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How to play basketball like michael jordan
20 Lessons from Michael Jordan
1. TRUST THE GAME
“Be true to the game, because the game will be true to you. If you try to shortcut the game, then the game will shortcut you. If you put forth the effort, good things will be bestowed upon you.” – Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan believed that he would get out of the game exactly what he put into it.
If you don’t completely trust the game – if you think it’s “unfair” or “rigged” – then deep-down you’re not going to feel motivated to give it everything you have. With that attitude, you’ve lost before you even begin.
Whether in life, business, or basketball, you get out what you put in. Trust in this:
“If you do the work, you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life.”
2. MASTER THE FUNDAMENTALS
“You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise. ” – Michael Jordan
Basketball’s like anything else: it mostly comes down to doing all of the basic stuff right. Once you’ve got the fundamentals down, you’ve got a solid foundation to build on.
Jordan warns that when you “get away from fundamentals… the bottom can fall out of your game, your schoolwork, your job… whatever you’re doing.”
3. LEARN FROM YOUR PARENTS
You might expect that Michael’s boyhood heroes were NBA superstars like Jerry West and Kareem Abdul-Jabar, but you’d be wrong.
“My heroes are and were my parents. I can’t see having anyone else as my heroes.” – Michael Jordan
Jordan’s respect and admiration for his parents is one of the keys to his success.
4. PRACTICE EVERY DAY
“I’m not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat.” – Michael Jordan
When Jordan first tried out for his high school basketball team, he didn’t make varsity. In an interview with ESPN, Jordan described how he felt:
“It was embarrassing not making that team. They posted the roster and it was there for a long, long time without my name on it. I remember being really mad too, because there was a guy that made it that really wasn’t as good as me.”
Jordan channeled his embarrassment and anger into motivation during practice:
“Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I’d close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my name on it… that usually got me going again.”
Jordan became better at playing than everyone else by first becoming better at practicing than everyone else. Until the end of his career, Michael was known to be the first person to get to the gym and the last one to leave.
5. SCHOOL IS IMPORTANT
Jordan decided to leave the University of North Carolina to enter the NBA draft one year early. In 1984, he started his professional career without a college degree.
Despite immediate success in the NBA, Jordan decided to go back to school. In 1986, he returned to North Carolina to earn his degree.
6. DON’T LET PEOPLE GET IN YOUR HEAD
“It’s heavy duty to try to do everything and please everybody… I can’t live with what everyone’s impression of what I should or what I shouldn’t do.” – Michael Jordan
Jordan was getting a lot of attention his rookie year. Sports Illustrated put him on the cover of their magazine with the words “A Star is Born” just one month into his NBA career.
All that quick attention aggravated a few NBA veterans. They decided to execute a “freeze out” of Jordan during the All-Star game where they simply wouldn’t pass him the ball.
But Jordan was unfazed. When the regular season resumed, he continued his stellar play and went on to win Rookie of the Year. Jordan is proof that you don’t have to let other people get into your head.
7. KNOW HOW TO RESPOND TO FAILURE
“Failure makes me work even harder. ” – Michael Jordan
Jordan wasn’t always a winner.
The first time he got to the NBA playoffs, his Bulls were knocked out in the first round. The next two years, they were swept by the Boston Celtics. After that, the Bulls were beat by the Detroit Pistons three years in a row.
All Jordan knew was failure. But it only made him want to be better. He’s said, “Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
“I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot… and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
8. FEAR IS AN ILLUSION
“I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it’s an illusion to me.” – Michael Jordan
Fears can be self-fulfilling. Sometimes the only thing holding you back from being successful is the fear that you may fail.
When we let go of our fears, we’re free to be more aggressive and take full advantage of our opportunities.
9. JUST DO IT
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” – Michael Jordan
There are three types of people. Jordan’s the type of person who makes it happen.
Which type are you?
10. YOU CAN’T DO IT ALONE
“If you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan
Throughout the 80’s, Jordan racked up a ton of personal achievements (scoring titles, league MVP awards, and “Defensive Player of the Year”). But no championships.
Those didn’t come until he had the help of Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and Phil Jackson.
11. EXCELLENCE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF
At their prime, the Bulls would sell out every stadium they played in – home or away.
But the thing bringing in big crowds wasn’t the marketing department. It was the superior performance that Jordan and his teammates were putting on display.
“Let your game be your promotional or marketing tool.” – Michael Jordan
When you consistently deliver an excellent product, people will find out. No marketing firm necessary.
12 EXPECT YOUR SHOTS TO GO IN
“You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” – Michael Jordan
Jordan wouldn’t be legendary if he didn’t have such a knack for making the “big shot.”
Time and time again, Jordan would have the ball in his hands in the final second of a pivotal game and… swoosh. In all of those big moments, he never once entertained the possibility that the ball wouldn’t go in:
“I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot… when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.”
In big moments, you should feel totally confident that you will succeed.
How to be More Like Mike:
Take a moment now and think about what you want to achieve more than anything else. Do you fully expect yourself to make it happen?
If the answer sounds anything like ‘no’, it’s time for a change in your attitude. Remember that every time Jordan pulled up for a jumper, he was expecting the ball to go in.
12. WHEN IT’S TIME TO CHANGE, CHANGE
Jordan made one of the most shocking decisions in sports history when he retired from professional basketball on October 6, 1993. It’s hard to fathom quitting after winning three championships in a row, but Michael’s reasons were actually very simple:
“I just needed to change. I was getting tired of the same old activity and routine and I didn’t feel all the same appreciation that I had felt before and it was tiresome.
“A lot of things correlated with that — my father dying, the opportunity to play baseball, my desire to make a change. I look back on it and it was perfect timing to break away from it and see what I was missing, to see what it meant to me, to see the enjoyment that I got from the game. ”
Even though Jordan didn’t make it into the major leagues as a baseball player, it was important that he listened to the voice in his head that was telling him to make a change. He returned to the NBA refreshed in 1995 and promptly won three more championships.
13. THE BEST MARKETING IS SIMPLE
On March 18, 1995, Michael Jordan announced that he was coming out retirement with a press release that simply read, “I’M BACK.”
Two words were all it took to cue a media circus. Jordan’s first game back with the Bulls had the highest Nielsen rating of any regular season NBA game in twenty years.
Often, the most effective way to get the word out is to get straight to the point.
14. DEMAND THE BEST FROM YOUR TEAM
Michael Jordan would often get frustrated with the effort of his teammates – especially at the end of his career when he played for the below-average Washington Wizards.
Fred Lynch, one of Jordan’s high school coaches, recalls that Jordan was demanding even as a teenager: “He’d get on his teammates all the time. He hasn’t changed that. What he always expected was everybody plays the game as hard as he played it.”
Expecting the best in others helps bring it out in them. Of course, it’s most effective when you lead by example (as Jordan did).
15. LEARN TO HARNESS YOUR EMOTIONS
“Heart is what separates the good from the great.” – Michael Jordan
After winning his first NBA championship in 1991, Michael Jordan cried like a baby. He cried again following the 1996 championship. In those two moments, you can really see the depth Jordan’s emotional investment in the game.
Showing emotion is commonly considered a sign of weakness, but for Michael it was a source of great strength. Jordan had the rare ability to maximize his emotional energy while still being in complete control.
16. LOVE WHAT YOU DO
“Love is playing every game as if it’s your last!” – Michael Jordan
Jordan loves basketball so much, he once said it was his wife (“It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace”).
When you do your work with love, as Jordan did, it will shine through in your performance.
17. PLAY BUSINESS LIKE A GAME
“Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.” – Michael Jordan
You may have assumed that the “game” Michael’s talking about above is basketball, but he’s actually giving advice on the game of business.
If you think that business is boring, then you’re doing it wrong. The more fun you make your work, the more energy and enthusiasm you’ll bring to it – and the more success you’ll find.
18. FORGET THE PAST
“Once I made a decision, I never thought about it again.” – Michael Jordan
Jordan’s made some tough decisions, but he doesn’t dwell on them.
There’s no reason to worry about the past because it’s not coming back.
19. IGNORE THE FUTURE
“Never think about what’s at stake… If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you’ve lost your focus.” – Michael Jordan
It happens all the time in basketball: one team gets out to a big lead only to get overconfident and lose the game in the final seconds. Their mistake is thinking about the victory celebration instead of focusing on the game at hand.
There’s no point in distracting yourself with possible future scenarios. You’re not a psychic. Nothing’s going to play out like imagine. Your focus would be better spent on making the most of the present.
20. EMBRACE THE PRESENT
“Live the moment for the moment.” – Michael Jordan
Every moment you’ve experienced has been right now.
If you want a deeper sense of contentment and satisfaction in your life, begin making the most of the present. Starting now!
20 Life Lessons from Michael Jordan
By: Nick Scheidies Topics: Entrepreneurship More posts about: Famous Entrepreneurs
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Michael Jordan has been named the greatest sportsperson of all-time by fans around the globe.
Successful people share a lot of common traits.
In particular, how they understand and cope with setbacks and failure.
One such person is Michael Jeffrey Jordan – also known by his initials MJ.
Born: 17 February 1963 this basketball star won six NBA titles in his glittering career.
In 2020 his net worth is estimated at: 2.1 billion USD.
To borrow a line from Jay-Z, Michael Jordan isn’t just a businessman — he’s a business, man.
We are privileged to share these inspirational words and life lessons.
Pay attention, there is a lot to learn!
[Last Updated: February 25th 2021]
A Life lesson: Something from which useful knowledge or principles can be learned.
#1 Trust the Game
Be true to the game, because the game will be true to you. If you try to shortcut the game, then the game will shortcut you. If you put forth the effort, good things will be bestowed upon you.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan believed that he would get out of the game exactly what he put into it.
If you don’t completely trust the game – if you think it’s “unfair” or “rigged” – then deep-down you’re not going to be feel motivated to give it everything you have. With that attitude, you’ve lost before you even begin.
Whether in life, business, or basketball, you get out what you put in.
Trust in this:
If you do the work, you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life.
Michael Jordan
Recommended Reading: Michael Jordan: The Life | The definitive biography of a legendary athlete.
#2 Master the Fundamentals
You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.
~ Michael Jordan
Basketball’s like anything else: it mostly comes down to doing all of the basic stuff right. Once you’ve got the fundamentals down, you’ve got a solid foundation to build on.
Jordan warns that when you “get away from fundamentals… the bottom can fall out of your game, your schoolwork, your job… whatever you’re doing.”
#3 Learn from Your Parents
You might expect that Michael’s boyhood heroes were NBA superstars like Jerry West and Kareem Abdul-Jabar, but you’d be wrong.
My heroes are and were my parents. I can’t see having anyone else as my heroes.
Michael Jordan
Jordan’s respect and admiration for his parents is one of the keys to his success.
#4 Be Like Mike: Practice Every Day
I’m not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat.
Michael Jordan
When Jordan first tried out for his high school basketball team, he didn’t make varsity. In an interview with ESPN, Jordan described how he felt:
It was embarrassing not making that team. They posted the roster and it was there for a long, long time without my name on it. I remember being really mad too, because there was a guy that made it that really wasn’t as good as me.
Jordan channeled his embarrassment and anger into motivation during practice:
Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I’d close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my name on it… that usually got me going again.
Jordan became better at playing than everyone else by first becoming better at practicing than everyone else.
Until the end of his career, Michael Jordan was the first person to get to the gym and the last one to leave.
#5 School is Important
Jordan decided to leave the University of North Carolina to enter the NBA draft one year early. In 1984, he started his professional career without a college degree.
Despite immediate success in the NBA, Jordan decided to go back to school. In 1986, he returned to North Carolina to earn his degree.
A Business Success Story: Nike and Air Jordans
Michael Jordan made $130 million from his Nike shoe deal last year—but he originally wanted to wear Adidas
It was his agent, David Falk, who persuaded Jordan to go with Nike – who was the upstart.
Nike had a simple goal when they launched Air Jordans:
To make $3,000,000 in 4 years. (For which they paid MJ $250k initially)
But they ended up selling $126,000,000 in the first year.
An off the scale of success!
Remember, this was 1985!
Before the Internet, before social media.
Can you imagine what would happen today with Instagram?
Michael Jordan was a celebrity beyond celebrity.
His endorsement of the Air Jordan shoe meant they, literally, sold like Hot Cakes!
Recommended: ‘The Last Dance’ – The untold story of Michael Jordan and the Bulls.
#6 Be Like Mike: Don’t Let People Get in Your Head
It’s heavy duty to try to do everything and please everybody… I can’t live with what everyone’s impression of what I should or what I shouldn’t do.
Michael Jordan
Jordan was getting a lot of attention his rookie year. Sports Illustrated put him on the cover of their magazine with the words “A Star is Born” just one month into his NBA career.
All that quick attention aggravated a few NBA veterans. They decided to execute a “freeze out” of Jordan during the All-Star game where they simply wouldn’t pass him the ball.
But Jordan was unfazed. When the regular season resumed, he continued his stellar play and went on to win Rookie of the Year. Jordan is proof that you don’t have to let other people get into your head.
Recommended Reading: Michael Jordan: The Life | The definitive biography of a legendary athlete.
#7 Know How to Respond to Failure
Failure makes me work even harder.
Michael Jordan
Jordan wasn’t always a winner.
The first time he got to the NBA playoffs, his Bulls were knocked out in the first round. The next two years, they were swept by the Boston Celtics. After that, the Bulls were beat by the Detroit Pistons three years in a row.
All Michael Jordan knew was failure.
But it only made him want to be better.
He’s said, “Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
Video: “I’ve Missed More than 9,000 Shots in My Career”
Text From the Video:
I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot… and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
Be More Like Mike:
Failure has a way of making people want to give up. But it has the opposite effect on Jordan.
If you don’t already, start thinking of your failures as fuel to work harder.
#8 Fear is an Illusion
I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it’s an illusion to me.
Michael Jordan
Fears can be self-fulfilling. Sometimes the only thing holding you back from being successful is the fear that you may fail.
When we let go of our fears, we’re free to be more aggressive and take full advantage of our opportunities.
Recommended Reading: Michael Jordan: The Life | The definitive biography of a legendary athlete.
#9 Just Do It
Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.
Michael Jordan
There are three types of people. Jordan’s the type of person who makes it happen.
Which type are you?
#10 You Can’t Do It Alone
If you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.
Michael Jordan
Throughout the 80’s, Jordan racked up a ton of personal achievements (scoring titles, league MVP awards, and “Defensive Player of the Year”). But no championships.
Those didn’t come until he had the help of Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and Phil Jackson.
#11 Excellence Speaks for Itself
At their prime, the Bulls would sell out every stadium they played in – home or away.
But the thing bringing in big crowds wasn’t the marketing department. It was the superior performance that Jordan and his teammates were putting on display.
Let your game be your promotional or marketing tool.
Michael Jordan
When you consistently deliver an excellent product, people will find out. No marketing firm necessary.
#12 Expect Your Shots to Go In
You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.
Michael Jordan
Jordan wouldn’t be legendary if he didn’t have such a knack for making the “big shot.”
Time and time again, Jordan would have the ball in his hands in the final second of a pivotal game and… swoosh. In all of those big moments, he never once entertained the possibility that the ball wouldn’t go in:
I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot… when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.
In big moments, you should feel totally confident that you will succeed.
How to be More Like Mike:
Take a moment now and think about what you want to achieve more than anything else. Do you fully expect yourself to make it happen?
If the answer sounds anything like ‘no’, it’s time for a change in your attitude. Remember that every time Jordan pulled up for a jumper, he was expecting the ball to go in.
#13 When it’s Time to Change, Change
Jordan made one of the most shocking decisions in sports history when he retired from professional basketball on October 6, 1993. It’s hard to fathom quitting after winning three championships in a row, but Michael’s reasons were actually very simple:
I just needed to change. I was getting tired of the same old activity and routine and I didn’t feel all the same appreciation that I had felt before and it was tiresome.
A lot of things correlated with that — my father dying, the opportunity to play baseball, my desire to make a change. I look back on it and it was perfect timing to break away from it and see what I was missing, to see what it meant to me, to see the enjoyment that I got from the game.
Even though Jordan didn’t make it into the major leagues as a baseball player, it was important that he listened to the voice in his head that was telling him to make a change. He returned to the NBA refreshed in 1995 and promptly won three more championships.
#14 The Best Marketing is Simple
On March 18, 1995 Michael Jordan announced that he was coming out retirement with a press release that simply read, “I’m back.”
Two words were all it took to cue a media circus. Jordan’s first game back with the Bulls had the highest Nielsen rating of any regular season NBA game in twenty years.
Often, the most effective way to get the word out is to get straight to the point.
#15 Demand the Best from Your Team
Michael Jordan would often get frustrated with the effort of his teammates – especially at the end of his career when he played for the below-average Washington Wizards.
Fred Lynch, one of Jordan’s high school coaches, recalls that Jordan was demanding even as a teenager: “He’d get on his teammates all the time. He hasn’t changed that. What he always expected was everybody play the game as hard as he played it.”
Expecting the best in others helps bring it out in them. Of course, it’s most effective when you lead by example (as Jordan did).
#16 Learn to Harness Your Emotions
Heart is what separates the good from the great.
Michael Jordan
After winning his first NBA championship in 1991, Michael Jordan cried like a baby. He cried again following the 1996 championship. In those two moments, you can really see the depth Jordan’s emotional investment in the game.
Showing emotion is commonly considered a sign of weakness, but for Michael it was a source of great strength. Jordan had the rare ability maximize his emotional energy while still being in complete control.
#17 Be Like Mike: Love What You Do
Love is playing every game as if it’s your last!
Michael Jordan
Jordan loves basketball so much, he once said it was his wife (“It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace”).
When you do your work with love, as Jordan did, it will shine through in your performance.
#18 Be Like Mike: Play Business like a Game
Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.
Michael Jordan
You may have assumed that the “game” Michael’s talking about above is basketball, but he’s actually giving advice on the game of business.
If you think that business is boring, then you’re doing it wrong. The more fun you make your work, the more energy and enthusiasm you’ll bring to it – and the more success you’ll find.
#19 Be Like Mike: Forget the Past
Once I made a decision, I never thought about it again.
Michael Jordan
Jordan’s made some tough decisions, but he doesn’t dwell on them.
There’s no reason to worry about the past because it’s not coming back.
#20 Be Like Mike – Ignore the Future
Never think about what’s at stake… If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you’ve lost your focus.
Michael Jordan
It happens all the time in basketball: one team gets out to a big lead only to get overconfident and lose the game in the final seconds. Their mistake is thinking about the victory celebration instead of focusing on the game at hand.
There’s no point in distracting yourself with possible future scenarios. You’re not a psychic. Nothing’s going to play out like imagine. Your focus would be better spent on making the most of the present.
#21 Be Like Mike: Embrace the Present
Live the moment for the moment.
Michael Jordan
Every moment you’ve experienced has been right now.
If you want a deeper sense of contentment and satisfaction in your life, begin by making the most of the present.
Starting now!
Michael Jordan G.O.A.T
Michael Jordan is frequently referred to as the G.O.A.T. (Someone who is the Greatest Of All Time in their field)
We agree.
The above life lessons go some way to explaining the legendary status that Michael Jordan has achieved. What it cannot convey is that “magic” that set him apart from his contemporaries. If you have not already done, we recommend watching The Last Dance on Netflix.
Finally what do you do after the real Last Dance back in 1998?
With his sixth NBA championship secured and the break-up of the Bulls imminent, Michael Jordan visited Killarney, Ireland to play golf and drink Guinness.
He did a lot of other things too, but the above article gives a unique insight into this Great Man that many articles cannot convey.
Enjoy!
Additional Recommended Reading: 21 Life Lessons from Steve Jobs
More Recommended Reading:
=> 16 Things That Turn An Ordinary Blog Into An Authority Website
=> Writing Tips For People Who Think They Can’t Write!
=> 15 Success Habits You Should Implement For The Best Life Ever
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How to play basketball read online Vladimir Gomelsky (Page 5)
There are world-class basketball stars in almost every country in Europe. The greatest of them end up on the stands of the Basketball Hall of Fame, which was opened in the early 1960s in the already familiar city of Springfield, Massachusetts. This museum has stands dedicated to all the stars of world basketball: players, coaches, referees, managers or people who have done a lot without playing. Among the stands you can find the names of representatives of our country: Sergey Belov, Ulyana Semenova, Lidia Vladimirovna Alekseeva, each of which is dedicated to the stand in the museum, but I am especially proud that my dad, Alexander Yakovlevich Gomelsky, got into this museum during his lifetime and became the first non-American coach to be included in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
But most American visitors to this museum are interested in other names. I would like to dwell on some of them. First of all, the unique stand of Wilt Chamberlain, a basketball player who, unfortunately, died early, but who holds a fantastic number of individual records in the National Basketball Association. For example, he is the only one who managed to score 100 points in an NBA game. It seems to me that this record will never be broken. In second place is Kobe Bryant with 81 points. A stunning stand dedicated to Michael Jordan also does not leave anyone indifferent. Almost all of my colleagues who write about this sport believe that Michael Jordan is the best basketball player in history, and I absolutely agree with them. Jordan came to the NBA immediately after winning gold medals with Team USA at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 and played in the National Basketball Association with a break of 2 years for 15 seasons. He is the highest scoring player in the history of the National Basketball Association, based on average points per game. There were only two players who scored more than 30 points per game in their careers: Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Jordan was ahead of Chamberlain, and in the ability to influence the course of the entire game, Jordan simply has no equal, he is unique because he belongs to the type of player next to whom it is simply a shame to play badly. He is a true star with both fantastic scoring and extraordinary aggressiveness when playing defensively. Jordan played basketball on both ends of the court, and he was great at it. There were seasons when he became not only the most productive player, but also the best in interceptions of the ball, he was recognized as the most valuable player in the league and at the same time included in the top five defensive players in his position. This happened not once or twice, but five or six times in his career. Michael Jordan is the greatest winner ever. He won the National Basketball Association championship ring with his Chicago Bulls six times: 1992, 1993 and 1994, then due to the death of his father, he missed 2 years and took revenge in 1996, 1997 and 1998. There are people in the history of the NBA who have won more rings, but there is no second Michael Jordan, who was the leader all these victorious years, led the team and personified the slogan with all his appearance and all his behavior: "Do as I do, and we will win. " A rare combination of physical abilities, coordination of movements and willpower. Jordan is a fantastically vivid example of how a basketball player can achieve fame and greatness through hard work, will and dedication. If you choose an ideal for yourself to follow and aspire to in basketball, then you won’t find a better figure than Michael Jordan. I really want to be like him.
Concluding a short introduction, I would like to once again remind you of my dream - to enjoy the well-deserved fame and victories of our national team and club teams. The return of the success of the USSR national team of the middle of the 20th century is possible only through the persistent and purposeful work of coaches, basketball players and all interested parties. Basketball appreciates only the hardworking, the book that you hold in your hands and which I want you to read to the end is dedicated to this.
Chapter one
Who can play basketball and what is required for this?
Physical data
In Europe and in our country, since 1952, it has been considered that basketball is a game of giants, a game in which an athlete needs high growth to achieve success. I fundamentally disagree with this. Of course, high growth is a great advantage, and an athlete who has it gets a certain advantage on the court, but still, high growth is absolutely optional for a basketball player. Many examples from European and world basketball confirm my confidence: the National Basketball Association played Maxi Box 167 centimeters tall and weighing 64 kilograms and Spud Webb 167 centimeters tall and weighing 60 kilograms. Both of these athletes showed excellent results. Maxi Box did not get lost on the court, they went to look at him, because he was the smallest basketball player of his time, but he brought benefits to his team not because he was a dwarf by basketball standards, but because he was a cool point guard, an excellent dribbler, a kind of “motor of the team”. In any team, there is always a place for a very fast and very technical player, no matter how tall he is. Webb recession at 19In the 80s he played for the Atlanta Hawks, came to our country with his club and played three matches against the USSR national team. These matches helped our team to win gold medals at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Spud was a fantastically fast and bouncy player. In the mid-1980s NBA All-Star Weekend, a short Spud won the dunk contest.
Armenak Alachachyan, who is 174 centimeters tall and weighs 68 kilograms, played in domestic and world basketball, who at the end of 19During the 1950s and throughout the 1960s, he was undoubtedly the fastest player in Europe. Fans with little experience should remember Stanislav Eremin, point guard and captain of the USSR national teams and the CSKA team, Stanislav played from the 1980s to the mid-1990s and, with a height of 178 centimeters and a weight of 76 kilograms, achieved amazing success on the basketball court.
Moreover, I can prove that height in some cases is a negative factor in an athlete's career. So, a Romanian, Georgy Mureshan, played in the NBA, his height was 231 centimeters, and he weighed 138 kilograms. It would seem that what else is needed to reach the ring. Mureshan reached out to him, standing on tiptoe, and, nevertheless, he did not become a star. George suffered in all NBA teams, and after he ended his career, hardly anyone can remember him. Another NBA basketball player, Manute Bol, whose height was 229centimeters, was very thin: he weighed 91 kilograms. Manute Bol played more successfully than Mureshan, due to his wit and charm he was for some time the favorite of the public, but, frankly, Bol played basketball very badly. The game of this athlete did not differ in variety, he was only good under the ring, but he simply did not know how to beat his guardian one on one or score an average throw - they did not teach him in his youth.
In the same NBA, our Pavel Podkolzin sat on the bench of the Dallas Mavericks club for two years - height 227 centimeters, weight 122 kilograms. The athlete did not have speed, speed and jumping ability - those athletic qualities that help the basketball player to fulfill the tasks set by the coach. Without these abilities, the athlete does not have time to get into the same rhythm with the team, because basketball is a high-speed game. Despite the fact that the basketball court is three times smaller in length than the football field, nevertheless, the minimum time for an attack is allocated - 24 seconds, and in reality the average duration of an attack is no more than 18 seconds, that is, every 18 seconds you need to make a dash along the entire length of the site. The center player needs to run the full 30 meters, so if the man runs slowly, he puts his team in a strange position: he has just reached the center of the field, returning to defense, and the player he is guarding is already under the basket, asking for the ball and sends it to the target without any resistance.
It is obvious that growth can be a hindrance to speed. It is worth remembering Uvais Akhtaev, who entered the history of national basketball as the tallest athlete - his height is 234 centimeters and his weight is 157 kilograms, and Janis Krumins. With such data, Vasya Akhtaev did not run around the site, did not jump, but walked on foot, "swam" - Akhtaev could not jump. The athlete played for Kazakh teams and for the Kazakhstan national team at the Spartakiad of Nations, was a very witty man who loved basketball, but he played in 19The 50s, when the pace of the game was slower, and today neither he nor Krumins would have succeeded. The last example from domestic basketball can be Alexander Sizonenko, who had a height of 229 centimeters and a weight of 142 kilograms. He trained with very good coaches: first in Samara, then in St. Petersburg "Spartak", where he was mentored by a great coach - Vladimir Petrovich Kondrashin, but neither one nor the other succeeded in teaching Alexander to really play basketball. Sizonenko tried very hard, but due to the fact that he lacked speed, coordination and jumping ability, he could only be used on the court from time to time and for very short periods of the game.
How to Train for Success: Michael Jordan's 10 Secrets
American Michael Jordan is a basketball legend, one of the best defenders in history. He had explosive power, and for high jumps he was nicknamed "Air Jordan" . The recently released miniseries The Last Dance on Netflix provides a behind-the-scenes look at the historic 1997-1998 NBA season as Michael Jordan fought the Chicago Bulls for their sixth championship. The series turned out to be dramatic, shocking and frank. He revealed the stories of many players and allowed us to better understand the character of Michael Jordan - a man who was ready to do anything to win.
Find out what Michael Jordan did to get into his best shape.
He got up very early
Morning workouts were a must for Michael Jordan. They started at 5:30, the athlete was usually accompanied by teammates. They wanted to gain an edge over their rival, the Detroit Pistons. And it really worked: soon after the introduction of morning workouts into the training plan, the Bulls were able to beat the competition.
He trained hard for many years
Michael's trainer Tim Grover wanted to add morning workouts for a month to help athletes get in shape and overcome temporary challenges. After those 30 days, Jordan continued to train at the same pace for the next 15 years. Waking up early in the morning is not easy, but it was the morning workouts that gave Michael an advantage over other athletes.
He worked on explosive power
In order to keep the Chicago Bulls from winning, the Detroit players came up with a tactic: they tried not to let Jordan jump, because when he was in the air, it was impossible to beat him. Michael understood this and worked hard on explosive strength in the gym - improving his vertical jump and squat jump, and these movements helped him in the fight. Thanks to explosive strength training, Michael Jordan became faster, it was impossible to stop him.
He ate a lot of protein
Working out in the gym is only half the battle. Just as important is what you eat. Michael Jordan burned a lot of calories while playing and training. He had to increase his daily calorie intake when the volume of training increased. He began to consume more protein, because this is the main building block for muscles.
He paid attention to stretching
It was important for the best basketball player in history to remain agile and flexible, so Jordan did dynamic stretching before each workout and static stretching after it.
He did bodyweight exercises
Not all workouts Michael Jordan lifted dumbbells and barbells. Many of his classes consisted only of bodyweight exercises such as pull-ups. Everything in the complex helped Michael in the jump - he was really invulnerable when he flew into the air, thanks to a combination of explosive strength, muscle strength and agility. Training made him invincible.
He went beyond
Michael trained with dedication and was always willing to do more than he was asked to. For example, if the coach told him to do 8 reps of an exercise, Michael did 12, even when it seemed like he had used up all his strength.
In an interview with ESPN, Jordan described how he felt:
” – Michael Jordan
”
He hasn’t changed that. What he always expected was everybody plays the game as hard as he played it.”
Their mistake is thinking about the victory celebration instead of focusing on the game at hand.
In an interview with ESPN, Jordan described how he felt:
In 1984, he started his professional career without a college degree.
And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. 
Do you fully expect yourself to make it happen?
He hasn’t changed that. What he always expected was everybody play the game as hard as he played it.”
The greatest of them end up on the stands of the Basketball Hall of Fame, which was opened in the early 1960s in the already familiar city of Springfield, Massachusetts. This museum has stands dedicated to all the stars of world basketball: players, coaches, referees, managers or people who have done a lot without playing. Among the stands you can find the names of representatives of our country: Sergey Belov, Ulyana Semenova, Lidia Vladimirovna Alekseeva, each of which is dedicated to the stand in the museum, but I am especially proud that my dad, Alexander Yakovlevich Gomelsky, got into this museum during his lifetime and became the first non-American coach to be included in the Basketball Hall of Fame. 
For example, he is the only one who managed to score 100 points in an NBA game. It seems to me that this record will never be broken. In second place is Kobe Bryant with 81 points. A stunning stand dedicated to Michael Jordan also does not leave anyone indifferent. Almost all of my colleagues who write about this sport believe that Michael Jordan is the best basketball player in history, and I absolutely agree with them. Jordan came to the NBA immediately after winning gold medals with Team USA at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 and played in the National Basketball Association with a break of 2 years for 15 seasons. He is the highest scoring player in the history of the National Basketball Association, based on average points per game. There were only two players who scored more than 30 points per game in their careers: Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Jordan was ahead of Chamberlain, and in the ability to influence the course of the entire game, Jordan simply has no equal, he is unique because he belongs to the type of player next to whom it is simply a shame to play badly.
He is a true star with both fantastic scoring and extraordinary aggressiveness when playing defensively. Jordan played basketball on both ends of the court, and he was great at it. There were seasons when he became not only the most productive player, but also the best in interceptions of the ball, he was recognized as the most valuable player in the league and at the same time included in the top five defensive players in his position. This happened not once or twice, but five or six times in his career. Michael Jordan is the greatest winner ever. He won the National Basketball Association championship ring with his Chicago Bulls six times: 1992, 1993 and 1994, then due to the death of his father, he missed 2 years and took revenge in 1996, 1997 and 1998. There are people in the history of the NBA who have won more rings, but there is no second Michael Jordan, who was the leader all these victorious years, led the team and personified the slogan with all his appearance and all his behavior: "Do as I do, and we will win.
" A rare combination of physical abilities, coordination of movements and willpower. Jordan is a fantastically vivid example of how a basketball player can achieve fame and greatness through hard work, will and dedication. If you choose an ideal for yourself to follow and aspire to in basketball, then you won’t find a better figure than Michael Jordan. I really want to be like him. 
I fundamentally disagree with this. Of course, high growth is a great advantage, and an athlete who has it gets a certain advantage on the court, but still, high growth is absolutely optional for a basketball player. Many examples from European and world basketball confirm my confidence: the National Basketball Association played Maxi Box 167 centimeters tall and weighing 64 kilograms and Spud Webb 167 centimeters tall and weighing 60 kilograms. Both of these athletes showed excellent results. Maxi Box did not get lost on the court, they went to look at him, because he was the smallest basketball player of his time, but he brought benefits to his team not because he was a dwarf by basketball standards, but because he was a cool point guard, an excellent dribbler, a kind of “motor of the team”. In any team, there is always a place for a very fast and very technical player, no matter how tall he is. Webb recession at 19In the 80s he played for the Atlanta Hawks, came to our country with his club and played three matches against the USSR national team.
These matches helped our team to win gold medals at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Spud was a fantastically fast and bouncy player. In the mid-1980s NBA All-Star Weekend, a short Spud won the dunk contest. 
Mureshan reached out to him, standing on tiptoe, and, nevertheless, he did not become a star. George suffered in all NBA teams, and after he ended his career, hardly anyone can remember him. Another NBA basketball player, Manute Bol, whose height was 229centimeters, was very thin: he weighed 91 kilograms. Manute Bol played more successfully than Mureshan, due to his wit and charm he was for some time the favorite of the public, but, frankly, Bol played basketball very badly. The game of this athlete did not differ in variety, he was only good under the ring, but he simply did not know how to beat his guardian one on one or score an average throw - they did not teach him in his youth. 
Without these abilities, the athlete does not have time to get into the same rhythm with the team, because basketball is a high-speed game. Despite the fact that the basketball court is three times smaller in length than the football field, nevertheless, the minimum time for an attack is allocated - 24 seconds, and in reality the average duration of an attack is no more than 18 seconds, that is, every 18 seconds you need to make a dash along the entire length of the site. The center player needs to run the full 30 meters, so if the man runs slowly, he puts his team in a strange position: he has just reached the center of the field, returning to defense, and the player he is guarding is already under the basket, asking for the ball and sends it to the target without any resistance. 
With such data, Vasya Akhtaev did not run around the site, did not jump, but walked on foot, "swam" - Akhtaev could not jump. The athlete played for Kazakh teams and for the Kazakhstan national team at the Spartakiad of Nations, was a very witty man who loved basketball, but he played in 19The 50s, when the pace of the game was slower, and today neither he nor Krumins would have succeeded. The last example from domestic basketball can be Alexander Sizonenko, who had a height of 229 centimeters and a weight of 142 kilograms. He trained with very good coaches: first in Samara, then in St. Petersburg "Spartak", where he was mentored by a great coach - Vladimir Petrovich Kondrashin, but neither one nor the other succeeded in teaching Alexander to really play basketball. Sizonenko tried very hard, but due to the fact that he lacked speed, coordination and jumping ability, he could only be used on the court from time to time and for very short periods of the game. 
He had explosive power, and for high jumps he was nicknamed "Air Jordan" . The recently released miniseries The Last Dance on Netflix provides a behind-the-scenes look at the historic 1997-1998 NBA season as Michael Jordan fought the Chicago Bulls for their sixth championship. The series turned out to be dramatic, shocking and frank. He revealed the stories of many players and allowed us to better understand the character of Michael Jordan - a man who was ready to do anything to win. 
After those 30 days, Jordan continued to train at the same pace for the next 15 years. Waking up early in the morning is not easy, but it was the morning workouts that gave Michael an advantage over other athletes. 
He began to consume more protein, because this is the main building block for muscles. 
