Who's who: The Basketball Movement Invitational names rolling out

Follow along with The Basketball Movement on Instagram as we announce players that will be playing at the Invitational Camp.

As we approach the 10.4-6.19 dates for The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp, more and more high school boys are being selected to participate. In addition to being a traditional camp, this will also be a showcase of sorts for elite talent. The player base will range from local names to players from all over the country.

The Basketball Movement is the prime location for an event of this caliber, as we have worked tirelessly to prepare the most professional facility we can while remaining urban and authentic at the same time.

A full list of players has yet to be completely established. However, you can follow along with The Basketball Movement on Instagram as we roll out the names there. The already impressive lineup will continue to grow over the next month.

Whether you are a participant or not, this camp will be a spectacle worth taking in. The camp will be based around competitive drills and aggressive play. An emphasis will be placed on game situations, so there will be plenty of scrimmage action that will be as impressive as you will find anywhere on the high school scene.

Remember to give us that follow on Instagram to keep up with the happenings. Then, make sure you are keeping up on Twitter and here as we bring you coverage of the event!

USA Men's Basketball Team rounding into shape

The watered-down USA Basketball Men's FIBA World Cup Team is trimmed to 13 players vying for the 12-man squad.

About to head to Australia for continued training, Team USA nearly has its final roster, though it may not be as impressive as usual. The men’s teams for the FIBA World Cup are typically not as stacked as the teams that represent the USA at the Olympics. Still, this squad boasts few All-Stars and is considerably thinner than many we have seen.

With the recent withdrawal of D’Aaron Fox, the 13 players striving to make this final cut are (per NBA.com): Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings); Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics); Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets); Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers); Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks); Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks); Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz); Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets), Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics); Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics); Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers); Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics); and Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs).

The only All-Star names on the roster are Walker, Lopez, and Middleton, which may be considered by many to be “lesser” All-Stars at that. They even dropped a scrimmage to a squad made up primarily of G-League players.

Don’t get us wrong, this squad (minus one player TBD) is likely still going to enter the tournament in China as the favorites to win. Much of the team is made up of the Boston Celtics young core. Wing athleticism alone will give this group an edge over their competition in the form of Tatum, Kuzma, Mitchell, and Brown. Floor-stretchers Lopez, Harris, Walker, and Middleton will keep plenty of open lanes for them.

A few dedicated defenders will also help make up for weak points in the form of Smart outside and Turner inside. It will be a fun team to watch, if not who you may have been hoping for.

Some big names were thrown in the hat for this squad early such as James Harden, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, and quite a few more. Why more household-name players have opted out is a bit perplexing. Fatigue from a long NBA season is likely a big cause - especially since many of the top players also experience lengthy playoff runs.

This will be a tremendous opportunity for the players involved (especially for the Celtics, since their starting lineup is essentially on the squad). They will get to practice against great caliber talent, travel, and have many unique and memorable experiences in China.

The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup will begin on Saturday, August 31

We will be tracking this team through the FIBA World Cup, so keep checking back here as always for updates!

Social media: Unplug when you're on the court

One of the oddest takeaways from these past NBA Playoffs was a player on the bench looking at his cell phone.

In the very first game of the 2019 NBA Playoffs, there was a strange moment in which the camera captured Joel Embiid and Amir Johnson looking down at Johnson’s cell phone. This didn’t happen pre or post-game, or even in the locker room. This occurred on the bench during the game with their 76ers squad trailing the lower-ranked Nets.

Amir Johnson was listed as “inactive” for the game. Embiid was “doubtful” to play, but still showed up and had some decent numbers despite poor shooting. Whether he was active or not, Johnson violated the NBA Operations Manual for “Use of Technology”. After the game, Joel Embiid stated that he looked at Johnson’s phone because his daughter was extremely sick. That makes the situation more understandable, but Johnson clearly didn’t alert the team, which fined him for having his phone after the incident.

No matter the circumstances, this incident served as a good reminder for our athletes that cell phones have no business around a basketball court. During workouts, practices, or games, attention needs to be on the task at hand. There may be instances that a phone is necessary to have a link for important things happening off the court. In those situations, coaches or trainers should be made aware of the necessity.

In the age of social media and tech, phones and other devices are ubiquitous. They have become an unavoidable part of society. That said, there must still be boundaries and a basketball court is certainly one of those.

It is okay to be plugged in, but not at the expense of a team or moments that demand full attention.

Stay tuned for more tips from The Basketball Movement as well as news from local hoops through the pro level - after your workout of course.

The Basketball Movement Invitational 2019 announced

Coming back again, we present The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp 2019 for high school boys.

Part camp, part tournament, part showcase, The Basketball Movement Invitational brings in impressive talent to give elite players an opportunity to be around other top-tier athletes. Iron sharpens iron, and the contests were plenty hot last year. This year should prove to be more of the same and then some, as we focus heavily on game situations and ferocious competition.

Despite the emphasis on head-to-head growth opportunities, The Basketball Movement will naturally still be serving up its patented brand of skill development, maintenance, and enhancement. It is always a good time to brush up on the fundamentals of the game, but also to refine some of the finer skills for these athletes.

Our coaches have worked with all levels of players up through the NBA and can pinpoint exactly what it takes to get you to the next court in your career. If former pro and expert motivational speaker, Rob Yanders can’t light a fire under you to step it up, this level of play may not be for you.

The Basketball Movement Invitational 2019 is slated for October 4th-6th.

Don’t worry if you haven’t heard from us yet; the invite list will be rolling out soon. If time passes and you believe that you have been left out, shoot us an email at basketballmovement@yahoo.com and we will let you know if you have a spot at our camp.

Make sure you are following The Basketball Movement on your preferred social media platform as we roll out more details, media from last year’s Invitational, and more basketball goodness. We hope to see you in September!

One-on-One: Indiana Pacers Alize Johnson

Having Alize Johnson in the building for his camp, we got the chance to sit down and chat with the rising NBA talent.

Originally from Williamsport, PA, we are fortunate that Alize Johnson has multiple communities that feel like home. One of the most decorated players in school history, Johnson was a force playing basketball at Missouri State during his college career. Springfield, MO must have made a positive impression on Alize as well, as he said it is very nice to be back for his camp.

“There was so much support while I was here,” says Johnson. “I love coming back here because this is a place where I feel so much support and I can surround myself with people that truly want to see me succeed.”

The Basketball Movement-hosted basketball camp put on by Alize was a big success. Johnson put on a similar camp in his hometown in Pennsylvania just a few days prior. When asked about his favorite part about putting on these camps, he had plenty to say.

“These camps elate me. I like to see the kids grow - see them smile. In return, it pushes me to go harder because I feel like I have them looking up to me. It gives me a voice. NBA players love doing things like this because it is building off of what we have been able to accomplish.”

— Alize Johnson

Not a stranger to The Basketball Movement or working with its Founder, Rob Yanders, we were honored to play host to Alize’s camp this summer. The facility and coaches are designed around the high-intensity style that is needed for the older kids as well as fundamentals and fun-oriented feel for the younger ones.

Johnson commented on how far the facility had come since he first started coming here and how proud he is of his friend and mentor, Rob Yanders. “Pretty much the only thing left he could add is like, hotel rooms for the players that come out here,” Alize joked. “To see where this place is right now - it’s amazing.” (Note/Plug: The Basketball Movement does offer shuttle service for those interested in extended pro workouts!! End plug)

“Rob’s a great guy. He genuinely knows what he’s doing and exactly what he’s talking about. He has been a great mentor for me because of his experience and that he doesn’t sugar coat anything; he tells it like it is. I’m really proud of what he’s doing with these kids too.”

— Alize on Robert Yanders

While putting on the camp here, Alize seemed to form a bond also with Rob’s nephew and The Basketball Movement and Yanders Law standout, Anton Brookshire. Anton isn’t one to boast, so Johnson lent a hand in giving the young player some props on social media. Alize said how humble he was is part of why he was so impressed by Brookshire.

“He’s humble - not trying to be big time. He already knows who he is and operates within himself. Honestly, he reminds me of myself in some ways… He has what it takes to be a pro,” Alize said of Brookshire.

Upcoming season

With a newly guaranteed contract, Alize Johnson is primed for another exciting pro season. The contract is now guaranteed because of what he was able to show the Indiana Pacers organization recently at the NBA Summer League. His scoring, and possibly more importantly, tenacious rebounding made him one of the Pacers’ most valuable summer players.

“(Rebounding) comes naturally to me - I love to do it. I still have the will for it too, of course, it helps me keep playing and making a living,” said Johnson.

Whether he spends the majority of his time with the Pacers or their G-League affiliate this season is still naturally a bit up in the air, though his summer showing is a great start. He says that all he can do is keep preparing as much as possible and be ready when his number is called. “I’ll just handle all the little things and everything should fall into place,” he said.

Now with these camps under his belt, Johnson will just be working out and hanging with friends until it’s time to get back at it. He says that he will report back on August 8th. We of course wish him the very best this upcoming season and want to thank him once again for teaming up with The Basketball Movement this summer to stay involved with the community in Southwest Missouri.

Good luck, Alize and see you soon!

Rob Yanders Better Vibin Session - Alize Johnson

The Basketball Movement’s second Rob Yanders Better Vibin Session is in the books, featuring Alize Johnson.

The Founder of The Basketball, but also its lead Trainer, Coach, and driving force, Robert Yanders is on a mission to not only step up the games of those around him but his own as well. To help him do that, he created the Rob Yanders Better Vibin Sessions.

Already with one session under his belt, Rob recently sat with Yanders Law, Kickapoo, and The Basketball Movement gym rat, Anton Brookshire. Aside from being his uncle, Rob coaches Anton as well. That session was all about connecting not only as a player and coach but as family. The second vibin session is all about reconnecting with a longtime friend in more of a mentor-style relationship.

Alize Johnson is best known around Southwest, Missouri as one of the most decorated Missouri State Basketball players of all time. The basketball world now knows him best as a second-round NBA draft pick, playing with both the Indiana Pacers and their G-League affiliate.

Johnson flashed his upside in the G-League last season, averaging a double-double as a small forward. His tenacious rebounding and efficient scoring during this recent NBA Summer League earned him a guaranteed contract with the Pacers.

Yanders got to know Johnson during his time at MSU, working him out here at The Basketball Movement and giving him advice as he approached his pro career. In this Better Vibin Session, Alize and Rob reminisce about those times and talk about loyalty to those that aid you in your journey.

The Basketball Movement was proud to host the Alize Johnson Camp recently, which was the reason he was back in town. Giving back is big for both Alize and Rob, so they hold mutual respect and admiration for each other, which shines through in this session.

In the Vibin Session, they discuss where Alize comes from and where he’s going, loyalty, family, and more. This is two professionals at opposite ends of their careers - Alize is starting out and learning the ropes and Rob is done playing for a paycheck, but now using basketball as a tool to fuel the passions of others.

You have to check out this Rob Yanders Better Vibin Session! Below is the full video, but make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to make sure you catch the next one too!

The Basketball Movement: Day 2 Alize Johnson Basketball Camp

7th-12th graders are getting their shot today at the Alize Johnson Basketball Camp here at The Basketball Movement.

Another nice turn out to work with Missouri State Alum and Indiana Pacers forward, Alize Johnson at The Basketball Movement. The players have been establishing plenty of sweat equity all morning and are gearing up for an intense afternoon of work as well.

Being around, listening to, and learning from Alize is already a big perk that we are thrilled to be able to facilitate. This is still The Basketball Movement too, so you know these boys and girls are getting all the work they can handle.

Whether it is Robert Yanders facilitating a drill, Alize Johnson making sure the player work or one of the coaches motivating and guiding, the buzz in the gym is tangible and the excitement is through the roof. As it usually is in these gyms, the energy level is crazy. Leave it to Rob to make sure everyone is amped.

Small scrimmages are breaking out with skill flashing all over the place. Emphasis on head-to-head competition has been a big theme today and appears to be an Alize Johnson specialty. The bodies on the floor for loose balls are everything you can hope for.

Make sure to be following along on all social media platforms as we continue to drop pictures and videos from the camp. Stay tuned!

Underway at The Alize Johnson Basketball Camp

With one of our favorite pros in the building, The Basketball Movement is pumped to be kicking off day one of the Alize Johnson Basketball Camp.

Dozens of area grade-schoolers are getting an opportunity to work with one of the best today. Alize Johnson is not just a decorated Missouri State alumni, but now one of the most promising NBA prospects coming out of the NBA Summer League playing on a guaranteed contract for the Indiana Pacers.

Johnson’s top-tier talent and NBA experience mixed with Rob Yanders and the rest of The Basketball Movement coaches and players here helping today is a combination that will make sure every kid here comes away with important skills for the game of basketball. Also - we’re going to have a lot of fun.

Alize and Rob have the campers already hard at work, making sure players are working on dribbling with their off-hand, keeping their heads up at all times. ‘Ze is motivating the kids by telling them he is on the lookout for the very hardest worker. He is playfully motivating Rob, but rubbing in his face that he doesn’t have an autographed jersey yet…

For such a young NBA player, Alize is already doing impressive things in giving back to his communities. We say “communities” because Johnson isn’t even from Springfield, MO. He already put on one of these camps last week in his hometown of Williamsport, PA. The Alize Johnson Foundation has also already established big plans to build courts back in Williamsport with security features and lighting so that basketball can be safely enjoyed by all.

We are lucky here in Southwest, MO to have our college star, already onto the next level, coming back to serve our community in such a positive way using the sport he loves.

Stay tuned to The Basketball Movement here and on social media to stay on top of what we have going on here. Tomorrow is the 7th-12th grade camp, so there is still plenty more to come.

Alize Johnson Basketball Camp

The Basketball Movement is proud to present a great opportunity for area ballers!

Missouri State Alumni, NBA player, and ally of The Basketball Movement, Alize Johnson is headed back to Springfield, MO to put on a camp for 3rd graders up to 12th.

The Basketball Movement is proud to host Johnson’s “Blueprint to the Stars of the Game” camp to give community players an opportunity to learn from top-tier talent. Alize has been tearing it up in the NBA Summer League, recently earning a guaranteed contract with the Indiana Pacers. He is using his limited time off to spread a bit of knowledge on what it takes!

In his hometown in Pennsylvania, Alize is about to host a couple of these camps and they sold out quickly. Contact The Basketball Movement at basketballmovement@yahoo.com to get in while you can because spots are limited.

The camp is open to boys and girls. 3rd-6th grade is July 22nd, 9:00 am-3:00 pm. 7th-12th grade is July 23rd, 9:00 am-3:00 pm. You don’t want to miss this opportunity!

We hope to see you there!

The Rob Yanders Better Vibin Sessions

The Basketball Movement’s new video series is setting out to raise the bar on coach and player relationships.

Recently, The Basketball Movement’s Founder, Robert Yanders has set out to make new improvements to his organization. The facility itself has seen so much love over the last few years, but this improvement will be different.

Yanders is striving to improve his relationships with The Basketball Movement’s athletes by getting to know them through his Better Vibin Sessions.

The sessions are simply Coach Rob sitting down with some of the facility’s most frequent attendees to get to know them as people. Rob always says “The person is the player,” so getting to know them better as people will allow for better relationships and chemistry on the court.

Another goal of Better Vibin is to have conversations that bring back the root of player’s passion for the game to re-ignite the fire that keeps them going.

The first session is already up on YouTube and can be seen below. Rob’s first guest is his own nephew, Kickapoo High and Yanders Law guard, Anton Brookshire. Anton is originally from Milwaukee, WI, and has received significant collegiate interest after only his sophomore season from schools like Iowa State and Missouri State.

The video features Rob and Anton just vibin about kicks, basketball, the future, and family. Check it out!

There will of course be more of these sessions headed your way soon, so make sure you are subscribed to our Youtube channel and are following along with us on social media. Until next time!

The Basketball Movement: Tips, motivation, and guidance

We are more than just a gym to go break a sweat in! Click around and you’ll see what we are about.

At The Basketball Movement, skill development is our bread and butter. Making sure that you or your athlete improve basketball skills on the court is our most fundamental priority, and we pride ourselves on being good at what we do.

We also want to make sure that our athletes are prepared for whatever life throws at them off the court as well. Using basketball as a tool, we are always striving to enhance the qualities of our players that extend beyond the sport.

Our blog is updated weekly with more than just news from around the world of basketball. It is an excellent resource for tips, motivation, and guidance for not only athletes, but parents, and fans as well. Check out a few such articles below:

Setting goals for yourself

A few tips for parents and other fans

So you didn’t get drafted

Becoming a leader with The Basketball Movement

What to do during the offseason

These are just a handful of examples pulled from the last month and a half or so. So, as you can tell, we are coming at you with this content all the time. Our blog is a great place to check-in for tips and motivation centered around hoops.

As The Basketball Movement looks to step up not just the hoops community, but the community as a whole, keep checking back for content like this that can motivate, guide, and inspire budding or established hoopers.

Setting goals for yourself

Setting goals is an important thing to do at any stage in life. Do not forget to set some on the court and off.

Many of basketball's brightest stars were born with a lot of natural ability. However, most of them still had to work incredibly hard to get where they are today. Hard work is best when it is directed by established plans and aimed at particular goals.

The Basketball Movement can help players to establish plans and regimens to help them along the way in achieving those goals.

It is not hard to find quotes and tips from people and players that have experienced success in their careers. Setting goals is important, but the growth and experience obtained in the pursuit of those goals is often the true victory.

“It’s not about looking for outcomes, but just enjoying the process. That’s when you become in the moment.”

— Steve Nash

Goals can be big or small - daily or long-term. They are important in sports like basketball, but also in many other aspects of life.

What goals will you set?

Different individuals may come up with very different goals and aspirations. As a basketball player, one player's goal may be to crack the starting five on their Junior Varsity squad. Another may want to become a professional, overseas or in the NBA.

Skill development represents smaller, more compartmentalized goals. Your goal may be to improve your free throw percentage by a certain amount or to add two new post moves to your repertoire by the end of the Summer.

“A winner is someone who recognizes his (or her) God-given talents, works his (or her) tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his (or her) goals.”

— Larry Bird

Personal goals off the court are important also. Goals for school or for a career help you to stay focused on what is important. Try to make a point to be an achiever in all that you do.

For more motivation, basketball news, and Basketball Movement goodness, keep looking around our blog here!

A few tips for parents or other fans

Playing the game can be tough, as can coaching. Watching the games? As invested fans, that can be tough at times too.

As fans of basketball, it can be all too easy at times to get involved in everything that goes on on the court - especially for parents. You are taking your kids to camps, practices, and games as well as footing the bills for leagues, equipment, and so on. This gives a deep feeling of involvement with your player and the program.

This is a good thing! You should be active and engaged in what is going on in your son or daughter’s lives. However, this involvement can also make things a bit difficult when you see your athlete placed in tough situations or under-performing.

Just remember - it is often best to address these situations according to the time and place. On the way to or from games are terrific times for constructive discussions, as everything is fresh in the player’s head. At practices, that is the coach’s jurisdiction. Let the coaching staff handle everything on the floor.

Where things often get tough for parents is where it is toughest for all parties - during games.

There are fine lines to walk during games. On the one hand, you are encouraged to cheer on your players and team, to praise them during their successes, and to build them back up when they make mistakes. As such an invested individual though, you may sometimes make mistakes.

Encouragement is always helpful, there is no limit on that. Where things can go wrong though lies in criticism, whether it is of your player, the coach, or even referees. Shouting at the refs will build bad blood between that ref and your team, no matter where it comes from. It also sets a poor example for the players, leading them to believe referees are a scapegoat for their shortcomings.

Criticizing coaches or your player’s teammates is of course discouraged as well. It will distract all of the players and take away from the important focuses of playing the sport.

Finally, save constructive criticism of your own player for another time. Your son, daughter, or otherwise is already going to be aware when they make a mistake. Compounding that with a public disappointment of their parents is going to get in their head in a big way. During game time, just remember - encourage, encourage, encourage. Let the coaches and team handle the rest.

Being an involved parent or fan is important, just do your best to go about it in the best way possible. The Basketball Movement shares a bond with our athletes and their families, and we have faith that our parents, players, and coaches can set great examples for each other.

So you didn't get drafted

The 2019 NBA Draft has come and gone with only 60 names being called. What now?

Only a limited number of individuals in the world can be a part of the NBA or WNBA. There are professional teams all over the globe, but the top of the basketball world is known to be here in the good ol’ U.S.A. With spots at the top being so limited, what are you to do if you don’t make it in?

If being in the NBA or WNBA is your dream, if basketball is your passion, and if you are willing to work, nothing should stop you.

Here is what you do: Get in the gym. Come to The Basketball Movement. Meet with a trainer that is dedicated to helping take your game as far as it can possibly go. We saw the snippets of the NBA Draft’s top pick, Zion Williamson - when he was four, he wanted to be the top player in the nation. By nine, he was getting up hundreds of jumpers every day.

Being at the top of the basketball world doesn’t just happen; not even for freak athletes like Zion. It takes WORK. Hundreds of hours in the gym, peak physical condition and then some, and being married to the game.

If you don’t love basketball, the NBA and WNBA aren’t for you. These leagues are not for the faint of heart. The unseen hours that are required to make it to, and stay in these leagues is a barrier to entry that not many can hurdle.

So you didn’t get drafted? You aren’t working hard enough. You must have a fire to make it to the Association and there is nothing The Basketball Movement does better than stoke that fire. If you have the work ethic, we have the work. Strength and conditioning, skill development/maintenance, film study and more await you within the doors of the basketball mecca of the Midwest.

Our own Rob Yanders’ first-hand experience at multiple levels of the pro circuit mixed with the passion all our staff possesses is a recipe for elevating you to reach your potential. Reach out to us and we will make sure you won’t regret it. You may find out this road is too hard for you, or you may just let us help you all the way down the road to your ultimate destination. We’re excited to find out with you.

Rob Yanders: Playing professionally overseas

The Basketball Movement's founder, Rob Yanders dishes on his experience playing professional ball in Europe.

Rob Yanders' local impact through The Basketball Movement has been immense. He cherishes this community and is here to give back and enhance it through the sport he loves. Rob's time in Springfield and West Plains was a big part of his career, but his professional experience led him to a much different place.

For some of us, it is easy to forget that there is more to basketball than what we see in high school, the NCAA, and NBA. There are basketball teams all over the world; many are at the professional level.

The Movement is very unique in that it offers Euro Preparation to players that are looking to break into the pro scene. Rob's experience is an amazing resource for any American player considering playing basketball abroad.

I (@WilHarrington) sat down with Robert at The Basketball Movement to talk about his time in Europe.

Rob's experience playing overseas

After college, Rob Yanders headed to Sheffield, England to begin his rookie year of pro ball. He said that it was certainly a culture shock, but the team won the British Championship, easing his transition. "When you're successful and winning, everything is great." He credits the people he met and his teammate for helping to make it a great experience.

“My experience in Europe helped mold me into the person I am today - my experiences getting away and getting cultured through these different walks of life. Sheffield, France, Scotland, Treviso, Norway, Zurich, Germany, Israel - because of basketball. Because of that round, orange thing, I’ve been to some amazing places.”

In his pro career, he went on to win three European Championships, two regular-season Championships, a National Cup, and Finals MVP. In France, Rob was also voted team MVP with both VCB and KABCA teams and earned All-Star Team honors in 2012. His time as a pro in Europe was certainly a success.

How Rob applies what he learned to The Basketball Movement

As a pro, Robert told me that you are always thinking about what comes next. Players are rarely guaranteed a safety net in their brief careers. When Rob thought about what he wanted to do, he leaned on what made him happy: basketball.

Enjoying and being around the sport of basketball does not have to end when playing days are over. Robert was a Community Recreation major in college and knew that he wanted to build or run a sports facility.

“I grew up in Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Clubs, and YMCA’s. Those were places that gave me shelter to play the game and keep me safe from the streets.”

He talked about the alone time you experience playing in a foreign country and the amount of time it allowed him to reflect on the future. He also got to participate in many camps, clinics, speaking opportunities, and mentorships. His leadership grew even more and allowed him to confidently assume his role within The Movement as founder and owner.

Advice for players considering college or the pro game

The advice that Robert shared on this topic centered around personal circumstances - situations vary greatly from player to player.

“Do what’s best for your family. Invest in you and invest in your family - your time is valuable. Make sure you get the right council and information.”

Rob also warned that the pro game will be a stark contrast for any players that are talented enough to play professionally straight out of high school. Playing with grown men that are playing for paychecks is a whole new world.

If the opportunity for a "one-and-done" type of player to play professionally presented itself, and they needed money, he may recommend going if the player is confident in professional ball as a career. For most though, education is always a great idea. It will pay off more than fizzling out after a few pro seasons.

As Rob mentioned, receiving the right council and information is very important when considering playing in Europe or anywhere else. Coach Rob, Coach Anthony Shavies, and more can help players with this preparation right here at The Basketball Movement.

If you are interested in any capacity in playing overseas, please contact us and let us help you navigate the intimidating options that follow.

Media and exposure for our athletes

The Basketball Movement caters to numerous age and skill groups. For many upper-tier athletes, we offer media exposure to help in their careers.

There are plenty of reasons for The Basketball Movement to try as hard as we do on videos, photography, interviews, and more. The bread and butter of the facility and its coaches is skill development. Individual and team workouts are our primary tools to facilitate the growth of our athletes. There is more to basketball than skill development, however.

As players improve, it will show on the court - many fans, coaches, and recruits will see this. However, not everyone is going to be around to travel to your games. The more media you have, the more visible you will become. The more visible you are, the more likely you are to get noticed by people that can aid you in your career as a player.

Aside from being more visible as an athlete, the media can also help with confidence. If we throw up a cool video of players putting in work at our facility, that is going to make that player feel good and want to build upon what others are now getting to see. The importance of confidence on the floor cannot be understated. When you look good, you feel good, so we hope that our media clips can help athletes maintain the swagger required to stand out.

Simply put, all the pictures and videos are fun too. Having professionally created videos and images is a blast for players and guardians, and we have a good time putting it together as well. At our clinics, The League, invitational camps, what have you, the players have a blast lining up to get headshots at The Basketball Movement. The younger players in particular eat it up.

So, don’t have any delusions about the reasoning behind our media. Understand that everything we do, we do it for the benefit of our guys and girls.

Exposure is important as players near the collegiate level of the sport. Confidence is a key to hoops, and this can help with that. Also, remember that it is all in great fun as we continue to highlight many of our hardest workers.

Most of our full-length clips are over on our Instagram, but all media is distributed across our Facebook and Twitter as well. Thanks as always for tuning in to what is happening here at The Basketball Movement!

Alize Johnson gives back to his community

Ally of The Basketball Movement, Missouri State Alum, and NBA forward, Alize Johnson is using his platform to improve his community and change lives.

At The Basketball Movement, we talk about using basketball to give back to the community quite a bit and we are thrilled to see that our friend, Alize Johnson is doing just that. When he was coming into our facility to get work while he was attending Missouri State, Alize was a bad man on the floor and a good one off of it. Things don’t appear to have changed, which is awesome to see.

The Indiana Pacers signed Johnson to a two-way contract in his rookie season, which means that he played plenty of G-League ball, but was also available to play minutes with the Pacers. Never the biggest player on the court, he still did an excellent job of crashing the glass all season and turned in a nice rookie campaign.

Despite staying plenty busy all season, Alize has still found time to do big things through the Alize Johnson Foundation.

Originally from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Johnson is clearly remembering his roots, as this will be the site of his foundation’s big project. He will be putting in three NBA regulation outdoor courts. The project includes adjustable hoops, lights, fencing, and new bleachers. The courts will have a security guard stationed from 4-8 pm to aid in making this a safe space for the youth of Williamsport.

The project is titled WtaWtaW (Where there’s a Will, there’s a Way). The project is also sponsored by PRN Home Health Services and the Pepsi Bottling Group in Williamsport. Their donation page can be found here: https://fundrazr.com/41ShQ7?ref=sh_c7ssh2_ab_319MbZF7yHP319MbZF7yHP

We are proud of Alize for supporting his community in this way. Basketball is obviously his bread and butter, so finding a way to channel that into something bigger is incredible to see.

The Basketball Movement is focused daily on helping players on the court. However, there is nothing better than seeing athletes (especially ones we’ve had the pleasure of working with) use basketball for an even greater purpose.

Props to Alize for making big moves that will positively affect lives in his community. No doubt he continues the good work through his career and beyond.

What team chemistry really means

Coaches, fans, and basketball pundits all love to talk about team chemistry. What does it really mean?

At the risk of starting this off as a middle school essay, let’s just go ahead and state the literal definition of the word “chemistry”. The definition is not as clean and simple as we may like. However, you can see how when broken down, it can be simply applied to the sport of basketball.

Google defines chemistry as “the branch of science that deals with the identification of the substances of which matter is composed; the investigation of their properties and the ways in which they interact, combine, and change; and the use of these processes to form new substances.”

To start, we can fill in a few of the terms with basketball jargon: Identification of the players of which a team is composed. Identifying for our purposes isn’t just knowing your teammate’s names. To achieve ideal chemistry, you must know their strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies.

“…the investigation of their properties and the ways in which they interact, combine, and change…” Once you know them as mentioned above, you can begin to anticipate their actions, while also watching them grow as players and teammates.

Finally, “form new substances” is the resulting team. Players that know each other inside and out, on and off the court form the teams that will have what is referred to as great team chemistry.

Chemistry can be difficult for teams that introduce or bid farewell to players frequently. Still, stressing the importance of chemistry allows our coaches and teams to have a working understanding of what is necessary at all times.

“We create a standard for how we want to do things and everyone’s got to buy into that standard or you really can’t have any team chemistry. Mediocre people don’t like high-achievers and high-achievers don’t like mediocre people.”

— Nick Saban

When a team has good chemistry, it shows. Chemistry happens in the trenches, such as during practices. It also happens off the court, when teams are able to bond on more personal levels.

This is an important area for teams and we encourage our players to always stick together. Help your teammates up, give them affirmation in real life or on social media, just… be a friend.

For more on teamwork, motivation, and everything else basketball, keep it locked right here!

Thriving in the underdog role

With the NBA Playoffs underway, we have had the opportunity to see multiple teams embrace the underdog role and surprise the big dogs.

No matter your record, seeding, reputation, anything, you can still beat the odds and be the best team for a game. Once you start rolling, you may gain momentum that can help you sustain that success. We have seen it many times before, especially in the NCAA Tournament as we did again recently. In the first round of the NBA playoffs, we have already gotten to see it multiple times.

Despite long odds, the Nets, Clippers, Magic, and Spurs have already pulled off upsets on the road. The biggest one came last night, as the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors in game two of the series.

The Clippers were down by 31 in the third quarter before storming back to defeat the back-to-back NBA champs. Rookie Landry Shamet (formerly of Witchita State) hit a go-ahead three to seal it. Patrick Beverly continued to lock down Kevin Durant and Lou Williams went on one of his scoring tears to climb back into it. The 31 point comeback marked the biggest comeback in NBA Playoff history.

This seems like a good time to remind you that no team is invincible. There are still plenty of games left in each of the NBA series’ involved in these upsets. That said, the landscape has significantly shifted, stealing confidence from one side and feeding it to the other. Confidence is big in the sport of basketball.

“Everything negative - pressure, challenges - are all an opportunity for me to rise.”

— Kobe Bryant

For that reason, it is important to approach every game and every moment with confidence. Believe that your shot will go in. Believe that your team can win the game. Believing is clearly not everything, but if you have put in the work, there is no reason that you can’t give it your all and compete. If you do that, then you can shift the odds at any time.

Being the underdog in a game or being overlooked as a player or team often means that you may be underestimated. Use that as fuel. Harness the chip on your shoulder. No one knows what you can do better than yourself. There isn’t much that is more satisfying than defying odds and proving naysayers wrong.

So be that team! Be that player! Don’t sweat rankings or records, just control what you can by working as hard as possible, being confident, and not backing down from a challenge.

Remember, to help you work as hard as possible, stay at the peak of your game, and keep raising that peak, contact The Basketball Movement. We believe in you and we can help you be ready for the big moments.