I am sure you have heard countless times, about a coach preaching "toughness" to his team or a player.
What exactly is toughness in the context of basketball?
Here are a few examples of how you can demonstrate true "toughness" in basketball:
• Taking a charge
• Knocking down pressure free throws, especially when your tired
• Communicating with your teammates on defense
• Touching every line during wind sprints
• Diving on the floor for a loose ball
• Giving your teammates five when you get subbed out even when your frustrated
• Getting fouled hard and not complaining
• Never putting your head down when you make a mistake
• Lifting up your teammates and giving them confidence when their struggling
• Getting fouled and making the basketet…AND 1!
• Never coasting when you step on the floor
• Looking your coach in the eye when he is speaking to you
• Displaying positive body language when things aren’t going right
• Putting a body on somebody and blocking them out
• Passing up an open shot to a teammate that might have a better one
TOUGHNESS IS A LOT MORE THAN JUST BEING PHYSICAL
3.27.2009
ARE YOU A PUPPET OR A PUPPERMASTER...
There has been one constant theme in all the cheap-shot incidents directed at Oklahoma's Blake Griffin this season, his reaction. He never really has one. After the pain subsides, his expression reverts to the blank state that Texas Tech coach Pat Knight said reminded him of the ‘Terminator.’ There is no rage or retaliating; all Griffin does is shake off the cobwebs and walk away.
His extreme composure was what fascinated me most while watching him in the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament, more so than his baseline spin moves or his breathtaking dunks. Part of it, I suspect, comes from his father, Tommy. But I had also heard about a San Francisco trainer named Frank Matrisciano who helped build Griffin into an even more explosive force over the summer, and introduced him to a mental-control concept called the "Puppetmaster."
Matrisciano is a hard man to find -- he has no listed number and no web site -- but is renowned for training not just basketball players but also members of Army Special Ops units, federal marshalls, and martial artist. He addresses people as "sir" during normal conversation. You have to know someone in his training circle to become a part of it. At Jeff Capel's urging, Blake, and his brother, Taylor went to San Francisco in the offseason, doing basketball skill work in the mornings with a group of college and pro players, and then going through Matrisciano's grueling and unconventional training in the afternoon.
During the first round of the NCAA tournament when Blake Griffin was flipped onto the ground by Morgan State player Ameer Ali, Matrisciano didn’t know what to expect. "What made me proud was that Blake just got up and walked way. He could have ripped Ali's head off. But then Blake's kicked out of the game, and the next game too. So who wins? If he retaliates, he hurts himself and the opponent achieves his goal. Blake didn't react, and didn't let him win."
This, in a nutshell, is the Puppetmaster concept Griffin embraced for his sophomore season, after a freshman campaign in which he was easily ruffled by defenders and referees. "You're either a puppet on the court, or you're the puppetmaster," Matrisciano would constantly tell him. "You're either allowing someone else to control you, or you're the one in control."
When USC's Leonard Washington punched Griffin in the groin, Utah's Luka Drca tripped him, Michigan's Manny Harris undercut him, and numerous players elbowed him, Griffin stayed in control of the situation. Matrisciano said Blake was able to do this because he has the mental discipline of a "robot," allowing him not only to stay in control, but also plow through workouts that had caused NBA players to quit the training programs.
"I can't express to you how hard we work," Matrisciano said. "I've had pros who, 3 minutes in, 11 minutes in, a couple of days in, say, 'F--- this, you're crazy, I'm leaving.' The Griffin kids woke up every morning and worked."
In the case of Blake Griffin, Matrisciano already knows what he is: "He's a puppetmaster. He sure ain't no puppet."
His extreme composure was what fascinated me most while watching him in the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament, more so than his baseline spin moves or his breathtaking dunks. Part of it, I suspect, comes from his father, Tommy. But I had also heard about a San Francisco trainer named Frank Matrisciano who helped build Griffin into an even more explosive force over the summer, and introduced him to a mental-control concept called the "Puppetmaster."
Matrisciano is a hard man to find -- he has no listed number and no web site -- but is renowned for training not just basketball players but also members of Army Special Ops units, federal marshalls, and martial artist. He addresses people as "sir" during normal conversation. You have to know someone in his training circle to become a part of it. At Jeff Capel's urging, Blake, and his brother, Taylor went to San Francisco in the offseason, doing basketball skill work in the mornings with a group of college and pro players, and then going through Matrisciano's grueling and unconventional training in the afternoon.
During the first round of the NCAA tournament when Blake Griffin was flipped onto the ground by Morgan State player Ameer Ali, Matrisciano didn’t know what to expect. "What made me proud was that Blake just got up and walked way. He could have ripped Ali's head off. But then Blake's kicked out of the game, and the next game too. So who wins? If he retaliates, he hurts himself and the opponent achieves his goal. Blake didn't react, and didn't let him win."
This, in a nutshell, is the Puppetmaster concept Griffin embraced for his sophomore season, after a freshman campaign in which he was easily ruffled by defenders and referees. "You're either a puppet on the court, or you're the puppetmaster," Matrisciano would constantly tell him. "You're either allowing someone else to control you, or you're the one in control."
When USC's Leonard Washington punched Griffin in the groin, Utah's Luka Drca tripped him, Michigan's Manny Harris undercut him, and numerous players elbowed him, Griffin stayed in control of the situation. Matrisciano said Blake was able to do this because he has the mental discipline of a "robot," allowing him not only to stay in control, but also plow through workouts that had caused NBA players to quit the training programs.
"I can't express to you how hard we work," Matrisciano said. "I've had pros who, 3 minutes in, 11 minutes in, a couple of days in, say, 'F--- this, you're crazy, I'm leaving.' The Griffin kids woke up every morning and worked."
In the case of Blake Griffin, Matrisciano already knows what he is: "He's a puppetmaster. He sure ain't no puppet."
3.16.2009
LARRY HUGHES
Great quote from New York Knicks guard Larry Hughes...
"At this point it comes down to how hard you want to work," he said. "because everyone has unbelievable talent at this level."
"At this point it comes down to how hard you want to work," he said. "because everyone has unbelievable talent at this level."
BILL RUSSELL: WINNER
BILL RUSSELL:
5 - NBA Most Valuable Player Awards
12 - NBA All-Stars
11 - NBA Championships
2 - NCAA National Championships at San Francisco
1 - Gold Medal at the Summer Olympics
Below Bill Russell talks about how his attitude changed after he'd been overlooked for player of the year honors when he played college basketball at San Francisco.
"It was then and there that I determined, 'If my team wins a championship every year, there's no quarrel anyone can come up with to deny me that. Winning is the only thing I really cared about. I found that when I left my childhood and came into the real world that individual awards were mostly political."
But winning and losing, there are no politics, only numbers. It's the most democratic thing in the world. Your either a winner or a loser, so I decided early in my career that the only really important thing was to try to win every game. The only thing that really mattered was who won -- and there is nothing subjective about that."
5 - NBA Most Valuable Player Awards
12 - NBA All-Stars
11 - NBA Championships
2 - NCAA National Championships at San Francisco
1 - Gold Medal at the Summer Olympics
Below Bill Russell talks about how his attitude changed after he'd been overlooked for player of the year honors when he played college basketball at San Francisco.
"It was then and there that I determined, 'If my team wins a championship every year, there's no quarrel anyone can come up with to deny me that. Winning is the only thing I really cared about. I found that when I left my childhood and came into the real world that individual awards were mostly political."
But winning and losing, there are no politics, only numbers. It's the most democratic thing in the world. Your either a winner or a loser, so I decided early in my career that the only really important thing was to try to win every game. The only thing that really mattered was who won -- and there is nothing subjective about that."
3.05.2009
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DREAM & A VISION
Niners coach Mike Singletary:
"When I look around the NFL, I'm amazed by how many people have a dream and how few have a vision."
The difference, he said, is that a dream ends up being passive, accommodating disappointment.
A vision, he said, "captures the imagination. A vision is something that consumes you like a fire, it won't let you eat, it won't let you sleep until that vision comes to pass."
"When I look around the NFL, I'm amazed by how many people have a dream and how few have a vision."
The difference, he said, is that a dream ends up being passive, accommodating disappointment.
A vision, he said, "captures the imagination. A vision is something that consumes you like a fire, it won't let you eat, it won't let you sleep until that vision comes to pass."
BO RYAN - PERSERVERANCE
“There’s still something in life for the people who want things, and will persevere, and aren’t easily deterred. There is that element of perseverance that separates a lot of people.”
MARK PRICE - PURE SHOOTER
Mark Price, was a four-time NBA All-Star who won the 3-Point Shooting Contest twice. Below he talks about how he developed as a shooter.
The secret is you have to have good technique and you’ve got to spend the time and put hours and hours in. There is no quick-fix. You hear the term, “pure-shooter,” but what people would call a pure shooter is a guy that’s probably spent a lot of time in the gym working on it.
I spent a lot of time in the gym. My dad taught me what he thought was the right way to shoot the ball, and he told me it was up to me as far as how hard I was going to work. I spent a lot of hours just trying to perfect my shot, because I wasn’t real big—I was probably only 5-11, 155 pounds when I showed up at Georgia Tech so I had to work hard on my skills.
The secret is you have to have good technique and you’ve got to spend the time and put hours and hours in. There is no quick-fix. You hear the term, “pure-shooter,” but what people would call a pure shooter is a guy that’s probably spent a lot of time in the gym working on it.
I spent a lot of time in the gym. My dad taught me what he thought was the right way to shoot the ball, and he told me it was up to me as far as how hard I was going to work. I spent a lot of hours just trying to perfect my shot, because I wasn’t real big—I was probably only 5-11, 155 pounds when I showed up at Georgia Tech so I had to work hard on my skills.
Rodney Stuckey - Being The Focal Point Of A Scout
After starting two games last year as a rookie, Pistons PG Rodney Stuckey has logged 38 starts this season, his minutes steadily increasing.
But in nine games this month, Stuckey has failed to reach double-digits in scoring six times and he's had three one-assists games during that span.
According to coach Michael Curry, that's a reflection of the additional attention he's garnering from opposing teams.
"I've always said there's a difference in getting 20 points when you're not the focal point of the defense and you're pretty much playing off everyone else. Now, his 20 points will always be a hard-earned 20 because he is going to be the focal point of the other teams' defense. A lot of times they are putting their best perimeter defender on him. And so because of that he has to continue to improve and continue to fight through the different challenges he has every night."
But in nine games this month, Stuckey has failed to reach double-digits in scoring six times and he's had three one-assists games during that span.
According to coach Michael Curry, that's a reflection of the additional attention he's garnering from opposing teams.
"I've always said there's a difference in getting 20 points when you're not the focal point of the defense and you're pretty much playing off everyone else. Now, his 20 points will always be a hard-earned 20 because he is going to be the focal point of the other teams' defense. A lot of times they are putting their best perimeter defender on him. And so because of that he has to continue to improve and continue to fight through the different challenges he has every night."
LON KRUGER - ON CONFIDENCE
Confidence, I think, is as significant as anything in performance," said UNLV coach Lon Kruger recently. "People who play with confidence, who perform with confidence, feel good about what they’re doing. It’s hard for people to be confident if you’re tearing them down all the time. So we’re just trying to build them up to promote confidence, to promote enthusiasm. It all ties together."
According to Coach Kruger, whose Rebels are 20-8 with two regular season games left, building confidence doesn't necessarily mean going soft.
"Some individuals may need to get after it a little harder, in a constructive way,” Kruger said. "Even when you’re getting after people, that’s not a negative. That can be constructive when it’s intended the right way."
According to Coach Kruger, whose Rebels are 20-8 with two regular season games left, building confidence doesn't necessarily mean going soft.
"Some individuals may need to get after it a little harder, in a constructive way,” Kruger said. "Even when you’re getting after people, that’s not a negative. That can be constructive when it’s intended the right way."
TIM LINCECUM - NOT RESTING ON HIS LAURELS
Five years ago, Tim Lincecum was on his way to earning Freshman of the Year honors at the University of Washington.
Today, he's getting ready for his first season since winning the Cy Young Award in November of last year.
Nicknamed "The Freak," the 5-foot-11, 174-pound Lincecum isn't resting on his laurels.
"I always want to get better," said Lincecum, who had a league-high 265 strikeouts last season for the Giants. "I come into this year, I'm not just sitting on my ass hoping everything's going to be all right because of last year. I've got to come out here and work and become better. That's what it takes to be a good major-league baseball player."
Today, he's getting ready for his first season since winning the Cy Young Award in November of last year.
Nicknamed "The Freak," the 5-foot-11, 174-pound Lincecum isn't resting on his laurels.
"I always want to get better," said Lincecum, who had a league-high 265 strikeouts last season for the Giants. "I come into this year, I'm not just sitting on my ass hoping everything's going to be all right because of last year. I've got to come out here and work and become better. That's what it takes to be a good major-league baseball player."
TEAM QUOTES
Great quote from Ron Artest the other day in the Houston paper:
"The only thing that defines individuals is how the team does."
A good quote from John Wooden that relates is, "The star of the team is the team."
"When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality."
"The only thing that defines individuals is how the team does."
A good quote from John Wooden that relates is, "The star of the team is the team."
"When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality."
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