“AAU is the worst thing to happen to college basketball ever” – Kobe Bryant had explained why he disliked AAU basketball
However, the Lakers legend noticed that many players did not share the same beliefs during his playing career. All they cared about was making the highlight reel, not how to win. And from his observation, it’s because of the bad training they receive from the AAU circuit.
Not a fan of AAU ball
According to the “Black Mamba,” young prospects do not get proper guidance in the AAU. Instead of polishing their skills in the gym, they are constantly thrown into the fire.
“They’re killing the game,” Kobe said in 2011, per the Sports Radio Interviews via Yahoo Sports. “AAU is the worst thing to happen to college basketball ever. I hate AAU more than anything in the world. These kids aren’t getting good coaching. They’re playing too many games and not working on their game enough.”
Unfortunately, these unpolished players still make it to the NBA because scouts are wowed by their athletic abilities and potential. This was the Lakers guard’s biggest pet peeve. He did not care if a player could jump out of the roof. For the five-time NBA champion, it’s all about mastering the fundamentals. These are the tools a player must have to succeed at the higher levels.
“My number one thing I hate in the world is when you’re talking to fans, and they’ll say ‘man that guy can really run, and he can really jump.’ And I always say ‘so can a deer but I wouldn’t put him in a game.’ These guys, listen, they’ve been coming into the NBA for the last three years, and they can run and jump, but they’ve cut out the middle man when you go to college and learn how to play,” he added
Play the right way
Over the years, we’ve seen athletic prospects become top lottery picks. But when it’s time to play, it’s obvious that they’re not yet ready for the big leagues. When defenses start reading their tendencies, they fail to make adjustments. Young players look clueless on the court, make unforced errors, and take bad shots.
And before we know it, they either get passed around by teams or are out of it by year five. While there’s nothing wrong with playing in overseas leagues, it feels like they squandered their opportunity. They made it to the NBA — the dream of millions of basketball heads worldwide. Maybe if they had focused on mastering the basics, just as Kobe suggested, then they would’ve stayed in the greatest basketball league.
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