We all wanted to be in the NBA. Why didnt we work for it?

[Kblaze8855]

Only the best of the best make the league off straight god given talent. Majority of non bigmen make it by working....working harder than like 99% of the world. Ive only personally known 2 players to make the NBA. KG and Shammond Williams. I dont know KGs habits since he went to a rival highschool and I didnt watch him practice. But when Shammond Willims and I were in school that guy was insane in practices. And im talking from like age 14 when he was chubby and maybe 5'8''. I remember him at the local court. Old outside court. No matter how fast you got there after school in middle school he was there first. No matter how late you left he was still there. Only guys even close to working as hard were Shammonds brother and a kid named Merl Code who our school won a state title with. He very briefly made the Denver Nuggets but I dont think he ever played.

Almost always these super workers who make it big. You cant work yourself into being Magic or Jordan.

You can work yourself into being Steve Kerr.

Sam Jones might take 1500 bank shots a day.

Guys like Bird and Mullin always worked hard enough to make sure nobody on the team worked as hard. Bird once said he didnt know if anyone worked harder but if they did he wasnt aware of them. They would play horse in the olympics and the game would take an hour because no matter where they shot from nobody would miss(within reason. Im not talking Bird vs Jordan commercial type shots of course). Bird didnt learn to shoot with his left or from behind the backboard by chance. He worked on it a bit on the off chance hed need to. And got so good he played whole games left handed just for fun(He did that vs the Blazers once). Bill Walton said Bird would stand right under the basket and make shots. Take one step back and do the same. And just go back and back till he was as far away as hed ever need to be. Shoot for hours.

People often mention Dengs midrange shot. Well him and Ben Gordon have keys to the bulls practice courts and weightrooms. Live in the same apartment place and neither can leave home without the other seeing. One goes to practice the other leaes right then just to not be outworked. John Paxon has said no matter how early or late hes there he always hears someone on the court taking shots and its always....always...Ben or Deng.

Bill Bradley in college had to make about 145 shots in a row from various places before hed let himself go home. And that was after a day of practice. Hit 25 in a row from a number of spots. 15 in a row on moving shots. Bunch of hooks. If he missed the shot on 144 hed go back to zero and start over.

Barkley wasnt athletic till he made himself that way. He was slow and fat by his own admission. Went running all the time and jumping back and forth over a fence dozens of times a day. Thats how a guy shaped like a bumble bee was dunking all over everyone.

Pistol Pete had a ball 8 hours a day in the warm months and no less than 4 in the winter. As he said "You dont get her by wishing it kids". His father and him worked on the game and he dedicated himself from age 8 on up. This guy was literally shooting in bed. To perfect his motion he was taking shots in place with a ball before he went to sleep. Just shooting straight up and down over and over.

We love the game dont we? Do we just not love it enough? How much did you practice?

At my peak I was probably 16 taking bank shots at 2 am out on the courts after everyone left the neighborhood park. But when I was 16 I was also on the football team with an afterschool job and other things I just couldnt put to the side for basketball.

Didnt help that because I was 6'3'' 210 coach made me a 4. And no 6'3'' power forward is making the NBA. Truth be told I had a much better shot at the NFL. Impressed a college scout there to see a guy on the other team. But we all know it takes more than a "That kid is pretty good" from a scout to even make D1. Much less the NFL. But at least I could fool myself into thinking I had a shot there. NBA? Never really did. But maybe its just because I wouldnt work for it.

Not the way Bird did. Or Pistol Pete. Too many other things going on.

Its annoying to admit but when it comes down to it....I dont think most of us here are here because of a lack of talent. Most of us just never worked hard enough to develop it. Talent is sure an issue. But many people in the NBA probaly were born with no more than some of us.

But you take 2000 jumpers a day talent doesnt matter quite so much.....

[L.Kizzle]

Clyde Drexler hopped on one foot to school everyday. He hopped back on the opposite on the way home.

[Kblaze8855]

I never heard that. But it sounds like one of those crazy stories of what people do to make it.

[Da KO King]

I used to ball hard as hell. Got to school an hour early but would be a half hour late for my first class playing ball... then I discovered women.

My story is not an uncommon one.

[GOBB]

Because making the NBA is tough. Some people are still trying and havent made it. At some point in life you have to make a choice. Continue trying or plan for something where the odds arent stacked against you and swallow your pride and admit...you're not good enough to make the NBA.

[Kebab Stall]

Great thread. I've always wondered the same. Why do guys who love the sport so much not work hard to get to the top. Then there is the few guys that will do everything in their power to make sure that they become the best. I once heard that Magic would go to the shops and on the way there he would bounce the ball with his left hand then on the way back he'd bounce with his right hand. Those are things people don't really do now, they kinda just rely on their god given talent.

I always try an have a bball with me where ever I go, whether it be the shops, my bed or just sittin next to me while I type on the computer. But no matter what, I always try and have a bball present. When ever I get bored on the computer or of watching TV I will go and shoot a few hundred shots hoping I'll get better.

[StroShow4]

it would be ncie to say that hard work is all it takes, but seriously, it takes more. you have to get lucky on top of all the hard work. you have to end up in good situations where you will get recognized. it is so hard to make the nba hard work is not the only factor.

[Kblaze8855]

I used to ball hard as hell. Got to school an hour early but would be a half hour late for my first class playing ball... then I discovered women.

My story is not an uncommon one.

Yea....

When I was in school my first "real" girfriends parents worked at GE and didnt get off till late. Usually either 8pm or 11. I can go with her to an empty house or stay after school and take 1500 jumpers?

Im not ashamed of my decision but in retrospect maybe it wasnt right.

[Kblaze8855]

it would be ncie to say that hard work is all it takes, but seriously, it takes more.

Of course. But without the hard work the "more" part doesnt even matter.

The work is what everyone has to do. But most dont even do that part to find out if they can make it.

Just assume they cant and let it go.

B the numbers its likely that you cant. But most of the few hundred who did make it at some point had to say "**** it....im gonna try anyway".

I think that is very often the difference.

[GOBB]

Great thread. I've always wondered the same. Why do guys who love the sport so much not work hard to get to the top. Then there is the few guys that will do everything in their power to make sure that they become the best. I once heard that Magic would go to the shops and on the way there he would bounce the ball with his left hand then on the way back he'd bounce with his right hand. Those are things people don't really do now, they kinda just rely on their god given talent.

I always try an have a bball with me where ever I go, whether it be the shops, my bed or just sittin next to me while I type on the computer. But no matter what, I always try and have a bball present. When ever I get bored on the computer or of watching TV I will go and shoot a few hundred shots hoping I'll get better.

Magic's stories are cute and all....but his story isnt rare. Lots of kids have done the same if not more (diff stories on how they worked hard/tried to be the best) and failed. We dont hear about them because they didnt make it mostly due to not being blessed like Magic was. You're competiting with a million other kids and thier "Story"...only few make it.

But there are stories where fans who love the game didnt put in the hard work. So eh

[Da KO King]

Yea....

When I was in school my first "real" girfriends parents worked at GE and didnt get off till late. Usually either 8pm or 11. I can go with her to an empty house or stay after school and take 1500 jumpers?

Im not ashamed of my decision but in retrospect maybe it wasnt right.

I hear you. I faced that crossroads myself. Chics now or ******** later???

I decided a bird in the hand was better than waiting for bush.

[artificial]

One of my favorite quotes:

"Not everyone who do their best have success. But everyone who has success, without exception, have tried their best."

When I was in school my first "real" girfriends parents worked at GE and didnt get off till late. Usually either 8pm or 11. I can go with her to an empty house or stay after school and take 1500 jumpers?

I feel you. I'm doing an extra year of college for about the same reason.

[Kblaze8855]

You're competiting with a million other kids and thier "Story"...only few make it.

I actually think thats a good thing for anyone trying to make it to accept. Got a million kids out there you dont know and they want the same spot you do. The vast vast majority arent gonna go put in some Pistol Pete level work.

You have to basically give up every aspect of life aside from basketball to work as hard as some of those guys did.

[GOBB]

One of my favorite quotes:

"Not everyone who does their best has success. But everyone who has success, without exception, have tried their best."

Bill Walton had a quote on success and failure. I cant remember it.

[GOBB]

I actually think thats a good thing for anyone trying to make it to accept. Got a million kids out there you dont know and they want the same spot you do. The vast vast majority arent gonna go put in some Pistol Pete level work.

You have to basically give up every aspect of life aside from basketball to work as hard as some of those guys did.

Yeah making sacrifices is something that eliminates competition as well.