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| Elite basketball players train their mind to expect success. (Photo source: Express.co.uk) |
Why is it that when the clock is winding down and the game is on the line only certain players want the ball in their hand? How do some players rise above adversity while others forever fold?
I wanted to share this exceptional article published by ESPN. Although it does not mention hypnosis or the practice of visualization, it does discuss the all-important mental conditioning required for exceptional performance in high-level athletic competition.
Rise Above It or Drown: How Elite NBA Athletes Handle Pressure
ESPN (May 2019)
Kevin Durant can relate. He was a sophomore at National Christian Academy in D.C. and a blossoming star after being relegated to mop-up duty the previous season.
"I wanted to see my name in the paper," Durant says. "But when the time finally came, I wanted it so badly, I robbed myself of the moment."
Durant's team was down by two to Montrose Christian (Durant would transfer there as a senior) in the final seconds of the game when Durant was fouled.
As he stepped up to the line, he was suddenly lightheaded. His adrenaline was on overdrive, and no one had taught him yet that a few deep breaths would be helpful.
"My mind was racing," Durant says. "'What happens if I miss? What happens if I make it? Will everyone love me?' You weigh the pros and cons. Nothing felt right. All I could think of was if I missed. I knew those feelings, and I knew I would drown in them."
Durant, who went on to become an 88 percent career NBA free throw shooter, knew the second he released the free throw, there was no chance of it going in. He was too focused on the wrong things.
"I was so upset with myself," Durant says. "You dream about those moments, but when you dream about them, you always make the shot. And it's never a free throw. You have to work on making that small little tweak in your brain where your thoughts are empty and free. But you only learn that going through the tough times and the losses and the misses."
