Zac is Wack – a basketball webcomic

The video below is a short segment taken during stationary dribbling exercises at Basketball Academy w/ COACH BEEZ. There are some core principles we try to implement, most importantly, HARD WORK.

You could have all the talent in the world, but if you are someone who is not willing to work hard, then talent only takes you so far. Think about all the great players in the world, that did not make it to the NBA. I would guess that part of the reason they are not in the NBA is cause when it came time to put in their maximum effort, they just didn’t have what it took to be better than the next guy.

In this clip, the group is doing some dribbling exercises. If you are in this video, ask yourself if you are giving 100% effort. See if you are dribbling the ball as fast and as low as you can. Were you keeping your hand on top of the ball? Were you dribbling with your fingers and not your palm? Were you able to dribble with your head up? When you lost the ball, did you hustle to get your ball and get back into the circle as fast as you could?

Were you dribbling the ball when the coach was talking? Were your eyes on the coach as he explained what was important to keep in mind?

ALL the little things count when you have a goal you want to achieve. The player who understands that every small detail is crucial to his or her success, will be successful.

All in all, Coach Jackson and I are very proud of this group and will continue our efforts to make EVERY player understand the importance of hard work and to concentrate on the little things. Thanks to all the parents and the kids who make Basketball Academy w/ COACH BEEZ a great place to improve your skills and learn how to play the game the right way.

Let’s get to work!! ; )

Have you ever done something really boneheaded on the court? Well, I did. One year when I was playing professional basketball in Belgium, my team at the time was playing in a preseason tournament in Italy. There were teams from various other countries, and on this particular day, my team was playing against a team from Turkey. I will never forget that game as long as I live.

Halfway through the first quarter, the coach subbed me into the game. Our team was on defense, so as I entered the court, I searched for the man I was supposed to be guarding. Having found him near his basket, I positioned myself and got myself ready to deny the chump from getting the ball.

The Turkish player started to move out to the wing spot, so I stayed in my ferocious defensive position, putting my hand in the passing lane and staying low on my slide. The ball had yet to be inbounded by the Turkish team, as I found myself defending my man further and further away from the basket.

He continued to walk further and further away from his basket, until eventually I found myself standing out of bounds in front of the Turkish team’s bench. Still in my defensive stance, I realized that this chump was leaving the game, and that one of his teammates had subbed in for him.

As the Turkish player sat down, leaving me defending his entire bench, he turned to me and said: ” Vat arl you doing? I am out of da game. ”

The entire bench of Turkish players started cracking up.

Guess I was the chump that day. LOL

It’s important to realize that even the superstars like Michael Jordan made big mistakes during their careers. So if you happen to airball a free-throw, or score two points for the other team, or simply not realize you are playing defense on a player that is no longer in the game, you gotta laugh at yourself. ( because believe me, even if you don’t, others will. )

Most athletes live their lives thinking that because they are in shape and fairly thin, that they are healthy. That is simply NOT TRUE. How you look does not necessarily mean you are eating the right foods.

Steve Nash, a 2-time NBA MVP, who has been playing in the NBA for over 17 years, says that the only reason why he has been playing so long is because he puts the right foods in his body. I can’t tell you how important your diet is. Some young players that come to my camps or my academy bring gatorade or powerade, or some other ” energy ” drink. The only thing these drinks do is give you sugar that the body does not need or want.

It is very important to understand that there are so many different kinds of foods that are not good for you. If you eat too much sugar, or consume too many processed foods, it will lead to health problems later on in life.

So, don’t only be a smart player ON the court, be smart OFF the court as well. Take charge at home and ask your parents if you can start eating the right foods. You may be young, but even those older than you can follow your lead!! Remember…..you can never go wrong with more fruits and vegetables!!