How to become a professional basketball player

Basketball remains the third most popular sport in the world and shows no signs of slowing down. Why would you when the world’s number one professional basketball league (NBA) continues to attract tons of incredibly talented players year after year? It is certainly a pleasure to see you. But even more than the NBA, we can now find gravity-defying jumpers and ball-handling performers with the click of a button. Believe it or not, with the help of technology and something called viral videos, these unknown phenomena are quickly becoming more popular than the pros, at least on the internet. Sadly though, these same highlights performed by one-sided players have become something of a bar for younger players who dream of making it to the big leagues. One-sided player? These are the players who have an aspect of this vast round ball game that they know quite well. Unfortunately, if they get out of that, they are as lost as a needle in a haystack. You may not see them playing at a level beyond college or semi-professional. However, they are also more likely to have a web video of something amazing they did that gets millions of views.

It’s okay to get caught watching video after video of these incredible athletes. Apparently millions more do. But if you’re looking to make a career out of the game, you need to understand this: it’s great to watch, but not great to be. Now, there are no perfect players in the world, not even in the NBA. Arguably the closest thing to a perfect player was Michael Jordan. The good news is that becoming a professional basketball player is not about becoming a perfect one. It’s not even heavily based on talent, in most cases. Many players don’t understand that and are dumbfounded when their coach feels them for most of the game or when they are fired from a team. Let’s accept that it won’t be you once you’ve finished reading this. Keep in mind that if you really want to make a career out of basketball, it is assumed that you are already on a team, be it in high school, college, or an amateur league. Otherwise, the advice that follows will be beneficial, so read on. Either way, you will want to absorb the next three (3) keys if you are looking to make it to the professional stage of basketball.

1. Get your current priorities in order. Committing to doing whatever it takes to become a professional is no easy task. One of the biggest sacrifices you will have to make is time and how you decide to use it. And the more obligations in your life, the more complicated it becomes. If you’re in school, you should work your basketball schedule around classes, homework, and study, not the other way around. You don’t want your grades to go down. You may have a job, a family, or both. There are a number of things that can influence the division of your time. The most important thing is to make sure you understand what’s most important and move on from there. Students fail, marriages fail, and plans to become professionals fail when players allow basketball to overshadow their most important responsibilities. Don’t let it be you. Prioritize your life and work basketball in it.
2. Work your butt. This seems like a no-brainer, right? It’s almost as if telling him to work on his game doesn’t need to be discussed. But you’d be surprised how many people say they want to be professionals, but their work habits don’t reflect any of their claims. Some people shut down after hearing “Put Your Priorities in Order”, so if you still want to do it professionally, you must be in the gym! Know what you are good at, good at, and not so good at. Spend some time on the good, more time to turn the good into the great, and more time to bring the not so good to a respectable level. After you’ve prioritized, you now need to maximize the time windows you’ve locked solely for basketball and get to it. Track your progress to see that you are improving. Don’t forget weight training and cardio. Find someone to work with you. Do what you have to do to improve. Just make sure you’re working when you’re supposed to, and not watching TV on the couch.
3. Be relentless. This scenario is sad, but quite common: Guy is doing his workouts hard and is motivated to improve for a couple of weeks. The following week he hits him hard and is motivated for five days. The following week is three days. The pattern continues until you get back to exercising when you get the chance, reconsidering the path you want to take in life. That’s a heavy thing, but it happens. Look at the new year’s resolutions. Success stories are not as frequent as those that let it pass even a month later. If you’re going pro, you should stick with it whether you feel like it or not! There will always be days when your body or most of your mind tells you “not today.” Guaranteed. However, that little light in your brain that reminds you that it’s a workout day is what you need to hear. If you only work the days you feel like it, you are selling miles below where you could be. It is said that 90% of success involves simply showing up. Go to the gym and everything else will follow once you are there.

Cousin: There is a big difference between being a professional and being a professional. Now if you can take your talent to a level where it doesn’t matter if you lack good character and good work or moral ethics, then more power to you. We see professional players making dumb decisions every day, and they still hold their place on the roster because their talent outweighs the bad publicity. However, if you are reading this, you are probably not at that level yet. Not to say you can’t get there, but is that really what you dream of when you imagine this is your profession?

What I explained earlier about prioritizing, striving, and being relentless describes a player who knows what he wants, knows how to get there, and will not let anything or anyone get in his way. These traits will allow you not only to improve as a player and as a person, but will extend to other areas of your life. When those habits have become intrinsic, that’s when you set yourself apart from the average. You become a professional. From a coach’s point of view, they are the best players to have. The coaches will do their best to keep such a player on their team. As a player, you love having them as teammates. Talent is great, but when you add the right mindset and approach to the game, you become invaluable to a team.

So again, if you really want to get into professional basketball, start putting things in order today. Start working your mind and body to the level you need to become a professional. Do not give up. Stay motivated. Hope to see you on the big screen.