Jonathon Hardcastle asked:


Earvin Johnson Jr., known simply as “Magic” to millions of basketball fans all over the world, has been one of the NBA’s best players and biggest winners. Standing 6-9, Johnson revolutionized the point guard position with his pure passing and all-around versatility.

Johnson was a winner at every level of his career, starting in high school and including college, professional and international. At Michigan State University, he injected a much-needed dose of enthusiasm and passion into the college hoops scene, eventually leading his school to the 1979 National Championship over Indiana State which was led by another legendary basketball player, Larry Bird. Bird would become Johnson’s closest rival throughout their respective careers. Their college championship showdown became the most watched college basketball game in history.

Johnson later joined the Los Angeles Lakers and was their heart and soul for 13 seasons, leading them to five NBA championships. He was named to the NBA All-Star team 12 times, league MVP three times and NBA Finals MVP three times. In 2002, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and was voted to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996.

In 1991, Johnson announced that he was HIV-positive and retired from the NBA. He was among the first sports celebrities and one of the most popular public figures to ever do so.

Johnson earned his nickname back in high school when he was an All-American at Everett High School in Lansing, Michigan. He was 15 at the time and he had an amazing game where he finished with 36 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists. That inspired a local sports writer named Fred Stabley to christen Johnson as Magic. In his senior year, Johnson led Everett to the state championship (27-1 win-loss record).

When he entered the NBA in 1979, the league suffered from a poor image and was ranked third in popularity behind the NFL and MLB. But Johnson’s rivalry with Bird, who had joined the Boston Celtics, revitalized the NBA. In their first three years in the league, the duo produced two championships – two for Magic and one for Bird. Before they were done, the dynamic duo would have eight NBA championships between them – five for Magic and three for Bird.

meandonlyme asked:


I was just wondering how much Euroleague players make….I think NBA players make more

e worst things you can do when it come to achieving your Basketball goals is failing to Set them and knowing exactly what you want. Let me explain:

 

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A SYTEMIZED, Over Proven BLUEPRINT for setting your goals and allowing yourself to achieve them, you are dead in the water (I mean It!)

Keep this in mind… “Failing to plan is planning to Fail” Read That Again:

“Failing to plan is planning to Fail.” Do you Understand what that means?

 

It means if you do not have a plan, you’re going to fail! You should, and must have a plan for your workouts, your goals, getting exposure, developing your game, and an action plan. If you don’t have ALL of these, you are making a huge deadly mistake!

 

Let’s get something straight, this is really important so stop what you’re doing and pay attention!

You have to Dress and act the part that you want, not the part that you have! Read That Again:

You have to Dress and act the part that you want, not the part that you have! If you want to become ALL-STAR baller in the pros, you have to dress and act like one…

 

Well Rali, how do I do that? I’m Glad you asked. You see, All-STAR ballers in the pros don’t let things like relationships; family, Friends, and obstacles get in their way… They do not let all these little things get in the way of their Dream, and that is what makes them amazing!

 

Here are some things that ALL-STAR Ballers Do:

 

-They dedicate their whole life to basketball

 

-They commit themselves to the game.

 

-They sacrifice certain things like hanging out with friends, significant others, family members to practice and focus on their game.

 

- They practice when they are tired and feeling lazy.

 

-They eat proper nutrition, get plenty of sleep and do not poison their body with things like alcohol and drugs.

 

-They will do whatever it takes to be the best… No matter what!

 

-They believe that they can be the best, no matter how good or great the competition is!

 

And the list goes on and on…

 

Do you get my drift? These are just a few of the things that you are going to have to start doing right now if you even want to think about being an NBA-All-star.

 

Here’s what I want you do right NOW! Not in five minutes after you eat, or not in 2 minutes after you get done reading this. Go get a piece of paper and something to write with… You got it? Good, let’s continue.

 

I want you to title the piece of paper: “What I will do To Achieve My Basketball Goals” Then I want you to write down your basketball goals, very detailed, where you want to play, what position, how many points, assists, boards you will average.

Exactly what you want to achieve as precise as you can get. How many games will you win? Championships etc…

 

Right underneath your goals I want you to write down all the things you are going to do to achieve those goals.

Just like all the things The NBA ALL-STARS do. Write down all the things that you think another baller that failed to achieve their goals would not do (this is powerful) If you do all the things that basketball failures would not do, you’re going to be in great shape. If you think this exercise is silly, Don’t! This is exactly what

I do with Some of the amazing pro ballers I work with, and it works.

 

The last part of this Exercise is to put this up where ever you spend the most time at, your kitchen, room, computer desk, car, etc…

Where ever your going to see it the most, the better. This will allow you to keep your head focused and remember what your goals are

and all the things that you are committed to doing to achieve those goals.

 

 

Some people just seem to have the talents and skills necessary for basketball. Some of us though have to toil our way through it and really maximize and take to heart all the trainings we have to endure.

One area that is vital in playing basketball is good defense. There are several fields in defense that you must focus on when starting to intensify your skills with basketball.

Body weight The key is to keep your head low. Most players want to stand erect rather than crouching but coaches want otherwise. So how low should you be crouching? Well, the good rule of thumb is to crouch lower than the person you are guarding. This will help you move more readily than the other player. Moreover, keeping your body low will help you balance your body weight effectively.

Position of the hands There are obviously several hand positions that you must keep in mind. Hands up would undoubtedly deflect a shot or pass.

You can also position your hands at your sides. This would be easier for players and could greatly help with defense against dribbling, passing, and faking the ball. Additionally, this would help retain your balance.

Get into the bubble There is this thing we call the bubble which basically pertains to the sphere of movement players have. To be able to play good defense, you have to enter into his bubble and make the most out of this space. The efficiency of movement lies in the skill of intimidation. For example, if you can make the other player worry that you would interfere his next move or you would steal the ball in his next dribble, he would be intimidated and therefore hesitate. Once this occurs, he is likely to decrease actions in the play which will limit his offensive moves. This will then create an effect of lower scores.

Basketball isn’t merely a game of balls and moves, it is also affected by the mental battles that occur between the minds of the individuals playing.

Be a constant irritation because this will affect ball handling. You must also be mindful that you don’t always have to be standing next to your opponent. Just be close enough so as to worry him all the time and distract him.

Determination to become a good defensive player Lastly, it all lies in the determination to win the game and make a good defense. Any trace of hesitation can work against you. As much as possible, refrain from making such moves.