How to Be a Good Basketball Player

Basketball is the number one fastest growing sport in the US. It is a teamwork game and usually requires you to be attentive, and, obviously, active. You can play basketball with basic skills but to be a great player, there is more work and patience to be involved.


1. Stretch. The introduction of every sport should be stretching. Walk 400 metres, run 400 metres, then walk 400 metres. Do anything - just get those muscles running. You don't want to twist your ankle because of turning too fast or stretch a leg muscle for sprinting.

2. Learn the basic rules of a basketball game and how to play. This includes knowing when it is a foul, understanding when it is a double dribble, how to dribble, shoot, rebound, etc. You can look this up in google, ask a basketball coach, find a good basketball player who'd be willing to teach you, watch videos, etc. You may want to find someone who's better in basketball and can explain it to you in real though, as that usually cuts the time where you have to try and figure it out all by yourself.

3. Train and challenge yourself. Dribble, shoot, rebound, etc. Be your own coach - get on that court and practice! Don't be discouraged when you watch a good basketball player - watch and learn from them! Dribble around the court - learn how to dribble faster, slower, throw the ball in the air and catch it, shoot from different spots in a court, improve your shooting skills.

4. Practice with other basketball players. Learn what 'rock', 'paint', 'chain' and the other terms mean, and use them on a regular basis. You must be natural with it. Practice it into your daily game-play.

5. Learn on how to work as a team. Be a good team player. Pass more often, run for an open space to help that guy being surrounded by the opposite team, help block, help with rebounds, etc. People will like you and will return you the favor!

6. Adopt new tricks. Watch other players, watch more basketball games, search youtube, look on google, watch basketball on tv, ask a friend to show you a few nice tricks, and moves etc. Start from the more common tricks and travel from there to the rarest and nastiest. Remember to be patient and keep practicing until you get it, don't just give up! That just proves your lack of determination. Get out and play!

7. Play basketball everyday or every other day. Play more often. Have a sense of dedication to the game and learn to be patient. Not every player you'll play with will be nice, play fair, treat you nice, etc. You won't be able to shoot accurately even after a month or two of practice, learn how to dribble without double dribbling, etc.

8. Play with others. As a player you should know what you would be competing against. Play with people your age. If you fail, practice harder or play with people younger than you (if you are a young person). Once you start playing again, you're play mates will see the improvements you've made.

9. DRIBBLE! The only way to succeed in basketball is by dribbling. You could be the best shooter on earth, but without knowing how to dribble, it would be very hard to be a good player. And by learning to dribble, that doesn't mean you should only know the basics, but you should advance in dribbling. Point guards and shooting guards like Kobe Bryant are great at shooting, but the only way he could even get his shots off is by maneuvering his opponent. If you want to be a good player, it all starts by practicing you're dribbling.

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