[Mild Rant] Why do people who don't play sports think becoming a pro-athlete is easy?

the vast majority of the world isn't active nor do they work out.

that's why it's so many fat people and skinny people with no muscle definition.

let's not trivialize the work that is not only put in the weight room but the hours and hours of working on shooting, passing, dribbling, etc.

that's like saying hey, i drive to work everyday, so what work is lewis hamilton or sebastian vettel really doing?

 

I don’t agree with this at all.

A lot of this is a function of starting sports very young, having good instruction at this young age, having adequate competition, and the lengths someone is willing to go to.

Some examples: Curry’s dad rebuilt his shot from scratch (good instruction/young age), then when he got to the NBA, Curry started working with a trainer redoing his balance and proprioception and light reaction training (good instruction).

Interview with trainer here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/back-to-back/id1358187061?mt=2&i=1000413805415

Chris Paul repeatedly watched tape of Steve Nash, even asked MDA for more when he got here. (Good instruction)

Harden self reportedly watched lots of video of Manu and took many elements of his game while in OKC.

Mahmoud Abdul Rauf talks about how he practiced:



Kobe watched tons of tape of MJ and emulated his movement patterns.
Another story about how Kobe practiced:
http://www.businessinsider.com/kobe-bryant-woke-up-at-4-am-to-practice-before-olympics-2013-3


Embiid watched YouTube videos of Hakeem and emulated his movement patterns.

Even athleticism isn’t just all there or nothing at all.
There was a BBallBreakdown podcast a few months back where an LA guy that grew up playing with Westbrook was on and he said in junior high and early high school Westbrook wasn’t a nuclear athlete, just an energy guy.
Then Westbrook started doing what he described as “military-like workouts” to build his explosion, things like running up sand dunes, resistance band work explosion work, etc and he took off.

 

nobody thinks this

 

Well, I don't think people are up in arms over the money that someone like LeBron, Brady, Federer and other giants of their respective sports, earn.

I think people get salty about the money that the Ryan Andersons and Tristan Thompsons are bringing in, where productivity clearly does not match their salaries.

It's a downward spiral from there. They go from "simply overpaid" to "lazy, non-improving bums" and worse.

 

Agree to disagree.

Court vision is part of what we loosely call Basketball IQ. Like real mental IQ, not everyone is born with the same amount. Same with shooting touch. Otherwise, everyone who practiced hard and had a good shooting coach could shoot as good as Steph Curry. If that was true, the NBA would have a lot more guys who shoot like Curry.

I use to do a lot of children basketball league stuff. You can tell at a very early age which kid has it and which doesn't. Of course you can teach (or self-learn) that kind of things, but only to a certain extent. It's like musical talent. If you have it, you have it. If you don't, you don't. No amount of practice will make you a musical prodigy if you are not born as one. And no amount of practice will make you a Magic Johnson or Steve Nash.

 

I think the whole it's not work if you love it is a shortsighted approach.
You might love playing in a game, but doubtful you love doing windsprints, balance drills, or ball handling drills for hours on end. Even if you do enjoy that, would it be true doing it day after day, year after year?

I always imagine people who love video games and taking a job as a beta tester.

 

Didn't Willie Stargell said at his retirement speech that he loved the game so much he would have played it for free if he had to? I think this is no difference than any vocation of which the person loves. Some people are lucky to be paid to do what they love to do.

 

you must be talking to the dumbest ppl you can find. ask them if they thin the earth is flat or triangular.

 

Steph Curry had an unlimited amount of time with a shooting coach who was already one of the best shooters ever; his dad.


I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that the children you worked with didn’t have this same luxury.


What you’re arguing for is a completely static view of players.

For years I’ve heard people say that Hakeem had great footwork because he played soccer when he was younger.

So you are saying that playing soccer had nothing to do with his footwork because he already had the footwork ability just by being born.

And you would also say this wouldn’t apply similarly for a player being a two sport athlete in baseball/basketball improving their passing.

I guess Player Development Coach is an oxymoron for you since these players are fully formed by the time you shuttle them out of your youth league.

 

Not necessarily the same thing, but there’s this older guy who comes around the parks I run at some times.

He swears by the grace of god that if he didn’t tear his ACL back in the day that he would be in the NBA or the NFL.

Like he would’ve had the decision to go into each draft and be the #1 pick lmfao.

After he finishes spewing trash out of his mouth, he stands up off the bench and jogs down the court for a missed layup.

Probably LaVar’s dad or something.

 

I never said one cannot improve by lots of practice and good coaching. I said improvement can only reach a certain extent. Not every player can be a Magic Johnson, Steven Nash, or Steph Curry. Pro players have as much time as those guys to practice. But some are making the max and some are making the min. Yes, some of those min guys might be able to be better if they practiced harder. But it is safe to assume that not all mediocre players are mediocre just because they are lazy.

Same thing on a lesser level. Not all tall and athletic people can reach the NBA level just by practicing a lot. There are some basketball talents beyond physical athleticism that are inborn.

Are you saying that the stars became stars just by practicing harder than other players?

 

Vettel and Hamilton are allowed to drive way faster than you every day.

Also Formula 1 drivers also train in the weight room. Believe it or not.

 

It's not easy, but players like LeBron are born with talent and athleticism that can't be taught. They won the genetic lottery. I could train 10x harder than LeBron and train all my life and I still wouldn't even sniff the nba.

 

Dude, it’s so easy

 

BECOMING a pro-athlete is not easy, but BEING one when you already are is pretty damn easy.

I think the only difficult part about being a pro-athlete is maintaining an all-year-round family life. Other than that, if you're complaining about sh*t while:
-Getting paid millions to play a GAME
-Getting paid to maintain and workout
-Doing some charitable work and the occasional public service
-Doing traveling all year-round (still getting paid)

yeah, quit or shut up and take the check. While they're worried about how they'll be able to provide for their family with the next mansion or yacht, some people out here working harder for a $325.65 per 40hr week check to pay off rent and a used car

 

false. there's countless people around the world trying to take your spot. that for sure is not pretty damn easy to not let happen