Fuzionz Magazine and TV 2015 Fall/Winter Special Edition | Page 54

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2) Hustle

Folks with hustle are the most distinctive individuals on the court. They are after every loose ball, the loudest and most aggressive on defense, and the most innovative on offense. They are the grinders. If it's difficult, they want a piece of it like pit bulls with rope. Nothing can keep down someone who has hustle in their blood. It may be a surprise but, my first love was not basketball. That was my older brothers passion. He would drag me along and spend hours on the court in the hot sun playing. I learned how to play during the brief times the older kids let us on the court. I knew nothing about fundamentals. My first shot that I could shoot with accuracy was the granny shot. What I knew was where my basket was and where the ball was. Back then I never defended one person, wherever the ball was I was there attacking and defending. I was always the first person on defense and the first person running down on a fast break offense. That hustle is what landed me a spot on my middle school basketball team. My coaches back then had their hands full teaching me, but I was growing like a weed and hungry to learn. That hustle carried me through high school, college, semi-pro, and even playing at the highest level of all American military basketball.

3) Play with heart

If you find yourself losing or in a losing situation, you are down by 30, don't give in. Don't give up. Keep fighting and play harder. Show that you can't be broken. Play for the hard work that you put in with your team mates working on plays and sweating it out in practice. It's about being sincere and playing for the love of the game.

4) Let your haters be your motivators

No one is going to say yes to you all the time. No one is ever always going to be positive. It is important to know your own worth and have faith that you have the means to attain that which others think is impossible.

I will never forget when I asked my high school coach, "Do you think I can play college ball?" He looked at me with all seriousness and said, "You aren't good enough to play college ball. You should stick to running track." He lit a fire in me I didn't know that I had. His opinion crushed my feelings but didn't crush my spirit. It made me work even harder. When I got to college, I lived in the gym. I was constantly learning and improving. Needless to say I went on to prove him completely wrong.

5) Run the plays but be aware of the court

Know that in order to succeed you need to have a plan. You need to follow some basics. Those basics are the plays that the team runs. That's the minimum that the team is expected to do. The best players are aware of everything that is going on the court. Sometimes running the play doesn't get the open man. Be open to improvise. Life will throw you curve balls you have to be ready.

6) Practice the way you will play

If you are in practice not hustling and running at half speed all the time how will you play in the game? The coach notices everything. No one wants to have to guess what you can do. You should show it out on the court every time in practice. Practice is the ultimate preparation for game time. Constant practice will push you to a higher level. That shot you worked on will have a higher percentage of falling those