There is no debate about the fact that foundational skills have slowly eroded over the past 25 years. The Michael Jordan era ushered in a new style of individual play. Instead of pivoting, shooting, cutting, passing and defending, the young players focused on a different set of skills. An exhaustive analysis of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time makes one thing very clear; the greatest players of all time devoted themselves to the fundamentals of the game of passing, dribbling and shooting. And them loved the game.
Forget the vertical jump, blast to the brim, and miraculous “jump shoes” commercials. They can help you jump higher, but they will never make you a complete basketball player. The game is and always will be about the fundamentals. The same is true for soccer, baseball, and golf sports.
Have you ever heard a coach interviewed after a tough loss say, “If we had done more spike dunks or 360-degree slams, we would have won.” I doubt you’ve ever heard that said. Instead, you hear NFL, MBL, or NBA coaches say, “We have to go back to the basics of the game. When we have away from them, nothing good ever happens. “ That is the statement I have heard hundreds of times in the last 25 years. A commitment to the basics of any game leads to progress, growth, and success.
The following is a list of the 50 greatest NBA teams of all time:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nate Archibald, Paul Arizin, Charles Barkley, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Dave Bing, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens, Billy Cunningham, Dave DeBusschere, Clyde Drexler, Julius Erving, Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Gerorge Gervin, Hal Greer, John Havlicek, Elvin Hayes, Magic Johnson, Sam Jones, Michael Jordan, Jerry Lucas, Karl Malone, Moses Malone, Pete Maravich, Kevin McHale, George Mikan, Earl Monroe, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O ‘Neal, Robert Parish, Bob Pettit, Scottie Pippen, Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson, David Robinson, Bill Russell, Dolph Shayes, Bill Sharman, John Stockton, Isiah Thomas, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld, Bill Walton, Jerry West, Lenny Wilkens and James Worthy.
As you coach youth in the sport of basketball, consider these questions:
- Did Arizin, Cousy, Jones, Russell, and Shayes spend their time working on the vertical jump?
- Did Larry Bird lean on your athletic prowess throughout your high school, college, and NBA career?
- Why did Julius Erving become a fundamental and well-rounded player after realizing he could jump?
- How much time did Stockton, Monroe, Frazier, Greer, Archibald, Thomas, and Wilkens spend learning the fundamentals of ball handling and passing?
- Why did Pistol Pete Maravich haggle at the theater and get out of the window of a moving car?
- Why is George Mikan known as the “Father of Post Play”?
- How many of these 50 players spent their time becoming better jumpers?
- How high would you rate this group’s basketball IQ?
- What are the traits that this group of players have in common?
Without the fundamentals, knowledge of the game, and love of basketball, how many of these 50 players would have been on this team? NONE! If you are a youth coach, heed the message of this article. Bells and whistles work on kids’ bikes, but they don’t get you anywhere in basketball. The key to improving as a player is and will always be hard work, perseverance and honoring the time-tested fundamentals of the game. Don’t miss this bus!