Is Kobe Right?
A few months ago, Kobe Bryant, talked about how AAU was hurting basketball. He said that the emphasis on playing AAU was hurting skill development. He believed that players should be in the gym working on their skills and not playing so many games. So what is better skill development in the gym or playing games? The answer is: Both!
Players get better by spending time in the gym. The best players take 500 shots per day at game speed, work on their ball handling skills, passing, and strength/conditioning on a daily basis.
Players get better by playing great competition…they will gain both confidence and a competitive edge. They can test the skills they have worked on over and over again. They learn to compete to win in every game! They can see what works and then get back to the gym and keep working!
The balance between playing and skill work in the gym, help to develop a complete player. So balance playing more basketball and working more on your skills to become a complete player!