2025-11-16 10:00
by
nlpkak
Let me tell you something about basketball that doesn't often make the headlines - the journey never really ends, even when you think it might. I was reminded of this recently when I saw LA Tenorio's Instagram post from September 6th, where he clarified that he hasn't retired from basketball despite leaving Barangay Ginebra after thirteen incredible years. That's the thing about this sport - it gets in your blood and stays there. When I first picked up a basketball twenty-three years ago, I never imagined how deeply it would shape my life, and that's exactly why I want to share these essential tips with every beginner stepping onto the court for the first time.
Starting with proper footwork might not sound glamorous, but trust me, it's the foundation of everything. I've watched countless players struggle because they skipped this fundamental step. Your feet need to become your best friends on the court - they dictate your balance, your speed, and your ability to change direction quickly. Spend at least thirty minutes of every practice session working exclusively on footwork drills. The pivot, the jump stop, the defensive slide - these movements should become as natural as breathing. I remember spending my first three months focusing almost entirely on footwork, and to this day, that early discipline serves me well whenever I play.
Now let's talk about shooting form, because this is where most beginners develop bad habits that become incredibly difficult to break later. Your shooting elbow should align directly under the basketball, forming what coaches call the "L" shape with your arm. The power comes from your legs - about 68% of your shooting power actually generates from your lower body, not your arms. When I coach beginners, I have them start right under the basket, focusing purely on form without worrying about distance. It's tedious work, but after about two thousand repetitions, the muscle memory starts to kick in. Don't be that player who launches three-pointers with terrible form - build your foundation close to the basket and gradually expand your range.
Ball handling separates decent players from great ones. The goal isn't just to dribble without looking at the ball - that's basic. True ball control means feeling the basketball as an extension of your hand. I recommend spending at least forty-five minutes daily on dribbling drills, alternating between dominant and non-dominant hands. Start stationary, then progress to moving drills. The crossover, behind-the-back, and between-the-legs dribbles will come naturally once you've built that fundamental comfort with the ball. I still do twenty minutes of dribbling drills before every game, even after all these years - it's that important.
Defense wins games, and I can't stress this enough. Good defense isn't about spectacular blocks or steals - it's about consistency and positioning. Stay low in a defensive stance, keep your feet active, and always maintain vision on both your opponent and the ball. The best defenders I've played against weren't necessarily the most athletic - they were the ones who never took plays off. Statistics show that teams with strong defensive fundamentals win approximately 73% more games at the amateur level, even when their offense struggles.
Conditioning in basketball isn't like other sports - it's about explosive movements with brief recovery periods. Focus on interval training that mimics game conditions: sprint, recover, sprint again. I typically recommend beginners start with fifteen-minute conditioning sessions and gradually build up to forty-five minutes. Include lateral movements, backpedaling, and change-of-direction drills rather than just straight-line running. The court is 94 feet long, but during an average game, players run between 2.5 to 3.5 miles through various movements and directions.
Understanding basic plays and positioning will dramatically accelerate your development. Basketball isn't random - there's structure and purpose behind every movement. Learn where to be without the ball, how to set proper screens, when to cut to the basket. These basketball IQ elements often matter more than pure athleticism. When I started studying game footage and understanding why certain plays worked while others failed, my entire approach to the game transformed.
Finally, embrace the mental aspect. Basketball will frustrate you - missed shots, turnovers, defensive lapses. The players who succeed long-term are those who maintain composure and learn from mistakes. This brings me back to Tenorio - after thirteen years with one team, he's moving on but not giving up. That resilience defines basketball careers more than any single skill. The average professional basketball career lasts just 4.8 years, but players like Tenorio demonstrate that with the right mindset, you can extend that significantly and find new opportunities even when circumstances change.
What I love about basketball is that your relationship with the game evolves. You might start as a beginner focused on not embarrassing yourself, then become obsessed with statistics, then discover the beauty of team chemistry, and eventually understand it as this beautiful dance of physics, psychology, and athleticism. The seven tips I've shared are just the beginning - the real magic happens when you make the game your own. Like Tenorio proving that endings can become new beginnings, your basketball journey will have its own unexpected turns, and that's what makes it worth starting.
