Top 8 Tips on How to Become a Better Basketball Player!

It’s true, most players want to become good at the game of basketball…but not all players are willing to make the sacrifices needed to do that.

It takes HARD work to be good at basketball…or anything for that matter! If getting good at the game of basketball was easy, then we’d all “Be Like Mike!”

But it’s not easy and obviously, we’re not all like Michael Jordan. However, with a lot of hard work and dedication you can become a good, even great, basketball player.

By following the tips below, you will not only learn how to become a better basketball player – you will also learn how to become a more complete athlete!

If you would like more information on how to become a better basketball player, please visit our youth basketball player page!

How To Become A Better Basketball Player

1. You Must Be Coachable.

• Do you have a burning desire to learn?
• Can you take constructive criticism or are you a “know it all”?
• Will you always do your best to improve?
• Do you want to improve?

2. You Must Be Competitive.

• Are you possessed with the spirit of competition which fires an intense desire to achieve?
• Do you want to win, never taking “no” for an answer when there is a job to be done, a rebound to be grabbed, a shot to be stopped, or a basket to be made?
• Does it bother you to give less than your best effort?

3. You Must Be Willing To Practice.

• Not just reporting and putting in the necessary time, but working every day with the same speed and determination you use during a game?
• Great athletes give their best effort at all times.
• Too often the lessons that could be learned from the performance of a truly great athlete are overlooked. Too much attention to final records ignores the means by which these records were achieved.
• Too little is written or told of the years of grueling practice, of the tremendous will to succeed, or of the diligent concentration of fundamentals that lead to excellence.

4. You Must Be Willing To Make Sacrifices.

• Are you willing to train or are you wasting your time in athletics?
• Superior conditioning does not just happen and isn’t acquired quickly. It is a result of a well planned and executed program of exercise, rest and diet.
• Training is exacting and the responsibility is heavy. It includes personal denials but the rewards are great.
• The best way to remain in great shape is never to get out of it. “A second rate person can never make a first-class ball player.” It is going to be up to you to see that your maximum physical condition is achieved and maintained. Anything less is a violation of trust.

5. You Must Be Able To Play Through Adversity.

• Do you have the ability to bounce back?
• Never let bad plays or calls ruin your game?
• No matter how many times you get knocked down, the only time that matters is the time you do not get back up.
• When you give it your best effort you may run out of time on the clock, but you will never lose a game.

6. You Must Have Self-Control.

• As an athlete you must realize that you are in the public spotlight at all times.
• Your conduct, what you say and do, makes news. This imposes a great need for self control.
• It is a cinch to find someone to lead you down the wrong path in life.
• It takes determination to resist the temptations that exist.
• Just as one works for years to become a top athlete, one should work to develop an image of a person, a pattern of conduct, and standards by which one is known and respected.
• Do not risk destroying a whole career because of an off-court mistake.

7. You Must Prepare Everyday To Be Your Best.

• Do you have an passionate desire to improve?
• Are you willing to practice the things you cannot do more than the things you can do well?
• Are you willing to put in extra time necessary to perfect a skill or fundamental?
• Too many players spend their time doing what they already do well, and therefore, never improve.

8. You Must Be Willing To Study.

• Basketball was never meant to take the place of studies and the desire to learn.
• You are in school for an education. Keep that foremost in your thoughts, but place basketball second.
• Earn the respect of your teachers as well as your coach.
• If you can’t “pass” you can’t play. That is true on and off the court.

For more information on How To Become A Better Basketball Player, please visit our page on youth basketball drills.

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I hope you enjoyed these great tips on How To Become A Better Basketball Player! It’s important to remember that becoming a great player takes hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. This isn’t easy! If it was easy, everyone would be great!

The hard work you put in now will pay off in the long run. The reward is always better when you’ve worked hard to achieve it! Always work hard – you’ll be glad you did in the end!

Best of luck!