August 2011

By James Blackburn

Eddie Fords Tennessee Hoopfest

All Iowa Attack

Tate Larson (PG, 6’2”, 2013)

Roosevelt HS, IA

High Basketball IQ. Makes the correct play at the correct time. Does not force shots or passes. Good shooter especially from 3. Has good size for the PG position for his age.

Nate Munn (SG, 6’1”, 2013)

Ames HS, IA

Great shooter. Has deep range. Perfect form and a quick release. Has the ability to come off screens, catch and shoot in one fluid motion. The best shooter I saw in the tournament. Several small DI and DII schools have begun to take notice.

Payton Plagge (PF, 6’7”, 2013)

Sheffield- Chaplin- Meservey HS, IA

Solid frame. Good shooter who can hit the midrange jumper with consistency. Finishes well around basket. Smart player. Needs to work on hands and quickness. Drake and Wichita State have offered.

Nashville Stars Elite

Matt Smith (SF,6’6”, 2012)

Liberty Tech HS, TN

One of the top players in the tournament. Smart player who knows what spots to fill and where to go on the offensive end of the floor. Did an excellent job of hiding behind the opponents zone defense and roaming the baseline. Goes to the open spots against the zone. Athletic player who runs the floor well. Good rebounder. Capable of hitting the midrange jumper regularly- automatic on the baseline from 15 feet. Knows where to go when the PG drives to basket to create good passing lane. Finishes above the rim inside with contact. Solid all-around player. Can handle the ball and has good footwork around basket. On one play he gathered the rebound, led the break, and finished with a euro step into a left handed finger roll. Eastern Kentucky, Georgia Southern, and Delaware State are recruiting him.

By Marcus Shockley

The president of the National Basketball Association players’ association, Derek Fisher, speaks to reporters after taking part in contract negotiations between the NBA and the players association in New York June 30, 2011. The NBA was on the verge of its first work stoppage in 13 years after negotiations over a new labor deal collapsed hours before the current collective bargaining agreement expires, the union representing players said on Thursday. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS BASKETBALL)

        
        

So much of a young basketball player’s life revolves around getting better on the court.

The best players work hard, day after day, away from crowds or an opponent, working on their shot, their ballhandling, their strength or their understanding of the game.

That is excellent. The players with the higher work ethic and the most drive are the players who have the best shot and achieving their dreams, either to play in college or someday play as a professional.

But, being good at basketball alone, and the work toward that goal with the exclusion of everything else, will not prepare a player for life. Players have plenty of people who want to help them be great basketball players but very few to help develop all of the skills needed to deal with the remaining 99% of their lives.

With that said, I wanted to offer some advice to young basketball players, and athletes in general, about what skills are absolutely critical to be successful in your life. Mastering these will not guarantee success, but it will help greatly.

1. Learn how money (really) works.

Time for some brutal facts. Almost nobody, in any walk of life, is good with their money. Most people are wage earners, and if they lose their job, they are in trouble. That goes for almost all rappers, basketball players and movie stars too. Most professional basketball players are broke within 4 years of leaving the NBA. That’s pathetic, but it’s no different than most people.

Don’t be “most people”.

Understand that when you think an NBA player is rich, he’s getting paid by someone who is 100 times richer. The player’s career will end, but that owner will still be there…rich. Understand where the money comes from in sports. It’s not just a big pool of cash sitting in a locker, it’s generated from underlying business principles. Learn what they are.

Understand how to live within your means. Read books like “The Millionaire Next Door” and actually take it to heart. You want to be rich forever, not just for 3 years. Look at Magic Johnson as a businessman, not any players who are still collecting an NBA paycheck. Get good at math. It’s not hard to understand profit and loss. People who don’t understand math are broke in a hurry. People who don’t understand math go out and buy Bentleys and jets while still collecting a sports paycheck.

Don’t be broke. Get good at math. Be as good at math as you are at dribbling or shooting.

Understand the Dow Jones and the stock market. Understand why someone with a lot of money might NEVER invest in the stock market, and you’ll understand whether or not you should put your money there.

Understand interest rates. Understand ROI. Read. Don’t just listen to your business advisers. Definitely don’t listen to your buddies or family members who are always broke. If you do, you’ll end up broke.

2. Learn how to communicate

Learn how to speak correctly. It’s okay to use slang around friends, but when the lights come on, it’s time to be “on”. There’s a reason why Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Ray Allen and Kevin Durant sound intelligent in interviews, and it’s not just because they are naturally smart. They have worked on their ability to speak in front of reporters, in front of a crowd, to fans, to the media. You’ve spent so much time watching Durant shoot those perfect outside shots, studied his release, his form, and read all about his practice methods. Have you studied how he talks? You should.

Communication is a skill that can carry over to every part of your life, and it’s another skill that most people, not just athletes, lack. Learn to communicate with people in all walks of life. Don’t mumble and look at the floor when you talk. Don’t act annoyed. You want to be big time? Learn how to act big time.

People who communicate well will always be more successful than those who don’t. Sports television doesn’t hire people who sound like idiots, even if what they say may be disagreeable. Coaches who become more famous have to be great communicators in addition to being able to coach. Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, John Calipari are all extremely good at communicating. Ditto for Phil Jackson, Doc Rivers and Stan Van Gundy.

Learning how to communicate will improve your ‘B.S.’ detector as well. Understanding how people try to manipulate their message will allow you to pick up on it even stronger.

Expand your vocabulary. Don’t be afraid to be smart.

3. Learn how to network.

Some people are born as natural networkers. They know just how to meet people, to work a room, to meet everyone. But for most of us, it has to be learned. For a teenager, it’s even more daunting.

But one of the great secrets of life is that getting ahead in just about anything requires at least some portion of ‘who you know’. There are many players who have gotten looks from pro teams, either in the NBA or overseas, because they knew someone. That won’t get you a roster spot, but it will get you a shot. Knowing as many people will create opportunities, will provide help, resources and support when you need it. Don’t just meet people for what they can do for you, just learn to meet people. If they need help or advice and you can offer it, do so. Over time you will find that having connections will pay off in ways you cannot imagine. A player who you played with in high school may end up as a GM for a pro team overseas. A fellow classmate in college may end up running a business that is looking for endorsement deals. A coach you worked with at a summer camp might recommend you to a scouting service.

Business runs on networking. Learn how to be “in the loop”.

And if you never play in the NBA? All of this matters even more.

Members of the Butler Bulldogs express their dejection after losing the men’s final NCAA Final Four college basketball championship game to the University of Connecticutin Houston, Texas, April 4, 2011. REUTERS/Richard Carson (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

High school basketball players all know the names of the top schools in the country, right? Well, they might know the recognizable names but be making their college choices on name, not the actual strength of the basketball program. The News-Sentinel discusses how players constantly make choices based on name alone, when perhaps better programs have offered them:

As the AAU basketball season culminated Sunday, what transpires next in the world of college recruiting is the actual decision-making process by players. That process began Sunday when Hamilton Southeastern High School junior Zak Irvin announced he would attend Michigan. The choice of the Wolverines is interesting because Michigan beat out two-time national runner-up Butler for Irvin’s services. The choice was interesting, but not surprising, because Irvin is far from alone in this matter.

For people who follow high school basketball recruiting, this is a common occurrence. Players may choose a school based on one season, or because of name recognition, or because a “close family friend” wants them to attend a specific school. This also has led to many talented players riding the bench of their “dream school” instead of getting playing time at another school.

Players and fans think that a lesser known school such as Butler has only had a “couple of good years”, when in reality, it’s been a couple of good decades:

In the last 21 years, the Bulldogs have had just two losing seasons and averaged 22 wins annually. In the past 15 years, Butler has qualified for 10 NCAA tournaments and advanced to the second round of the tournament twice, the Sweet 16 twice and the national title game each of the past two years.

This also means that many players get advice from people who aren’t any more informed than the players themselves. This is not so much about Butler specifically, but what a school like Butler represents: good basketball programs aren’t just at the known colleges.