Day 17 – Emulate
How often are you out on the court all alone working on your game and you think back to a move you saw someone put on and you said to yourself, “I’m going to practice that move and use it someday“?
Some call it visualization. I call it emulating. Nothing wrong with watching a player and copying their move. Matter of fact, I wish more players would do that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you should copy everything you see. I grew up watching NBA and college games and going out to the backyard and trying to master their moves.
Here’s 5 time NBA champion Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers; (SI April 27th, 1998. The Basketball Book.) “My baseline jumper, I got it from Oscar Robertson. Oscar liked to use his size against smaller players. That’s what I try to do. From Earl (the Pearl) Monroe he learned how to “shake one way, then go back to the other way.” His fall-away jumper from Hakeem Olajuwon.”
More from Bryant, “I learned all my dribbling moves from God Shammgod [at summer camps]” (SI. Show Time. By Ian Thomson. April 27, 1998. The NBA Book.)
Everyone needs heroes and favorite players to learn from. When I was younger, in my mind I used to play against Walt Frazier in our schoolyard. I would make-believe I was going one-on-one against him. Keep in mind, Frazier was a great defender.
Follow a player – research them; watch them on film Find articles written about them, keep a file and refer to it often. Get a picture of them and post it somewhere you can see it every day.
There’s nothing wrong with copying the successful players.
