level of Kobe Bryant. He has been without a doubt one of the top 5 players in the NBA for the past 10 years. Nobody trains harder in the offseason than Bryant. However, questions have come up about his ability to lead and be a great teammate. Teammates and NBA players have had negative perceptions about his attitude, suggesting that he was basically a 'me first' type of player.

This past year, Kobe has stepped up his leadership to a level in which he has gained the respect of teammates, opponents, and fans. Bill Plaschke of the LA Times wrote an article recently on the respect that Kobe has gained. Here are some great comments from the article:


*Players speaking glowingly of him. Players speaking kindly of him.Players who once universally distrusted him, well, they like him. They really like him.

*Every game, Bryant has been the first player in a defensive stance, the first guy guarding the opponent in the backcourt, squatting and straining alone in front of four guys who have no choice but to imitate.

*"He gives it his all on every second of every play. You see that and you're like, you've got to do the same thing," said center Chris Bosh. "You see a guy playing that hard, you'll do anything not to let him down."

*As recently as a year ago, you couldn't write a story about Kobe Bryant's impact on a team without talking to Kobe Bryant. His teammates never had much to say, and when they did, they seemed to say it with fear.This time, though, there are no Bryant quotes. There is not enough room. His teammates said plenty.

This sums up what every player should strive for: to be the best teammate possible and to gain the respect of your team through hard work and unselfishness!

Make sure to read the entire article which is linked above!

Thoughts from Steve Nash

Courtesy of Santa Clara Basketball:

* A player should always want his coach to be critical--it is an opportunity to learn or opportunity to overcome adversity.

* A point guard sets the table for everybody; he makes other players believe in themselves. If the point guard is not "fun" to be around and if he is not respected, he will have a difficult chance becoming a good point guard.

* Everyday work on all of the shots you will use in a game.

* No one is going to be in better shape than me.

* I don't want to dribble just to dribble...but I don't want to give up my dribble and give my defensive man an advantage.

* Know your teammates and where they want their shots.

* Early in my NBA career, I worked out after a game.

NBA Fit: Offseason Workouts (Part 3)

NBA Fit: Offseason Workouts (Part 2)

Looking at the beginning of Part 2, Gilbert Arenas work ethic and amount of shots he gets up everyday is very impressive. Enjoy!

NBA Fit: Offseason Workouts (Part 1)

Watch as NBA Fit delves into the offseason workouts of Luol Deng, Gilbert Arenas, Jordan Farmar and Glen Davis.

Ganon Baker Unstoppable Offensive Moves1 Basketball coaching

Vince Carter - Nike Skills Academy

Brandon Roy: Nike Skills Academy

LeBron James - Nike Skills Academy

LeBron invites the world's top high school players to his hometown to give them a taste of what it takes to be the best. Learn the fundamentals and study the drills that made him great.

Lebron James: "I've always liked the simple fact that my teammates are smiling and enjoying what they are doing. It's not just about myself, I want them to get praise just like me. In this game without your teammates you are nothing."

Amare Stoudemire - Nike Skills Academy

Amare Stoudemire shows how toughness, training and hard work can take you to the top. Learn the fundamentals, study the drills and learn what college coaches want in an elite player.

Steve Nash - Nike Skills Academy

Steve Nash takes the top young point guards in the country to school. Get insights and on-the-court advice that will help you improve your game.

At the 7:00 mark of the clip, Kevin Eastman, assistant coach of the World Champion Boston Celtics, has some terrific thoughts and comments about what it takes to be great!

Kobe Bryant - Nike Skills Academy

Steve Nash 20 Minute Workout

Found a video with Steve Nash going through a workout. It is amazing to see his work ethic and skill level. It is very obvious that he has worked very hard at becoming the best he can be:

"If every basketball player worked as hard as me, I would be out of a job"

-Steve Nash

Nash's commentary throughout the workout is worth listening to for young players. At the end of the clip, they show his overall stats for the workout. If you have 20 minutes, it is definitely worth watching!

Here is another video with Steve Nash and passing fundamentals

Enjoy!!

Road to Redemption Episode 5

Part I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN2jN-nhyRg

Part II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpUBbEMcank&feature=related

Part III: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn3ZUx2mpvg&feature=related

Part IV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q8cN1V7GXA&feature=related

Road to Redemption Episode 4

Part I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCBEk2U5V_8&feature=user

Part II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hxDTKTzJOo&feature=user

Part III: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmG3j1hkDaY&feature=user

*Part III is tremendous to see and hear the talking that is going on with the defense!

Part IV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTNXy_HrRY0&feature=user

Mike Miller Shooting

Here is a video of Mike Miller shooting. Very impressive stuff!

Mike Miller Workout

NBA.com has a great feature on Mike Miller and his individual skill workouts. Miller is a career 40 % 3 point shooter over his 8 year career. This is a link to hear Miller talk about what he goes through in a normal workout.

http://www.nba.com/media/timberwolves/miller_workout_080804.MP3

Mike Trudell, who is a reporter for the Minnesota Timberwolves interviews Miller. This is really an excellent look into what a great NBA shooter workout looks like!

From Mike Trudell:

In talking to Miller, I learned a few interesting things:

1) He made 36-straight threes to conclude Monday's workout. That's decent.

2) The former Sixth Man and Rookie of the Year (you forgot about those awards - be honest) goes at game speed throughout his workout, and he shoots more than just stand-still jumpers. Try step backs, curls, bumps, one-dribble pull ups and more (game situation shooting, basically).

3) For his warm up, Miller must make 10 shots from seven spots on the floor, and can't miss more than four shots (or he starts over).

4) He is the opposite of happy if he has to go back to a spot.

5) There aren't many NBA players, let alone normal people, who could get through Miller's workout due to how many consecutive shots he has to make.

6) One of Miller's hardest drills is this: A three-point make is +1 and a miss -1, and he has to get to 50. So he could make 49 in a row, miss one and he'd need two straight makes to finish. Miss five, make five and you're at zero. Try that sometime with NBA threes ...

Road to Redemption Episode 3

Team U.S.A. is looking great so far in exhibition play. It is fun to see the patriotism that is taking place amongst the players and coaching staff. If you have not seen this show yet, scroll down a little on the blog and check out the beginning episodes!

The common denominator between all the players on the squad is that they love to compete, they crave the competition to go against one another. With the 1992 Dream Team, they all said that their favorite part was the scrimmages and the competition between one another. You can tell they aren't just going through the motions and being mediocre. They have a clear goal in mind and they work at it hard everytime they are in the gym.

Part I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgMYKBRlKeQ

Part II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSb8PDBxNMc

Part III: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTY-QNBHUJk

*Check out Team U.S.A. try to do 'Creighton 100'!!! (Coach K calls it the 4:15 drill) They go 4 minutes 15 seconds and the goal is 120 points or made baskets. Notice (Titans) they aren't shooting 10 ft. jumpers either.

Road to Redemption: Episode 2

Here are some links to the 2nd Episode of Road to Redemption. If you haven't watched the first episode, check it out as you scroll down on the blog. The theme for this week seems to be team bonding:

Ep. 2 Pt. 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G7zFvZ7Vt0

Ep.2 Pt. 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u40H658yLMA

Ep.2 Pt. 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5DLy71jT8A

Ep.2 Pt. 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdgBv80rgiw


Enjoy!

Road To Redemption Teaser (60 Second Spot)

A PREVIEW OF THE VIDEOS BELOW. THIS IS AS GOOD OF STUFF AS YOU WILL FIND!!!!!

Road to Redemption, Ep. 1, Pt. 1

Road to Redemption, Ep. 1, Pt. 2

Road to Redemption, Ep. 1, Pt. 3

Road to Redemption, Ep. 1, Pt. 4

Road to Redemption, Ep. 1, Pt. 5

Deflecting Attention Away From Yourself

Why Kevin Garnett is a great leader

All season, Garnett has insisted that Paul Pierce be the last Celtic to take the floor during pregame introductions (which is usually set up for the star of the team). And when he's asked to participate in a postgame news conference, Garnett invariably brings a teammate with him.

OTL: Charleston, SC Firefighter Basketball Coach (Pt. 2)

An amazing story!! PART II

OTL: Charleston, SC Firefighter Basketball Coach (Pt. 1)

An amazing story!!! PART I

Popovich, Duncan Enjoy Successful Partnership

TNT NBA fundamentals Rip Hamilton- Moving without the ball

KG Interview

Emotional interview with Kevin Garnett while he was with Minnesota. This guy wants to win more than anyone I've ever seen!!!!

Passing The Torch: Garnett Sits Down With Russell

Same Old Boring Champions

Alot of people over the last ten years have called the Spurs boring to watch. If you have watched Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili lately you know that is ridiculous. The Spurs don't play like alot of the fast paced Western Conference teams, but then again, alot of those teams don't win championships like the Spurs do (4 in the last 10 years). Facing a possible 3-0 series deficit last night, the defending champions played wonderfully to make it a 2-1 series. The unselfish play, the hustle, and the energy were fun to watch. The poise that this team has is as good as any. There isn't anything that seems to rattle them.

Here is some quotes and thoughts about the franchise with the highest winning percentage over the last 10 years than any team in all four professional sports (basketball, baseball, football, hockey)


Brent Barry on the Spurs “No character issues. Just professionalism, preparation. Everything people always say they want, it’s all happening right here.”

Bruce Bowen: “Textbook boring basketball, that’s what gets you the victories in this league.”

R.C. Buford, G.M. of the Spurs:
“We know what we are looking for (hard-working, high-character, team-oriented, coachable, unselfish players) and the important component of it is knowing what works for you and what doesn’t. There are NBA players who aren’t necessarily Spurs, and there are Spurs who may not fit someplace else.”

Boring Spurs:

1.) Duncan- Best footwork in the game, team player, deflects attention toward the team. When he had 40 points and 15 rebounds in Game 1 of the first round against the Suns, all he wanted to do was talk about his teammates

2.) Oberto- Great role player, great screener, hits the glass & runs the floor. Knows his limitations on offense and doesn't try to exceed them

3.) Ginobili- Energy, unselfish, drives it hard, though player. An all-star type player who accepts that fact that his coach believes the Spurs are better when he comes off the bench (he won the NBA 6th man award this year). You better believe that he is finishing the game though. He knows it doesn’t matter who starts, it’s who finishes. No ego with Ginobili, he knows his role, he accepts it, and he fulfills it night in and night out.

4.) Parker- Constant daily improvement from what was a very average point guard into an all star caliber player. He loves the hard instruction that Coach Popovich gives him on a daily basis. He does not back down from a challenge and puts his team on his back every night.

5.) Barry- All he wants to do is win, doesn’t worry about minutes. Was traded by the Spurs this year & then had the humility to come back to them as a free agent. (Was cut by the Sonics after being traded, NBA rules say that a player can not return to his former team until 30 days after he is traded). All he cares about is championships. Had an opportunity to sign with the Suns, he wanted to come back "because I know that Pop will be on my butt everyday."

6.) Bowen- All NBA defense, came from nowhere (undrafted out of college) to become a consummate team player. Guards the best player night in and night out. Knows his limitations on offense, doesn’t play out of control. Took him 5 years to figure master the corner three point shot. Now he is the best at it.

7.) Thomas- NBA veteran, just wants a championship. Professionalism & toughness sum him up. You know what you are getting out of him on a nightly basis.

8.) Coach Pop- Doesn’t take any bull from anyone, does it the right way. The reason the Spurs are who they are is because he yells at the best players (Duncan, Ginobili, Parker) more so than the others. The others respect this because the best players have the same accountability as the others. There are no free passes just because someone is a superstar. The 'Big 3' wouldn't want it any other way.

New Articles

A couple of great articles for you to take a look at. The first one is on Chris Lofton, who overcame cancer to have a stellar senior season while the time keeping it secret from the media.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?id=3376961

This next one is an article on Ray Allen, who has been an important addition to the Celtics run at banner #17

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/04/20/routine_excellence_is_allens_secret/