TRAIN LIKE AN NBA PLAYER!

As he jumps to take his shot, he scores and the whole crowd gives a standing ovation!

Once again, Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors to victory and celebrated with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals. Curry's ability to make shots from almost anywhere on the court once again made him virtually un-guardable.

Kevin Durant, who became just the sixth player in NBA history to score 30 or more points in each game of the NBA Finals, also proved instrumental with dominant inside play, great outside shooting and tenacious defense, earning Finals MVP honors.

So, how do these great NBA players do it? The key to it – training. NBA players may have different training regimes but it all comes down to hard work. 

Take Curry as an example. He took his game to another level by mastering an intense routine of core and leg exercises. He works on his body just as much as he works on his jump shot. He goes to the gym consistently and never slacks in his routine.

To develop his near-perfect jump shot over the years, he puts himself through intense ball-handling drill sessions and core workouts. Curry focused on a couple of precise things such as having a good foundation and being incredibly well balanced for consistency - holding the ball on his fingertips, with space between the ball and the palm of his shooting hand for a good form.

Even Kobe Bryant focuses a lot on weight training such as clean-pulls, deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts and back squats. He would spend four hours a day training during the season.

Basketballers often think that physical training is sufficient, but mental training which is often neglected, is equally as important. Mental training has a large impact on an athlete's skill set. For example, the ability to concentrate on the task at hand or not getting flustered in pressured situations.

Mental toughness is an acquired skill where basketballers learn to embrace obstacles, difficulties, mistakes and adversity. Failure is a part of life and a major part of sports. With consistent practice, all of the attributes of mental toughness can be improved such as competitiveness, confidence, control, commitment, composure, courage, and consistency.

When playing in a team, you would want to be the best player you can be to help your team become the best team.

The Jr. NBA Malaysia programme presented by Dutch Lady not only trains young aspiring athletes in the fundamentals of basketball, but also demonstrates the values of sportsmanship, teamwork, having a positive attitude and respect.

“To keep the body and mind in good state is a commitment from each players. As a coach, I would always remind each Jr. NBA participants that each day when they wake up, they should commit to their training. This programme establishes that habit in each young basketballers because they need to understand the importance of training to become a good player,” said Coach Chris Sumner, the head coach of the Jr. NBA programme in Malaysia.

The Jr. NBA program is free and open to boys and girls ages 5-14. Players between the ages of 10-14 will be eligible for selection during the Selection Camp on July 8 & 9 – a two day event made up of skill stations and clinics on the first day. Top players will attend the second day camp consisting of more advanced basketball drills and scrimmages. The top 32 boys and girls from the Selection Camp will be invited to participate in the Jr. NBA National Training Camp in Kuala Lumpur from July 28-30 and have the chance to get up-close with a current or former NBA player. The Jr. NBA Malaysia presented by Dutch Lady will culminate with eight boys and eight girls being named 2017 Jr. NBA Malaysia All-Stars.

For more information on registration for Selection Camp, visit the official event website at www.jrnba.asia/malaysia/events/ and follow the Jr. NBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrnbamalaysia. 

For all things NBA, visit www.nba.com and “Friend” the NBA’s official account on LINE by adding @nba_global.