BEING SKILLED VS GOOD AT BASKETBALL..

Being skilled and being good at basketball are not the exact same thing, is there a correlation, yes, but not always

[@YvngGoat_]

He’s not lying. There’s a reason the last 5 league MVP’s have all been international players

[@clintguia7984]

fr

[@drumusic5665]

That doesn't really make sense considering he is talking about kids that aren't in the NBA yet. He also is talking about such a niche section of HS hoops. I played in Atlanta on a team with multiple future college hoppers and we always had a full week of practice

[@SirChiefsAlot]

​@@drumusic5665 your mind absorbs way more knowledge and can develop deep fundamental skills at a younger age. Doing that later in your career has you playing catch up the whole time.

[@mikefitzpatrick43]

​@@drumusic5665and 1 destroyed basketball in America. Everyone wants to make fancy dribbles, passes and dunks but the basics and fundamentals went out the window. You see centers playing like point guards nowadays they have no post game

[@Smido83]

And Luka will win one very soon, as well as Wemby... if the US isnt changing their develomental system, this will contunue for a long long time.

[@Brxtnn]

This is what Kobe said about the new NBA before he retired. He said something like these guys don’t know how to play the game of basketball. It’s just one guy attacking and no real rotations or plays being ran. Just attack and dish. Attack and dish.

[@tjltraining]

Very true

[@paultondolojr9432]

Yeah, kobe. Nobody else ever said or did anything since he died.

[@BlueDrew10]

@@paultondolojr9432 Okay, but it's something that Kobe said as well... What's your goal here?

[@paultondolojr9432]

@@BlueDrew10 exactly what i said. Who are you? What's your goal? The nba has always been criticized for such things, but since Kobe said it, it carries a different weight?

[@paultondolojr9432]

@@BlueDrew10 like Fred Durst said "you gotta have faith"

[@BadgerWolf-19]

I trained my brother to try out for city college team. All we did was scenario breakdowns and basic 3 level scoring moves. Mostly off ball instructions and how to fill gaps and see cutting opportunities. He was mad at first because it wasnt these crazy dribbling moves...anyways he made the team and started every game for two years and got a scholarship to a small university. He graduates this year. Fundamentals work.

[@lawrencebello8595]

That’s actually so dope to hear

[@Jajais4u]

Proud to hear this! The fundamentals are fundamental for a reason

[@ddale20]

Europe didn’t catch up to us, we got worse!

[@BadgerWolf-19]

@@ddale20 one of our player study was Aleksandar Vezenkov before he even got to the NBA.

[@I_like_turtles_67]

Great job.

[@TopVillain]

This reminds me of the San Antonio spurs in the early 2000s. Tim Duncan and the squad weren’t insanely athletic but they played fundamental basketball and won championship after championship.

[@mikeottersole]

Absolutely. Shout out to the Spurs, the team game, passing first Spurs. And my favorite, Manu Ginobli.

[@boagski]

Paaaaattty Mills bra!

[@tyronejoseph8716]

The Point Forward Boris Diaw

[@butchsmith-rt1ok]

​@@mikeottersolebut you are the sameones downing the wnba.

[@therealgamerg]

And let's not forget about the goat coach Pop

[@jacoburanga218]

And not to mention the 6 AAU games they play is nothing but isolations

[@tjltraining]

Exactly

[@colbyfaw5353]

That’s how the nba is tho so it’s the only way to pump out good players

[@tim.noonan]

@@colbyfaw5353That is so far from true I don’t know how you weren’t raptured away once you posted that comment. And I’m sorry in advance that you’re too dumb to understand what that means.

[@frrmrr4314]

@@colbyfaw5353how old are u ? Im curious

[@inokerogoyawa]

@@colbyfaw5353Yeah but most of those AAU if they make it to the NBA will have to play a role on the team…Most likely they won’t be the primary or secondary scorer….They don’t know how to do the other things that it takes to win basketball games…

[@stopthejokes2k474]

Like Charles Barkley said in his last interview with Shannon Sharpe, we are all great playing against air

[@deanchambers8613]

He wasn't :)

[@stopthejokes2k474]

@@deanchambers8613 idk what you talking about honestly, he wasn't what

[@deanchambers8613]

@@stopthejokes2k474 Playing against Air!

[@deanchambers8613]

@@stopthejokes2k474 I'm kidding, he was good in 1993

[@Tom-hx5kh]

@@deanchambers8613 nice one 👌

[@marvingraham7487]

I see this everyday in the gym , I’m 45 and still winning against these high jumping sharp shooting kids. One main thing they missin is common sense and BASKETBALL IQ

[@loverofhumanity]

bro same thing except im 32, but you nailed it. My god most of them play without using common sense. It's sometimes really bizarre how dumb they play cause there is so much talent but talent without iq is useless.

[@SunSunSunn]

cap

[@KevinIsraelofficial]

I agree completely! I still play ball against young people and they can do a bunch of moves but they don’t know how to play basketball

[@26michaeluk]

And even with those moves they brick the shot yet still run their mouths like they did something. If they make it I understand the talk but even that has gotten crazy disrespectful.

[@djandres6847]

I feel you! I’m 38 and grew up watching and playing basketball the way it should be. I played ball with younger kids and it’s mostly ISO. No screens, backdoor cuts, dribble handoff.. nothing. It’s unfortunate to see.

[@loverofhumanity]

@@djandres6847 yup....most of them have high individual skills but they have no concept of fundamental team basketball. Many have never even set an off ball screen or did a backdoor cut in their life. I'm 32 years old and still out play pretty much all the young guys in my mens league just because I understand these fundamentals and I drill it into my teammates and theyve gotten better at understanding this stuff It is depressing though to watch how the game has degraded. Many of them will do a nice flashy move and then brick a three. I will just shoot off a catch or simple setback but I always focus on perfect technique and form so my field goal percentage is high. That takes you so much farther than being fancy.

[@Lwill0]

@@26michaelukExactly that’s why you gotta humble them down

[@26michaeluk]

@@Lwill0 yup.

[@Hemmetime]

He didn’t even mention the worst part. American basketball is destroying the health of its young players. They did a study and a shocking amount of these guys get chronic injuries from bad schedules like this. If they manage one healthy season in college these injuries go unnoticed and carry over into their pro careers. Zion is the prime example

[@ryancandee5354]

Zion gets hurt a lot has a very big frame and has a very explosive playing style. I think Ja Morant is a better example. I also think the mentality is different overseas when it comes to playing banged up. A lot of players from the US don't play unless they feel like it or it's the playoffs. Players from Europe will play through all minor injuries.

[@dfraymo]

This right here 👆🏽 I thought it was a hunch. Why am I seeing more youth BASKETBALL players have ACL/MCL/PCL/Meniscus as if they were football players. Twenty years ago I hardly ever heard any of my friends in the circuit with those injuries unless they landed wrong. NOW my friends’ children (boys and girls) getting hurt from non-contact drills. I thought it was just me thinking there is something in today’s food 😂😂

[@jackthe_tripper2544]

Ball Brothers always injured over trained

[@prophecy9521]

@@jackthe_tripper2544they grew up playing on concrete too, that messes up your knees and ankles after

[@alexcarlone7967]

@@ryancandee5354not just Zion, Americans have way more injuries because they play a full NBA career before they join the NBA

[@rwalt81]

Coaches in the US still coaching positions. In Europe every player has to do all of the drills the shorter guys have to post up and taller guys have to shoot 3’s positionless basketball

[@JasonAtlas]

5'9'' from Germany here I used to play ages ago. Tuesdays I practised center. That session was a rough one for sure.

[@TheSBleeder]

That's not necessarily good. Most big men should play in the paint.

[@KevD720]

@@TheSBleederno one ever said they shouldn’t play in the paint lol

[@bradthebard8824]

Positionless basketball doesn’t translate to wins. Suns are perfect example of why it doesn’t work and the nuggets perfect example why it does. Even jokic, the greatest passing center in the league, if not ever, still thrives with a true PG like Murray. Durant, one of the greatest scorers massively struggles without a PG.

[@young__blacksmith]

@@bradthebard8824 Jokic is a 7 ft center with point guard skills. He is the definition of ‘positionless basketball’

[@amjan]

18yo talent in USA - is a star on his HS team 18yo talent in Europe - is a reserve player on a men's team, has his ego in check and keeps learning

[@kingcane5819]

Totally agree. Everyone has the same skill set. No matter the height. Drbble dribble, dribble, step back, and shoot

[@radovanprstojevic1060]

Hero basketball has always been the American way. It's still dominant at the international level...and it sells more shoes

[@universalplayz7496]

Nowhere in the real world should do players of extremely opposition height and body have the skill set something extremely wrong there

[@rotweilerscholar1181]

He put emphasis on Practice though because he is a coach..Players need to play games to get the experience and Ring IQ he is talking about. Practice alone is just practice.

[@kevinbuckingham3155]

As an American playing pro ball overseas in Spain, he’s right. 6 practices and 1 game every week.

[@alextrivunovic644]

Has it improved your game, do you think?

[@ethandaniel8123]

Yeah, but Ryan b Garcia’ing a lil too much lately, at least imo.

[@darrius751]

I don't see why AAU couldn't try this, make a 17U league that just follows this model

[@avantesmith6442]

@@darrius751AAU could, but folks don’t realize how much parents/players dictate what happens.

[@swatkabombonica4103]

And sometimes even two practices per day. Morning and evening. Right?

[@vasilijebirovljeviii1030]

100% true. I played in Serbia. 6 days of practice and 1 game per week, sometimes but rarely 2 games per week. Our point guard who was 6'5 knew how to dribble, shoot, post up, pass and he had phenomenal court vision. He could even play the 2, 3, or 4 in any given moment. Our center was a 3 point sniper, post game was excellent, could dribble a bit and attack the rim.

[@1smhx5]

But couldn’t play in us cuz he lacked talent

[@wesleywallace101]

@@1smhx5which doesn’t negate what the best players in the us now ate mostly bout from the us. The point is that international ballers get taught in a more fundamentally sound way

[@coreycollins6917]

@@1smhx5the best players in Europe are as good as role players in the US. You could swap half the league’s benches with European players and the level wouldn’t drop

[@DotM.]

@@coreycollins6917the 3 best players in the league rn are from Europe lmao

[@Lymbe06]

​@@1smhx5not every good European can go to the US, there's a limit to how many guys guys are available or drafted. But get this, the Wizards brought in Tristan Vuksevic from Belgrad, 20 year old guy who wasnt even getting real minutes in Europe. He scored double digits in 5 of his 7 games so far, adjusted to 30 mpg (he plays 15 mpg) his average is 17/7/3. Those numbers are enough to get you the MVP in the Euroleague, thats how hard it is.

[@edelmantoamendola]

Geno is correct. It's iso ball (US and AAU) vs fundamentals and team (Europe). The influx of the 3 of the top 5 players in the NBA being from Europe (Jokic, Luka, Giannis) is not a coincidence.

[@ezrajogsskzl]

And now Wembanyama

[@widiandritalempong4405]

Even lebron and curry looks more european style than american one

[@loverofhumanity]

you need to also understand a big part of it is european style basketball is really just handball or soccer fundamentals applied to the sport of basketball. The same reason the best soccer teams are european is the same reason they have slowly started to become the best in basketball. Europe has perfected fundamentals, skills and IQ related to the team. The idea is focused on individual play within the team concept and not just isolation american style. It makes sense actually when you compare the cultures, america has a very individualized, egocentric culture. One guy needs to be the hero. In general europeans dont really have that culture.

[@marksusan]

@@ezrajogsskzldamn… you’re right. Make that 4 players. Europe makes super stars by making them fundamental basket ball players first, and then super stars because of this.

[@spenser6353]

@@ezrajogsskzlwemby is not a top 5 player at this point

[@swankmastermind7407]

The sport has become to focused on the individual one on one superstar style. Basketball is always best to watch and play when it’s a team game

[@spenser6353]

The superstar gets the money and endorsements. That why everyone wants to be a superstar

[@mambaforever3239]

I agree, Quality > Quantity. For most kids/young athletes in HS or college in the US, Basketball is their ticket to fame. More games played mean more exposure/highlight potential which can get them sponsorships, social media followers or just straight up clout.

[@tjltraining]

Of course but there are millions of kids who don’t fit that description who are playing 6 games a weekend and can’t even hit a 3 point shot, they got no business getting exposure

[@user-bf5vi6yg8n]

This attitude of “Maybe 1 will be SEEN!” Kills thousands a year in hopes of one. Work toward a goal don’t hope to go viral

[@mikeottersole]

"For most kids...basketball is their ticket to fame"? What a load of garbage. 400 NBA players vs 10s of thousands of high school players. What ticket are you selling?

[@eldergoob6086]

Brother, most DO NOT HAVE A TICKET VIA SPORTS. They are just used for as long as they can be.

[@johnp5761]

@@tjltrainingbull fkn 💩. You telling me a kid on the eybl circuit can’t hit a fkn 3. I understand agreeing to agree, but this is too fkn far. Geno is just hating bc the AAU coaches are a bunch of street guys hustling the kids for clout. Besides he coaches girls, stay over there 👉

[@samhartje723]

True! Team practices where you develop teamwork and off-ball skills are more valuable in the long run than developing a “bag” with a trainer.

[@sitonmuhdeckasshole]

It really shows in college. It’s unbearable to watch because the offenses are so rudimentary. It shocks me anyone watches college basketball for fun. They’re so bad.

[@robwatson8674]

Been saying this for a decade. One and dones has ruined the college game, and everyone is blowing smoke up the asses of the top 7 or 8 players in recruitment. Ego's are inflated, and skills devoted to the team game are down.

[@fredlin6303]

NIL will destroy the game.

[@krustykrabpizza4328]

​@@fredlin6303a lack of fundamentals is destroying basketball not college players getting paid for the worth they add to a team

[@phillipdunn6009]

Im from the uk, and my son plays for our town's under 12's team. They practice 3 times a week and play once. He has only been playing for a year and a half, and the improvement is really noticeable.

[@CoolM1ke0]

He hit the nail on the head!! Geno said what a lot of coaches scared to say 🙌🏽🙌🏽

[@tjltraining]

Facts!!

[@mchristian5217]

Who is going to tell them, because it would cut into the coach’s pocket and those doing the training. Just the wrong approach.

[@CoolM1ke0]

@@mchristian5217 you’re right bro. But all he saying is that he’d rather have a fundamental player. That’s just not the way of the basketball world now tho

[@df3575]

​@@CoolM1ke0the real point is what he's not saying, which mchristian was: its the Fkking Coaches/adults/shoe companies/people running AAU and youth ball, who created this system he's bitching about.....TO LINE THEIR OWN POCKETS. But what comes out of his mouth is about "kids", as if they run shttt....as if an 11 year old or 14 yr old hires a fkkking soul. It's 🧢. It's cowardice....talk shttt about kids but have nothing to say about the people responsible.

[@tapg6736]

@@adonis8289this is Geno Aureimma, not John Calipari.

[@kman9884]

They don’t practice at every position, they don’t play defense, they don’t lift weights. They just play pick-up, essentially

[@skip3853]

@knan9884 They don’t play enough pickup games with grown men that will make you learn how to play.

[@selassieaspen9940]

​@@skip3853 learning to play as a team is basically what you're saying. Most grown man doesn't iso like how he use too.

[@joshchambers5163]

Yes the nba is like that. No defence just a pickup game with very loose rules

[@goat9295]

No, they definitely lift weights. More than they should.

[@drolleskate6164]

He’s definitely right about the amount of games AAU plays. I can’t think of anywhere else in basketball at any level even little league, where you play 4 to 5 games a day every weekend. Kobe talked about how it’s been killing the game of basketball and its players because unless you’re a supremely gifted god that’s not going to translate well into college or the NBA. I believe it also attributes to a lot of the injuries we see now. I swear guys didn’t used get injured this much and so severely. Acl, mcl, pcl etc. those were typically football injuries and now it’s becoming a regular occurrence in the NBA.

[@26michaeluk]

You're exactly right. To many games has led to a dramatic rise in injuries. Multiple studies back it up.

[@Bobbillyjrboy]

This isn’t just basketball, this is life.

[@lsuboy4l522]

this really applies to so many sports!! practice makes perfect not games!!!

[@lukasschroder7195]

Met a guy once here in Germany. Was an American on holiday here. And he played like 2 days with us for a bit. What i noticed was his big ego without much to show for it. Yes he was the best 1on1 player and one of the best conditioned players who i played against. But everytime we played 3v3, 5v5 he cried for the ball or complained because we played to hard defense. In the end he was most likely one of the worst guys those days on the court. When we first met him he bragged about being a State Semifinalist and being called a 2 Star recruit or something. But he lacked so much copared to kids like me (played 1-2 years at that time in a Smalltown club). Ego can be something good, but it has to be a healthy ego wich only comes when you get humbled and still regulary succeed. I played with guys who trained with 2nd-3rd league german teams. They were really good and knew it but still were humble because at the end of the day they didnt even make the Matchday roster in the Mens league. America really should focus more on physical/mental health and fundamentals then 1on1 and Starpower.

[@kanofactsa5551]

But we're still better 😂😂😂

[@brandonnhol]

^ Welp we found him boys!

[@kanofactsa5551]

@@brandonnhol I don't even play basketball 🤣🤣🤣 I just notice what I see

[@Chufkwkwn]

Let’s just have team USA play team Germany, that should tell us all we need to know

[@AlisonTust]

if serbia or lithuania had the population and money of america they would dominate

[@LoneStarOMGTX]

This is exactly what I’ve been saying. As a coach, it’s so hard to get these guys to be better basketball players because of the summer and these trainers who don’t teach game time things.

[@jasonandrews1770]

This is such a fact. So many people in the nba that can even make a pass

[@JohnWilliams-wm7dy]

Because of AAU. Long gone are the days where coaches could control the players. Used to be u had to play for your school, wait your turn and work on your game until the senior in front of u graduated. Now if a kid don’t like the coach he can just switch teams, or even create your own team. Now u got selfish pros who can’t get through a whole season and get their coaches fired every year smh.

[@businesstron]

I mean you still have high school ball and in most cases in high school if a underclass men is good they gone play early and often. AAU is unseeded overkill but let’s not act like these kids aren’t playing under a traditional structure in high school like 7 months of the year.

[@JohnWilliams-wm7dy]

@@businesstronhow is it a traditional structure when anybody can create they own team anytime they want? There’s no governing body. Nobody holds the kids accountable. School teams hold u accountable for your grades and your behavior in class. AAU coaches don’t give a damn bout none of that? Just can u ball: therefore u get stars now who are butt holes

[@businesstron]

@@JohnWilliams-wm7dy Do live in this country or do you understand how basketball works in the US? All of these kids still go to high school and they still play on their high school teams for their high school coaches from August to March during the school year. You can't just create teams in high school. Doesn't work like that and each state has their own governing body and classification system. With that the routine of practicing 4 or 5 times a week and then playing 2-3 games (2 most weeks outside of tournaments) under a coach. It's not just AAU all the time everytime. As a mater of fact AAU is probably about 30% of their time...during offseason. That just takes up their spring and summer. The time it also takes up is off hours with no connection to high school. Then on top of that some states have summer leagues for high school teams. I'm not a fan of AAU because it is overkill but if you gonna have an opinion and speak on it make sure you actually understand what you speaking about.

[@JohnWilliams-wm7dy]

@@businesstrondon’t be condescending. Just because my experience is different than yours and gives me a different perspective doesn’t mean I’m dumb. Listen there are plenty of kids who go are good at ball but complain about the politics or the favoritism that happens in high school sports. Which is a problem of its own, but trust me there are plenty of parents that don’t want the kids playing for the school team. I can go to AAU right now and pay a little fee and put a team together right now and put them in a tournament with no practice. That’s what I mean by no governing body. Nobody is making sure the money is spent honestly, nobody is supervising the practice time, or conditions these athletes are in. These AAU coaches can dog these kids out and there is no penalty. That’s why what I’m talking about. Of course I know u can do both. But playing basketball year round from a young age leads to over use injuries which also hurts the kids. Overall AAU is NOT good for kids… that’s my opinion. Yes I’m from Atlanta Ga and played sports my whole life and got two kids in sports? U wanna know anything else about me? I why don’t u tell me about yourself?

[@NoFaithNoGlory]

I'm a Cadet coach and I live in Spain. B team trains two times per week, first day 3 hours of contiditioning, second day 3 hours of fundamentals, third day 3 hours of plays. They play 1 game per week. A team trains four times per week, same schedule, their fourth day is fundamentals. They also play 1 game. If you don't bust your ass in practice, you don't play. If you don't know the plays, you don't even make it to the bus. It's not only about basketball but values and grit-and-grind culture. First they must be good men, then they can be good basketball players. I'd like to think my kids have more quality basketball playing time than the kids mentioned in the video. And we are not a serious basketball program like the one that Real Madrid has or the ones you can find in old-yugo-countries. That's why players like Luka or Jokic are just a different breed. They've been training 4 hours, 5 days at week since they're 12 with "no-bullshit" coaches. They're just a different animal guys.

[@quindecim3315]

All that and usa will kick all European ass in the Olympics.

[@edgeredux]

Are you serious? The guy you replied to made some really good, thought provoking points. Here's a few more that you'll probably sh*t on too... Since 2005 there has only been 7 American born NBA MVPs. And that's GIVING you Kobe even though he learned fundamentals overseas. There hasn't been an American born NBA MVP since 2018. The US team didn't even MEDAL in last year's FIBA World Cup. We lost to freaking Canada, for God's sake. It's ok to think outside your comfort zone. To expand your horizons. Not get all defensive and start talking sh*t when one of your beliefs is questioned. You'll probably get mad at this comment and talk sh*t to me...

[@edmundnlemadim8480]

@@edgeredux"The US team didn't even MEDAL in last year's FIBA World Cup. We lost to freaking Canada, for God's sake." Irrelevant. We sent out C team, and got C team results. If we had trotted out the A team and got this result, then the criticism is valid... Guess we'll see what happens in the Olympics this August. Either criticisms such as this will be invalidated or supported.

[@NoFaithNoGlory]

@@quindecim3315 Europe's Basketball estructure is undeveloped compared to the US. We coaches do what we can, but basketball is usually seen as a bad option by kids' parents. In Spain there are 10-11 teams that can take you to elite level giving full scholarships. They get players from all over Europe. That's so little chance of becoming a pro, people don't even try. Also it's not like you gonna get attention and Nike is coming over to see you play. Nah dude, no Nike, just your grandma. Also there's no need to get a college scholarship to study, our best colleges are public (less than 2000 grand a year). There you have a whole culture developed around getting your life together thru a sports scholarship. Colleges get rich with kids, kids get their fams out bad spots thru basketball. It works so good for you. One final thing to mention is that the US has 333mill of inhabitants compared to Spain's 47mill. If you have 1 good basketball player out of 2mill of people, you get more than 150, and if you get a star for each 10mill, you get 33. We get 23 and 4. And that's ok too. It's our fuel. Beat the odds.

[@archiedonnelly2948]

​@@quindecim3315because basketball is a tiny sport in Europe

[@Madisonrvr]

Completely true regarding baseball and ice hockey as well.

[@dtkProf48]

Totally Agree With Geno...I Have Reffed Hoop For 45 Years...Kids Can Dribble & Shoot Better Than Ever, Better Athletes, Etc. BUT...Cant Pass, Cant Pick & Roll, Cant Give & Go, Cant Backdoor, Struggle With Pass & Cut, or Pass & Screen.

[@Kingepticon]

It also doesn’t hurt that you can’t touch players anymore without a foul being called and you can now take 3 or 4 steps routinely without a travel ever being called.

[@baylor8321]

More fouls were called in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s than there are today. Your anecdotes don’t line up with statistics

[@clemence8623]

Also one major thing that’s doesn’t get talked about is in Europe we practice skills for every position regardless is you are 6ft or 7ft u train is such a way that you are just a shooter or a post player, on the ball or off the ball, I’ve seen American players get pigeonholed for decades and no wonder why todays players don’t really know how to play of the ball aswell. You have some who smarten up and learn it coz they quickly figure out they won’t be “that guy” on an nba level

[@Ben2bwild]

Geno basically said the same thing lol

[@quindecim3315]

Usa will sweep in the Olympics lmao

[@mikeottersole]

​@@quindecim3315 Not from being better basketball players. From being taller, faster, stronger athletes. And yes, they'll probably win again.

[@housemane565]

​@@quindecim3315And USA has so much bigger population than any country from Europe, Some citys in the states have more people than some europian countries

[@DaLumpy1]

Coach told ZERO lies! 🤙🏾💜

[@barondavisiscool]

As someone from the UK who played pro in Spain alongside a lot of Americans, this rings SOOO true. They had all the athleticism, all the skills but unless they were on fire or on a break, if you defended cerebally then they were pretty easy to defend 1v1. Especially with the more restrictive European rules

[@Ghostzapper]

Not trying to blindly defend my country with this, but you do have to acknowledge the selection bias going on there. Those are/were guys that were not keeping pace in America and seeking weaker competition *because* their game had flaws. Having those physical tools, they should have improved massively in a relatively short time over there. Or flatly, would have never reached a higher level no matter the coaching. What'd you see happening^?

[@housemane565]

​@@GhostzapperI mean hes pro how i he seeking weaker competition, Euroleague is a pro league way harder than college ball. small % college players can get to pro leagues in europe

[@Ghostzapper]

@@housemane565 It's not like all pro leagues are created equal. That's something so self-evident, I don't know how the conversation can even continue in that direction. Original commenter didn't say they played in a top league, which I assumed they would (rightfully) brag about if they did. But even if we are talking about EuroLeague, the literal best league outside of the NBA, 1/3 of the players are American. All of which would choose playing in the NBA if they were good enough..

[@tyca659]

Geno is a real one

[@tjltraining]

Facts!

[@yoramrodriguez4499]

How can you be good at basketball and have no skills?? That's an Oxymoron... There's nothing factual about what he said the NBA has two of the Very best Europeans in the League...stop acting like Europeans come over here and dominate cuz they don't....

[@NATUR3F33LS]

​@@yoramrodriguez4499 By just being athletic. Athleticism only gets you so far. Guys like Ben Simmons. He never worked on his game much and now that he's losing his athleticism and his body can't keep up, he's about to be out of the league.

[@crosscountry9132]

Geno could’ve coach a mid major to tourney n that’s a fact

[@yoramrodriguez4499]

@@NATUR3F33LS it's funny how you bring up Ben Simmons but not the very best of the game who grew up playing Ball in America. European Basketball is not better than American Basketball period.... That's why the very best come over here and play not the other way around...

[@michaelvance4492]

Blame the media who say "Oh Jordan did this" or "Kobe did that" instead of saying the Bulls or the Lakers. When the media only focuses on individualism in a team game and the fans argue how great someone is or isn't regardless of if they have a good team or not, then you're showing kids that basketball is no longer a team sport, its an individual game. There's other players on the court but if I want my recognition then I have to focus on me. Win or lose it doesn't matter as long as my numbers look good because then they will see me, talk about me, and show my highlights. This is the kind of mindset we are creating with our youth. They don't care if they win, they want to go viral.

[@carmcam1]

around the time that these guys are playing, it is not only about kobe or jordan alone, it is jordan-pippen, jordan-pippen-rodman, kobe-shaq, kobe-gasol. Nobody is thinking around that time that MJ or kobe did it by themselves, You know when this started, when the "goat" debate started, guess who started it, the player who takes all the credit when winning and blames everyone but himself when loosing.

[@David-hi8og]

@@carmcam1lebron

[@lemonscentedgames3641]

The name ur looking for is lebron, not kobe or jordan

[@vitakuzaliwa1465]

He invalidated his own argument

[@Hi-pl5rx]

My dad has a theory on AAU/travel sports and says its bad for competitiveness. If you play a tournament every week the stakes for losing goes down vastly. Plus a lot of AAU kids just want to show off to get looks. It’s not about winning

[@beatonthedonis]

Basketball is a team sport. America worships the individual. Something has to give.

[@mlc808]

American basketball worships the individual. Team spirit is very strong in other sports.

[@cbbc2870]

"I mean, listen: We talking about practice. Not a game. Not a game. Not a game. We talking about practice. Not a game”

[@matthewhoribe6585]

IYKYK

[@slowboogie1679]

Ok Allen....

[@mikeottersole]

Iverson was a unique athlete with a terrible attitude. Look where it got him. Broke after signing one of the biggest sports contracts of the time. Over $100 mil.

[@housemane565]

​@@mikeottersoleagree.but in the practice thing he was in the right because his close friend died and thats why he missed practice, not a game, practice. i mean thats a good reason, its not like he missed a game

[@Myhaay]

@@mikeottersole what does his financial situation have to do with him as a player lmao, he practiced dude, probably more than most, no small dude can do what he did by not practicing, he was also playing hurt like 90% of the time. someone already explained the viral clip, your comment is just dumb.

[@lazysob2328]

Finally! Someone said it out loud! I get so tired of having to explain the importance of practice in team sports. Now it’s get on a traveling team and let’s go. Give me a team of well drilled ball players every time. You can keep the show boats!

[@DJ--ALLDAY]

😲 "But we're talking about practice, man. What are we talking about? Practice? We're talking about practice, man! But we're talking about practice, man. What are we talking about? Practice? We're talking about practice, man! We're talking about practice! We're talking about practice... We ain't talking about the game! We're talking about practice, man! When you come to the arena, and you see me play... You see me play, don't you? We're talking about practice! We're talking about practice... We ain't talking about the game! ? "

[@emmanuela7528]

Recall hearing a doctor saying 18-year-old kids where coming into the NBA with 23-year-old knees. They are playing too many games.

[@babynautilus]

especially for kids, playing to win makes u go for stuff you might get sketched out by if it was more casual.. while lots of injury is chronic stress without recovery, there's also the times u really tweak something bc it was nothing to sacrifice ur body in the heat of the moment

[@grege5074]

Its also a lack of diversity in athletic movement. Playing many different sports, with different movement patters increase strength and flexibility. If you want to know who will be durable look for the guys who played football, soccer, baseball, volleyball

[@emmanuela7528]

@@grege5074 Yes. Specialisation leads to repeated stress on the same muscles and joints.

[@meezyworld]

Facts

[@Void7.4.14]

So many people miss this point. Yes, now players are better scouted, developed, trained, fed, etc, but they are not as fundamentally sound and the high level of team play and competitive effort just isn't there. Too many people are playing for highlights, avoiding situations so they don't get memed, and are just too friendly with everybody instead of wanting to kill everything in their path. That's why Ant is such a breath of fresh air, he's all that good and none of the bad.

[@v4v819]

If every kid isn't sound then no kid needs to be... Just a different way to play the game!

[@HotspurFC-cu6ny]

Because we live in a country of clout that’s why to many people wanna be Ja Morant and not Luka Doncic

[@constancechaplin733]

Yah , and Ant has great confidence too

[@constancechaplin733]

The perfect balance of humblesness and confidence

[@dotfoefive5997]

Ain’t heard that beat since 2015. Good Times man good times

[@cristiananorve8982]

I Feel the same way about the current state of soccer today in the US. Kids wanting the flashy things or doing the flashy things rather than keeping the game what it is. One of the biggest compliments I’ve ever received as a player was “you play simple” very thankful for the coaches that I had growing up.

[@selassieaspen9940]

“Good” is about innate ability. It’s about talent. It’s about genetics. It’s about whether or not you’re “gifted.” If you’re not good at something now, the logic goes, you’ll never be good at it. That’s the essence of a fixed mindset. “Skilled” is about acquired ability. It’s about learning, studying, and practice. It’s about what you have done and what you could do. You might not be skilled at something now, but with time and effort, you can become skilled. That’s the essence of a growth mindset.

[@constancechaplin733]

Underrated comment

[@Daithi_mk]

I mean that first paragraph might just be the dumbest thing I ever read. Arguing definitions of words as vague as that is semantics, but your argument for the definition of "good" in that context is just completely incorrect. A try hard idiot comment. You can achieve a level of being "good" by many different means. Not just genetic ability. Obviously. "The logic goes" No it fucking doesn't! Lmfao.

[@Neo-qo1fy]

That explains it. I always thought euro-league kids were just like that. We just suck at nurturing talent. 😂

[@what9331]

In the words of the famous A.I..........."WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRACTICE!"

[@zachk5652]

Only 22% of nba players were born anywhere not named the US, even less played outside of the American AAU/College system and even less played in europe. Of the 15 greatest players ever, only one was born outside of the states and he played at Houston. Ppl are only saying this cause of Luka, Jokic, and Giannis. Luka, zero mvps has never made the finals and are about to lose to a team filled with AAU kids. Jokic, bout to get swept by Antman and Kat, Giannis hasn’t done much without a healthy Middleton and Jrue Holiday. European guys are not better basketball players than Americans and once again the US has to form their god squad to remind the rest of the world how far behind they truly are in comparison.

[@livinginadarkworld2808]

@@zachk5652i think you missed the point . i’ll say it in a way you could understand.. Shaq is america and kobe is europe.. Shaq all the talent in the world ,dominate , unstoppable but lazy as all hell never wanted to put the work in .. Kobe is precise , motivated, driven , hard worker , no days off constantly trying to better himself and still dominates .. would you say shaq was a better basketball player than kobe although shaq had all the points and some would say he carried kobe ?

[@hesiiii]

@@livinginadarkworld2808no, you missed the point. the drive to be great is absolutely not lower in the US, it’s simply pointing out differences in training structure.

[@KingNoTail]

​​@@zachk5652Nah it's 2-2, and those 3 players have been in the top 5 in MVP voting for the past 3-4 years. If Europe was a big nation like we are we would get slaughtered every year. We're lucky that Giannas, Jokic, Luka, Wemby, and rest get pieced out on different countries teams.

[@jbetts214]

I coach some local/church leagues. One of my biggest issues were coaches that over coach skillsets and not mindsets. It’s not just about knowing HOW to do something, it’s also about knowing WHEN to do it… and when NOT TO. I try to gets kids to understand WHY, but more importantly I try to understand THEIR why. Once you figure that out, it makes it so much easier to work with them. “I’m not benching you because you turned the ball over the last 3 trips down the floor trying to play 1v5, it’s because you failed to learn from the first 2 turnovers. So I need you to help me understand why you didn’t get your teammates more involved.” Coaching kids is so much about managing parents’ energy and setting expectations.

[@justinhenryrebel]

100% facts…I see it when I play against them. I have to tell them what to do to run plays/rotations etc.

[@AJSRR]

I practise fundamentally but it's the same problem as he said when I play against real defenders and there is someone defending me even if he's smaller than me I still panic and don't know what to do

[@tjltraining]

Train with a partner, train with defense and do more small sided games (have a lot on my channel) and you’ll feel more comfortable using your skills in games

[@AJSRR]

Thank you​@@tjltraining

[@loverofhumanity]

then you're not actually fundamental. There is so much more to being fundamental then isolation beating a guy one on one. In fact that is a very tiny component of team basketball. Most of team basketball is actually just about knowing how to set screens, make cuts/get open without the ball, knowing when to pass or when to shoot, controlling tempo and knowing how to execute plays. Know when you cant beat your defender and learn to call for a screen. These are the tricks to be great even if you're skills are not elite. In terms of shooting, learning to be accurate will take you a lot farther than being some smooth player who can cross you out of your shoes but misses every time. Most young guys dont understand how to be efficient. More is less.

[@morishogo144]

That's why Jokic and Doncic are the best players in NBA. In USA they are training how to handshake lol

[@LC-jq7vn]

Exactly. Both the best passers in the league while being efficient from all 3 levels when necessary, especially Luka who is obviously playing another position and takes more 3s. The Joker can play offense and defense very well. Lukas defense has improved dramatically this year. They both keep getting better.

[@Makotsunami]

Now we got ant man to save us Americans! 😂

[@evanbenjamin9705]

I agree with Joker but Luka is the poster child for ball dominance... he is the new Harden... he has one of the highest usage ratings in the league dominating with dribbles, shots and fg attempts... Great player but he is a ball hog. Jokic is a ball mover, screener, cutter, non-ball dominate player. To me he is the true team player. 'Ultimate European style player' and best player in the world currently.

[@LC-jq7vn]

@@evanbenjamin9705 Bull. He is 2nd in assists. The team he is on is proving why he musy be ball dominate and create their shots for them. They can't even step up when he is hurt and taking less than 20 shots. Outside of kyrie these guys can't create their own shots or score more than 11 points. Literally none of them average more than 11 and none but PJ average double digits.

[@evanbenjamin9705]

@LC-jq7vn I think you just proved my point but maybe not. I love Luka as a player... too 5 player. But he doesn't play Euro-ball... he plays AAU ball... Isolation and kick... which most NBA teams do.

[@the1holycrusader962]

He spoke nothing but the truth. I applaud you sir.

[@lamerblack7536]

He’s 10,000% correct. And what sad about this is that it’s not just in the NBA or athletic community. It’s in every aspect of our American society. Our children are not taught to focus on fundamentals to focus on flash. Only individuality not community.

[@dylanparadis5360]

This guys said two things that completely contradict the other

[@GabrielGarcia-bz8gg]

said a whole lot of nothing

[@roxydejaneiro5640]

What two things?

[@curryis828]

​@@GabrielGarcia-bz8ggbecause you're stupid 😂

[@RoemelloDouglas]

He’s so right but the whistling sound kept irritating me 😭

[@ryanwiseman9141]

Finally somebody that has the receipts and is respected saying this. I could never articulate this point this way

[@user-le5vc2zf7q]

This is so damn true..on point

[@thelankster7431]

Ben Simmons in a nutshell.

[@lilsyko3791]

Isn’t he from Australia tho?

[@diegomagellan]

@@lilsyko3791went to LSU

[@KarlPostMalone]

Ben grew up playing ball in Australia. He only came to the USA as a sophomore. Do better next time.

[@GrownUpKid94]

Lmao of all the players to pick

[@o.y.d6681]

It may turn at some point but until European teams start blowing out the USA by 30, then I'll be more inclined to believe this lol (i will admit, practicing once a week is just bad coaching)

[@LC-jq7vn]

When you get guys like Luka winning the scoring title and 2nd an assists, and the last star champion was the Joker, its at least a notion worth considering. I believe he's right. We started doing things backwards. Some will excell regardless because that have that mamba mentality but overall these kids are getting injured more and their fundamentals are off besides the stars.

[@1smhx5]

@@LC-jq7vnant snd the wolves making joker look like a clown rn

[@kiangibson7571]

The US doesn't play Europe though. They play smaller countries but I think if it was Europe vs USA it would be pretty close and I think I would give it to Europe

[@LC-jq7vn]

@@1smhx5 And yet he won a championship last year so its kind of irrelevant with an injury costar and a bad bench. MJ didn't win every year either.

[@animeanime7849]

@@kiangibson7571Well the thing is that if Europe made a team themselves, probably 7-8 of their 10 best players are going to be NBA players.

[@You_so_funny-_-]

It was all about the way the teams careied themselves over in Europe the fact they wake up expecting the same thing from eachother is what stood out

[@brianknapp6215]

He just described the very reasons I haven't regularly watched the NBA in over a decade...

[@jas_bataille]

Exactly. This is society-wide as a problem. As a musician, I was trained old-school and people can't believe my ability to listen. I can call a song at a jam over a chord progression that was improvised. Now I see all the kids are technically better on their own, but they don't practice together!!!

[@Leviathan_actual]

Bear Bryant said it best: "we practice 5 days a week then we have fun on the weekends"

[@HH-qk2or]

This is true in Football (soccer) as well. The most important thing is to get many touches on the ball. In a game each player only has a few minutes of touches (whether dribbling, trapping or passing), but in practice there is a lot more development of skills. In the US we play games on Saturdays and Sundays and if there is a tournament, there are 2-3 each day, but in Europe and S. America clubs have more practices to focus on getting each player more action.

[@OffTheBeatenPathWithRiver]

This is true in life also, the kids are more knowledge, because of social media, and google. But no common sense, no hands on experience, no time and pressure. They want everything instantaneously.

[@TerryKimble-hx9kb]

The AAU is about creating a personal brand versus integrating the skills necessary to enhance the gameplay itself.

[@rmkb627]

*MERCI !!!* *Enfin, quelqu'un le dit clairement !* *Les joueurs américains sont d'excellents joueurs... de 1 contre 1.*

[@craigallmendinger8404]

I agree with this man’s analysis. It also has to do a lot with the league and how it promotes superstars and is clearly just a marketing machine as the game goes downhill fast. Hopefully franchises can adjust to the needs of these players careers while also building winning championship teams.

[@theatomic430]

Not a game! We're talking about practice. Not a game; not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last, not the game, we're talking about practice, man.

[@AlexAustralis]

Also, a problem that has appeared with football (soccer) is that younger players are being overplayed in certain areas like South America - they have way too many games and not enough rest time, because the teams there want to use their young prodigies before they move to the European leagues. This is causing serious injuries occurring in both the long and short term, especially muscle or tendon related injuries. Wouldn't be surprised if that same problem appears in basketball too if this is the case.

[@therealtimellis7317]

Well said Coach! I agree.

[@KommieKaze]

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard” -Tim Notke

[@goat2559]

Bro said I gotta edit it out and still left it 🤣🤣🤣 classic flight

[@21Invincible259]

Also a number of the kids coming out of the AAU circuit have had multiple surgeries by the time they get to college because of all the wear and tear from playing so many highly competitive games for so many years

[@xofmetleh6618]

True habit and muscle memory can be develop in practice. Some basketball teams in 90s said it practice is more physical and harder than the actual game

[@shareemsmith1327]

straight facts especially as a basketball old head and junkie!

[@bquillaguyd2940]

He got a point, youtube is a database where you can learn almost any basketball skill with the best techniques. It's all a click away. I learned how to perfect my jumpshot these past 2 years, and my mind was blown by how bad was my previous shooting form. I wish I had known this back in high school.

[@drt2854]

This is pretty much across the board for everything. The only thing that matters is situational training. Not how fast you can complete an abstract drill. It has to be 100% realistic and specific to the game, profession, business etc.

[@Shinobi33]

Stuff like this is why I think past generations' stars could beat current stars in games

[@SkillsofAesthetics]

Thats actually very true. In usa they seem to be very focused on how many games they play and go the individual work. They forget about team practice

[@lilautistico1635]

NBA before the 3 point line was so entertaining

[@beingjoshmc]

The game at the end of the week used to be the reward for all that practice you put in during the week. There’s no delayed gratification anymore.

[@tamajthelegend4232]

thank you for telling me this now i understand what will seperate me from the rest

[@fault.]

I have no knowledge on basketball but this makes sense

[@ericmarcos7063]

Which is why they need to thank guys like Jokic, Doncic and company for showing them how to play team ball.

[@shaneosmera6816]

This is so true it’s hard to build and develop a bench with 1 day of practice. The guys that don’t get minutes don’t develop. The only time you really get consistent is in practice. You run the same play over and over you take 100 free throws and work on 3s. AAU is great for stars but you can bury kids that would start elsewhere

[@MrDvfdsv]

European here, my coach used to say "You learn 10x more in one game than in one practice session but only if you practice way more than you have game time" If basketball had bigger consequences like kickboxing for example, the average player wouldn't think twice about training more than they get into fights.

[@Lodgeitude]

This is a legendary take!

[@mbdsmu]

I was a little coach at one time, and I spoke to a Japanese little league coach, and I asked him what and how are the kids so good. He said they practice before school after lunch and after school. No game yet. A pro athlete also said scouts and coaches look for your training regimen because during game time, there's no time to train , you play the game.

[@criessmiles3620]

00:53 We call it malfunctioning Cheers from west Africa 🦅

[@darrinsmith3265]

Well said... fundamentals out the window nowadays

[@shawna7227]

People hate change. Every generation thinks that their way is the best way. But things evolve that’s life.

[@Manno200]

Kobe Bryant had the same sentiments concerning the game.

[@ChrisBruhn]

I was a high school football coach in Germany (US Army volunteering) a lot of our American kids in our DoDea schools would ALSO play in Euro leagues. Great for practice, but sucked when injured from Euro games and couldn't play for U.S. high school games. crazy. Regensburg came to scrimmage our kids🤣 some those dudes had beards, but we held our own as long as possible😆

[@danieldoyle7084]

Yeah the amount of games in the NBA is crazy. I’m primarily a football (Soccer) fan, I only got into the NBA over the last 2 years. The top 10% of football teams play 2 games a week, and even at that, they’re all complaining about overload/fatigue.

[@bernet10j]

They have always played that many games. It's the kids coming into the NBA. They do not know how to play the game of baseball. They teaching all these skills. But, there not teaching the game of basketball.

[@JV-mw7gv]

It was two games per week for me, Tuesday night and Friday night. Practice Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

[@iamspenver]

Not a basketball player, bit Sergio Busquets is the best example for this. Not a crazily athletic guy by any means, but he was so smart and so technically good that he was able to play at the highest, fastest level for decades without being insanely strong or fast.