I stumbled across these Nike Pro Basketball Skills Training Camp videos and, although this kind of stuff is typically very gimmicky and superficial, these are worth checking out as there are a few nuggets in them (if you can move beyond being star struck).
For full disclosures sake, Keith D’Amelio (Nike Sports Performance & Athletic Development Specialist), is someone I think is top notch. I was fortunate enough to have worked with him for a number of years while with the Toronto Raptors and he’s best-in-class. So yes, I am biased. But it’s for valid reasons. And, in speaking with D’Amelio about these training sessions, he spoke about the player’s work ethic and how so many, despite be world class athletes, still have so much room for improvement.
Check out the videos and let me know, in the comments below, what things stand out to you and are applicable to your level of play.
Assessment: SPARQ Sensory Performance & Functional Movement Screens
“Even though these are some of the most elite athletes in the NBA, there are areas where they can improve, and they WANT to improve. I think some times people think, that just because they’re the elite of the elite, they don’t want to continue to get better; or, how can they get better. There’s plenty of ways to get better. And, as long as you expose them to that, they will follow through and get better.”
—Keith D’Amelio
Physical Training
Some Golden Nuggets:
- “As soon as your feet get close, it doesn’t matter who you are, you’re un-athletic.”
- “No one gets hurt speeding up, everyone gets hurt slowing down…. The better [you] get at landing, the more athletic [you] are.”
- “I never cheat my recovery time.” —LeBron James
Regeneration
Some Golden Nuggets:
- “You might have a lifting routine, you might even have a nutrition routine; almost no one has a recovery routine.”
- “The most important thing is having a coach that believes in it and actually teaches it.”
- “Nutrition and sleep… those are the two most important regeneration techniques … Outside of that, you have cold tubs, massage, stretching. Those things are benefits that ultimately lead to better performance.”
[ Related post: Movement Preparation & Recovery ]
Ideas abound… Great coaching matters!
/sef.