What to look for in a basketball coach

Posted on April 29, 2011 by admin

 

  1. Leadership: A good basketball coach knows how to lead a team in all aspects. This does not come straight away but takes years of leadership experience. When picking a coach always look for someone who players look to when there is difficultly. There may be a leader on the court but there is also a leader of the court which should be the coach.

“A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.” — John Wooden

  1. 2.      Experience: Young coaches should be given a chance. Although the best way to improve your game is to find a coach with good experience. A coach that has been doing it for years, he/she will have developed many players (hopefully) and has most likely dealt with every kind of player there is. So they will have no problem in developing you.

                             “Experience is the greatest teacher”- Benjamin Franklin

  1. Hard work: Your coach should make you improve after every training session. If you are not learning nothing new or not seeing an improvement in your overall game or even fitness. It may be time for you’re to find another coach. Teaching fundamentals in also important each player should have this before learning new skills as knowing fundamentals in the foundation.

“I’ve got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.” Larry Bird

  1. Tack Record: Check out the track record of the coaches. Find out how many players he/she has developed and what level they are playing at? What good players have they produced? What kind of coaching method coaches? What other players/ coaches say about them? And also how many wins he/she has last two seasons. All these questions should be asked before joining any team!

 

“Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.”
-Larry Bird quote

 

 

 

 

  1. Passion/enthusiasm: Passion and enthusiasm for coaching the game of basketball is what a player needs to be motivated. If you have a coach who shows no emotion when coaching and acts like a dead zombie when he/she is coaching they are not really going to get you motivated. To inspire to do well as a player is another fuel to motivate you to work harder and smarter.

 

Not only is there more to life than basketball, there’s a lot more to basketball than basketball.”-
Phil Jackson Basketball

 

  1. 6.      Education: Find a coach who is willing to educate you. Not just on the court but off the court. You should be educated on fitness, Nutrition, Exercises, Basketball drills, Fundamentals and ways in which you get to the next level. You should be educated enough to improve yourself as a player with information given.

 


“Basketball doesn’t build character it reveals it.”-
 Unknown Basketball Quote

 

 

  1. Development: Find a coach who is willing to develop you and also learn from you about how you improve. To find a coach who is willing  to help you will be invaluable and a great investment to have  

 

Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.”-
Michael Jordan

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What makes a great basketball player

Posted on April 28, 2011 by admin

Many coaches, agents and scouts have different definitions of what makes a great player. Some say it somebody who can impact a team a big way, others say it’s somebody who makes others around them better players. Not even NBA players or coaches have a strict definition, but GetPro has come up with a few points which all great players such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James hold.

Key things

1)      Self-motivation/ Drive: Great players are not afraid of fear, are a self motivated in whatever they do. Take for example Michael Jordan he didn’t let his failure of not making his high school basketball team stop him from becoming one of the greatest basketball players in the world.  Failure is the greatest teacher, and most of the greatest basketball players failed many times and gained knowledge from it.

2)      Practice: It very cliché but “practise makes perfect” and perfect practise builds great results. Those that are great players today played basketball non-stop. Every morning before school and every evening after school they would practise. The more you practise the more advanced in your skills will be.

3)      Skill: Some players are born will a natural skill set but others have to develop this year by year. If you are not those lucky ones that are born with amazing footwork and hand and eye coordination ask your coach for exercises and drills that will help. If your coach is not willing to help you develop these basic skills find them online and do the drills are the local court.

4)      Coaches/ Trainers: Coaches and trainers pay a big part in your success. You have to make sure you are getting trained and coaches by the best in the business. If your coach is not willing to develop you as a player individually find another one. Do NOT spend years with a team if you’re not improving your game.  

5)      Willing to learn: Every great player didn’t start off great but they became great by learning from other great players and great coaches. They saw what other great players were doing and imitated them. The journey to becoming the best player is hard and you will go through setbacks but learning from your setbacks is key in stepping forward.

6)      Love of the game: Those that are playing just for the love game are truly great players. If love is not there your passion and drive will die. Most great players that have finished in the NBA still continue to pay just because they love to do it. Not for the money or fame but just for the love of basketball.

7)      Right place: Going to the right camps, teams and trainers are key in your journey to success. Make sure you look at what players your team and coaches have produced what type of development programme that have planned for you. And also what strategy are they taking to develop your  not just as a player but a person.

When I was young, I never wanted to leave the court until I got things exactly correct. My dream was to become a pro.” — Larry Bird

One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.” –Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Posted in Basketball Agents, Coaches Tips, Pro Basketball | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The future of basketball in China

Posted on April 17, 2011 by admin

The Chinese government estimate that 300 million people at present play basketball in China, roughly the population of the U.S. The NBA report in 2009 that 89% of Chinese people ages 15 to 54 are more aware of the NBA the any other sporting body such as FIFA. China has become the NBA’s largest international market, and the NBA’s revenue in China is growing at a rate of 30% to 40% per year.  But with even 300 million players playing basketball only about  handful of Chinese players make it to the NBA. What does this say about the Development of Chinese basketball players?

During the 2007 NBA All-Star Game, the player who received the most votes was neither Lebron James nor Kobe Bryant. It was Yao Ming, the hero of Chinese basketball and the first Chinese-born athlete to play fruitfully in the NBA. Yao entered the NBA as the number one draft pick of the Houston Rockets in 2002, and his success overseas has brought Chinese basketball to the for front.

China is a key market and the popularity of basketball as a conduit to the largest youth population in the world, Nike moved quickly to support local basketball and to build its brand in China. The company sponsored the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), China’s first professional basketball league, upon its founding in 1995, paying $2.5 million to outfit all eight teams over the first four years of the competition.

Beyond the apparel sponsorships and basketball camps, Nike has done little to develop Chinese basketball talent. The company is focused ultimately on growing mass-market demand for its products rather than raising the level of play. After Yao Ming elevated awareness of basketball in China, Nike no longer needed to rely on local stars to market its products and has successfully built ubiquitous recognition of its Western star-studded sponsorship portfolio among Chinese consumers. The most popular sneakers in China are not Yao’s or Yi Jianlian’s, but rather Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant’s “Kobe V” and Boston Celtic Kevin Garnett’s “Kevin.”

 

 

 

The NBA in China

The internationalization of basketball over the past two decades and the allure of 300 million basketball players ultimately led the NBA to China. According to David Yan, vice-president of business development and marketing partnerships for NBA China, “Today, NBA programming airs on 51 stations. It reached more than 1 billion viewers last season and we are on pace to break that record again this season.” However, China was not as welcoming when NBA Commissioner,

 

 

 

Founding of the CBA

The CBA is struggling to stay relevant in its own market as it faces overwhelming competition from the NBA. We see this in many contires such as the united kingdom where more people buy tickets for an NBA game then a BBL game.  Many Chinese fans prefer to watch the NBA, as they find the style of play faster, more athletic, and, most importantly, more entertaining. To elevate the level of play, in 2007 the CBA raised the limit on the number of foreign players per team from one to two. Because these changes caused operating costs to skyrocket during the 2008-2009 season, the league took a loss of 115 million RMB (approximately US$17 million). In addition, the rules have made evident the lag in talent development: The two foreign players per team have dominated, such that former Dallas Maverick Zhang Yiyi was the only Chinese player during the 2009-10 season to place among the top 20 scorers in the league.

In addition to cultivating competitive domestic talent, another hurdle in developing basketball in China is the lack of infrastructure. While the government has committed to building 800,000 courts across the country. China maybe the land of opportunity business wise for those wanted to sell basketball goods to the Chinese. China is not certainly talent wise. With the county exploding with basketball the Chinese sporting officials have not done enough to grow and nurture talent.

 

 

 

The Future

China future could look bright if they learn to train their players from the start. The players are there they just need the skills to get them to the next level.

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How the internet has changed the face of basketball

Posted on April 17, 2011 by admin

 Basketball has come a long way since the Naismith days were basketball was played with just woven basket and a soccer ball. The internet has changed the face basketball forever and that change in continuing to happen. The NBA has been the main factor in this change by becoming the biggest basketball website in the world. The NBA is currently in shown on all the major countries who have slight interest in basketball. The NBA and college basketball dominate the internet streaming live 247 which is available in most countries. Europe and middle eastern basketball in rapidly catching up to the likes  of the USA.

The likes of social networks, blogging and information exchange. Has improved players globally with “how to videos”  helping players learn new basketball techniques and moves to improve their overall game. Information such as NBA training drills is available  to players to aspire to play pro one day. The Internet has opened the way for basketball industry to distribute useful information to players and coaches that are in need of it.

Basketball in the  3rd world  

 

 

The internet has not only changed the face of basketball but has enhanced it. To be enjoyed by people across the globe. To allow the NBA to impact 2nd and 3rd world countries and build such a presence there. The internet has enabled basketball to be a global sport  for all to take part in.

What is the next big thing within basketball?

 

 

Scouting has never been easy for players and for scouts and agents. There had never been a reliable service for players from around the world to sign up and get a chance at getting seen by coaches, agents an scouts around the world. The internet enabled GetPro to be born, one problem every player faces is how to I get my skills out there for coaches to see. To get to a higher level, which most baller’s aspire to be at. Sites like YouTube and Facebook allow you to share your basketball games and highlights with the world. This gives ballers a better chance of getting scouted rather than being seen on the home court.  Where no scouts are to be found,  we invasion GetPro not just to be a website for basketball players, coaches, agents and scouts but a utility with is needed. This success is all do the intenet and the vast oppotunities it offers.

Stephan Eyeson

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Why coaches should scout basketball players online?

Posted on April 16, 2011 by admin

 

Why coaches should use social media to get players?

As websites such as facebook, YouTube and twitter grow the world is becoming much closer together. It makes it easier for coaches and scouts to actually find players. By the click of a button coaches can watch endless highlight reels on YouTube and getprobasketball.com. And message basketball players straight away.

And even if coaches don’t feel comfortable  scouting players online there is no harm in inviting players to trails. The internet gives us endless resources to use. And it will only be a matter of time until more resources open up to make it easier for coaches to scout players online.

GetPro is leading the way in giving coaches a one stop shop for players  all around the world. And soon you will be able to watch players live from the comfort of your own homes without leaving. Your city, state or country.

Scouting online also makes it easier for players who may not be in the limelight. To  put themselves out there by uploading games to YouTube and gaining a presence Facebook and twitter. The opportunities are endless for players who cant get seen to get seen by coaches they want to get infront of.

Main points for scouting online

  • Much more variety, coaches will  be able  to search spefically for players from every ccountry.

 

  • Watch endless highlights reels and full games from different types of players to make a good choice.

 

  • Find hidden talent online that you would find elsewhere.

 

  • Much easier way  to scout players overseas.

 

  • Save of money on travel.

 

  • Connect with people much quicker.

 

As the internet grows more and more things become much easier so why not start not now.

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IS USA Basketball Really The Best

Posted on April 8, 2011 by admin

With the basketball base of more then 20 milion basketball players, great coaches and even better infrastructure USA basketball showed a lot of weaknesses in last decade and basketball community is more then aware that USA basketball is not that dominant as it was and here we will present some facts about it. Only in last decade NBA professionals lost several times against other countries that are also very respected in basketball world.

Loses in last 10 years on international level :

2004  tournament Germany Cologne USA – Italy 78:95

2002 World Championship Indianapolis

5th place game USA – Spain 75:81

group stage USA – Argentina 80:87

Quarter finals USA – Yugoslavia 78:81

2004 Olympic games Athens

group stage USA – Puerto Rico 73:92 and USA – Lithuania 90:94

semifinals USA – Argentina 81:89

World championships 2006

semifinals USA – Greece 95:101

USA U20 and U18 national teams are also not dominating on international competitions

In simple  a way the worse thing about US basketball is ruining team concept of the game specialy on defensive level because on offense is almost science fiction to create team play with only one ball. Defensive 3 second rule is the rule that completely puts individual above the team and due the rules “paint” is most of the time empty so if offensive player outplay his defender there is a wide open space for poster dunks and show time which in Europe is more difficult to achieve because if the same situation move to Europe instead of empty “paint” there is gathered defense ready to protect their basket. To understand it better imagine that football defenders has limited time to spend in 18 yard box and that whoever outplays the defender outside that area has 1 on 1 situation with goalkeeper – results would be much different and team concept of the game will be ruined like that’s happening in basketball.  In other words lets make rules that will make game goal be easier reachable and you do that only when you are not good enough to perform.

One more thing very interesting is that its very difficult to find in any archive that any NBA player was ever tested on Olympic Games of World Championships. It is not news any more if basketball community hears from now and then that NBA athlete took forbidden substance and that his fine is symbolic amount of money and maybe few games ban so even that is no more big taboo if we are speaking about USA baskeball.

From all of this it is not difficult to understand that US basketball is not shining with brightest colour. With potential that has it should be untouchable but previous words are saying that it is not like that. Like everything is has qualities and weaknesses and its not perfect like it might looks.

Currently in NBA league on the team rosters there are 94 foreign players and that number is clearly showing that USA basketball is not that strong and that there is objective need for importing players. Full 7 NBA rosters can be made of foreign players. On the other side in current Euroleague season there are 79 USA players on team rosters and that’s also interesting fact to mention that also show that best teams in Europe are not signing USA players like earlier which also proves that USA basketball is going downhill.

At the end just as a notification that in year 2010 Euroleague champion Barcelona played against NBA champion LA Lakers in hystoric game and result is known – 92:88 for Barcelona. Lot of people will say it was a preseason game but it was preseason for both teams and also Kobe Bryant played 25 minutes in that game including also other big names of current NBA champion.

So at the end a question for everybody for thinking IS USA BASKETBALL REALY THE BEST?

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How to Play Pro Basketball

Posted on March 20, 2011 by admin

How to Play Pro Basketball

Wherever you are in the world if you have an interest in playing professional basketball, there are many options available to you.

There are over 300 players who make it to the NBA; meanwhile there are thousands of college graduates within the states graduating every year so chances are slim. Furthermore there are a considerable amount of players in Europe who are also striving to play for the NBA.

Europe provides a great opportunity to play pro basketball as players within Europe get paid the same amount as lower division players in the NBA. This ultimately provides you with the opportunity to earn a substantial amount of money and still play the game you love at a recognised professional level.

 

So what’s next?

Once you have finished College, academy or just in general want to move from the team you’re  currently in, my advice would be to first, be honest with yourself and ask your coach for direction. It is also important to compare yourself to other players who are playing pro basketball in Europe so you are familiar with the level of play. Once you have weighed out the possible options towards perusing your professional basketball career you will then need to find an agent. There are many great sites to do this I would  recommend Eurobasket.com. It has a variety of relevant basketball agents and agencies in with the European leagues. I also strongly advise you to record all your games and include all relevant information. I would also recommend that you invest in Exposure camps Attending exposure camps are always a good way to scope out the level of play and  competition. And also evaluate yourself and most of get scouted. But you have to be very careful there are allot of scams out there. So get feedback from players who have already gone before you spend your money.

Research is also key to finding the best options possible. One of the best ways to find an agent is probably through recommendations from friends who are playing in Europe or from those who have used the agent before. Another option would be to find and contact players who have experience with the agent and ask relevant questions. These days it’s not hard to find someone on search sites such as LinkedIn, twitter and Facebook.

Once you have confirmed your agent and where he is thinking of placing you it would be a great advantage if you learnt the language. Networking with other players and coaches on your journey is vital as the more relationships you develop the easier it will be to explore other options and other European teams.

Countries which have been rumoured to pay reasonably are countries such as Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Denmark, Germany and The United kingdom.

Playing pro does not necessarily have to be a difficult journey as long as you do your research well, take heed of the right advice and pick an agent who is right for you.  And most important is  train Hard and play Hard no one succeeds without putting the work in

Stephan Eyeson-GetPro

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How to find a basketball agent

Posted on March 18, 2011 by admin

Go to the FIBA website and search for licensed basketball agents located where you are.



Allow Agents to spot you and approach you at camps, tryouts and exposure camps.


Make sure your agent has time to take care of you and know your needs.  (Many agents take on to many players and can’t place them).


Ask about experience, recommendations, how many players they have placed and players who have used him/her as an agent.  ( make sure you see examples)


Go to sites such as eurobasket.com, www.basketballagencies.com and look through their agent directory.


Ask professional players who are already overseas what agents they use.


Network on social networks such as Linkedin.com, facebook.com and twitter.com


Sign up to GetPro for free and get contacted by agents who believe they can work with you


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