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Marqavious
Student
Memphis, Tennessee
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What goals does it take to be an NBA Player?
What are the requirments for an NBA Player? #sports #athlete
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Jason Wong
Sr Coordinator
54
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Jason’s Answer
To qualify for the draft a player needs to fall under these categories
-They have completed four years of their college eligibility
-If they have graduated from high school in the USA, but did not enroll to a college, four years have passed since graduation
-They have signed a contract with a professional basketball team not in the NBA and have played under the contract.
- The "One and done", where a player plays for a college for 1 year, and then declares for the NBA draft. These athletes must declare their eligibility no later than 60 days before the Draft and it must be accepted by the NBA.
Now those are the basic requirements. However only 0.03% of high school seniors go on to be drafted or signed by an NBA team. What sets you apart to make the league will be your talent, hustle, BBIQ, and character. And height. You can't teach height.
Height/Strength: Self explanatory. People can just shoot over you or power through you if you're not tall or strong enough. If you're short you better be able to shoot like Steph and have the core strength and hustle of Steven Adams. JJ Barea is a good example, he's 5'10 180. But the man hustled, he could put the clamps on bigger players. Watch 2011 finals to see how he got put in big size mismatches but had good positioning, kept his hand high, and just constantly was a defensive pest on the other end. Not to say he was the best defender or anything, but just an example of how a smaller guy can make up ground through hard work and IQ.
Talent: Can you shoot? Do you have the hops? Etc. Pretty self explanatory. If you take a lot of contested pullup 2's and 3's, pull 20 a night easy, and make like 70% on them then you'll get some scouts knocking on your door. If you've got talent you've got the best chance of making the league over most. However not many people are born with talent, nobody can control their genetics after all. That's when hustle comes into play.
Hustle: It doesn't take being a genetic freak to go for a loose ball, or to spend hours in the gym, or to box someone out. It's that effort that will help set you apart from a talented player that always lets his man by or walks back on defense instead of runs.
IQ: Your ability to understand the game. Watching games for dunks and highlights is fun, but watching the ESPN highlight reel doesn't help you understand how to run a set or how to collapse a defense. Watch film, watch YouTube, practice sets. I recommend Coach Nick on BBALLBREAKDOWN to help you get started. If you use a matchup advantage, a scout will notice. If you get caught ball watching and keep loosing your man, a scout will notice.
Character: Be the best teammate you can possibly be. Locker room chemistry and cohesion can only help everyone involved. If you can trust every person on your bench or on your floor, you'll have a better time playing. Nobody likes to pass to a ball hog or someone who's lazy on the other end of the court. But if you're a good person and teammate, your teammates will put their bodies on the line for you. And you'll do the same for them. And loyalty will turn a good team into a great team. We see it in the NBA all the time where talented teams collapse due to lack of cohesion. Think about it: Are you going to run through a hard screen for someone that arrives to practice late or messes around on IG? If your best player just hogs the ball all the time, and also just sits there ball watching while his man gets an easy layup on the other end, are you okay with letting him brick shot after shot?
-They have completed four years of their college eligibility
-If they have graduated from high school in the USA, but did not enroll to a college, four years have passed since graduation
-They have signed a contract with a professional basketball team not in the NBA and have played under the contract.
- The "One and done", where a player plays for a college for 1 year, and then declares for the NBA draft. These athletes must declare their eligibility no later than 60 days before the Draft and it must be accepted by the NBA.
Now those are the basic requirements. However only 0.03% of high school seniors go on to be drafted or signed by an NBA team. What sets you apart to make the league will be your talent, hustle, BBIQ, and character. And height. You can't teach height.
Height/Strength: Self explanatory. People can just shoot over you or power through you if you're not tall or strong enough. If you're short you better be able to shoot like Steph and have the core strength and hustle of Steven Adams. JJ Barea is a good example, he's 5'10 180. But the man hustled, he could put the clamps on bigger players. Watch 2011 finals to see how he got put in big size mismatches but had good positioning, kept his hand high, and just constantly was a defensive pest on the other end. Not to say he was the best defender or anything, but just an example of how a smaller guy can make up ground through hard work and IQ.
Talent: Can you shoot? Do you have the hops? Etc. Pretty self explanatory. If you take a lot of contested pullup 2's and 3's, pull 20 a night easy, and make like 70% on them then you'll get some scouts knocking on your door. If you've got talent you've got the best chance of making the league over most. However not many people are born with talent, nobody can control their genetics after all. That's when hustle comes into play.
Hustle: It doesn't take being a genetic freak to go for a loose ball, or to spend hours in the gym, or to box someone out. It's that effort that will help set you apart from a talented player that always lets his man by or walks back on defense instead of runs.
IQ: Your ability to understand the game. Watching games for dunks and highlights is fun, but watching the ESPN highlight reel doesn't help you understand how to run a set or how to collapse a defense. Watch film, watch YouTube, practice sets. I recommend Coach Nick on BBALLBREAKDOWN to help you get started. If you use a matchup advantage, a scout will notice. If you get caught ball watching and keep loosing your man, a scout will notice.
Character: Be the best teammate you can possibly be. Locker room chemistry and cohesion can only help everyone involved. If you can trust every person on your bench or on your floor, you'll have a better time playing. Nobody likes to pass to a ball hog or someone who's lazy on the other end of the court. But if you're a good person and teammate, your teammates will put their bodies on the line for you. And you'll do the same for them. And loyalty will turn a good team into a great team. We see it in the NBA all the time where talented teams collapse due to lack of cohesion. Think about it: Are you going to run through a hard screen for someone that arrives to practice late or messes around on IG? If your best player just hogs the ball all the time, and also just sits there ball watching while his man gets an easy layup on the other end, are you okay with letting him brick shot after shot?
Pamela Conley Ulich
Lawyer/Broker
2
Answers
Malibu, California
Updated
Pamela’s Answer
Goals:
10,000 hours playing basketball.
Growth mindset. Can you wake up can you take a moment to plant your feet, to breath and to meditate for at least 10 minutes every morning?
Grit and an ability to get back up when you fall down, and an ability to view losing as an opportunity to learn.
Heart and compassion for yourself and for others no matter what - every person matters and you matter.
Mind, body and soul. Do one thing every day that will feed these and make them blossom.
Gratitude. Write down/ say aloud 3 things every day that you are grateful for. "Where your focus goes your energy flows." Focus on all the good things in your life and more will flow.
Good luck and YOU CAN DO IT!