Striving for the Mamba Mentality

As the basketball world continues to mourn the loss of Kobe Bryant, we remind players to carry on the Mamba Mentality.

The world knew Kobe Bryant by the basketball player we saw on the floor. Only his close family and friends truly knew him as a person. We saw how hard he worked, what he was able to achieve, and for the most part, what it took to get there. There are still countless unseen hours, not just that he put towards the game of basketball, but into his other passions, hobbies, and relationships.

For that reason it is not fair of us, the public, to pretend we knew everything about Kobe Bean Bryant. Media figures and players say ”He would want this,” or “he would have wanted that.” All we know is that he loved his family, loved his occupation, and gave us a hell of a spectacle on the court.

The loss of a family man is an indescribable blow. So, let’s just focus on what we can wrap our heads around: Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality.

We knew Kobe primarily by what he was on the court - a true superstar. Bryant was as feared an opponent as anyone could ever imagine. His offensive repertoire made him a killer, a basketball assassin. He could rip your heart out and crush your dreams in so many ways that he earned the respect of nearly every hooper on the planet.

Since the NBA has been naming first or second-team all-defense, Kobe earned the nod 12 times (nine first-team), the most ever by a guard. So despite being an offensive juggernaut, he was able to still exert enough energy and focus on defense that he was deemed one of the league’s best defenders multiple years. Impressive resume, but what does it mean?

The Mamba Mentality

Kobe Bryant was nicknamed the Black Mamba. He could and would strike on offense or defense at any moment, and it was always deadly. Players special enough to go so hard on both ends of the floor are rare, but they all possess something in common - a term coined by Bryant himself: Mamba Mentality.

Players do not need Kobe-level skills to harness the Mamba Mentality because it is just that - a state of mind.

The focus of the Mamba Mentality isn’t attacking the opponent like Bryant made it seem. Instead, the focus is internal; promises to yourself to get every loose ball, the drive to play every defensive possession like it is meant to be played, the willingness to let the offense come to you, but also the readiness to take over a game if that is your role.

Mamba Mentality will look different depending on your role. Kobe was asked to shoulder the load on offense and be a defensive stopper. For some players, it may be focusing on snatching every rebound or making sure teammates are involved. Players on the bench, coaches, anyone… the Mamba Mentality can be applied no matter what.

Perhaps the best way we can remember Kobe Bryant the basketball player is to all try our best to approach life with the Mamba Mentality. Fiercely protect family and friends, keep your foot on the gas while you chase dreams, and give your all in everything you do.

Enjoy the processes - even the little moments and the tough times. Keep loved ones close and let them know how much they mean to you. Bryant and the other individuals we lost were taken from the world too soon, but we can make their loss count for something big. Embody the Mamba Mentality and you will be surprised by the doors that open for you. Reach out to us if that means getting in the gym. Reach out even if it doesn’t and we will be a shoulder for you.

RIP Kobe Bryant - thank you for everything.

The Basketball Movement - Respect

An important key in basketball and in life is to treat everyone around you with respect.

A good practice for basketball but also life in general is to be respectful of EVERYBODY - superiors, peers, and subordinates alike. It is true, not everyone deserves respect, but there is never an excuse to treat someone that way. Even if you do not respect somebody, you must act respectfully at all times.

In basketball, the ultimate example of respect happens in the player-coach relationship. Coaches have the difficult task of uniting individuals in a group, developing a strategy, and implementing that strategy through the actions of their team. This can cause friction between all involved and is not always smooth sailing.

Playing time and usage is important to players and are also some of the greatest tools at a coach’s disposal. They put who they want on the floor to give them the best chance at executing their strategies at all times. Even if you have a tenuous relationship with your coach, it is important that you understand that they are trying to complete a difficult job to the best of their abilities. Not agreeing with the methods is allowed, but respect is necessary at all times, or else it will cause fractures in the team as a whole.

Most importantly, your coach is human. They are prone to mistakes, lapses in judgment, real-life issues, and more that deserve the same consideration that you would hope for yourself. Respect that.

As a player, you must also respect your teammates. You have the same goals; win every game possible, limit mistakes, and yeah, show out a bit. Some may have more or less drive than you. Some may be turnover-prone. Some may just not like to pass you the ball. This is still someone in the trenches with you that you need on the same page as to accomplish the biggest goals.

Again, they are human. Acting disrespectfully will fracture the team dynamic, create rifts where there should be friendships, and make life more difficult than it has to be. You don’t even have to like all of them - just treat them with respect to make the best out of any situation.

“Sport is and should remain a great school of life that supports young people in their personal development. It teaches respect for others and also for oneself.”
— Richard Attias

Referees are different. No wait, that isn’t right because they are also human! Referees have an incredibly difficult job and would probably prefer if you didn’t foul or let the ball go out of bounds. They like basketball too and deserve to enjoy it in their own way without getting disrespected by a player (or coach) that thinks they are doing poorly at their job. They are real people with real issues that don’t deserve to be treated badly.

By now, you have seen the trend. Opponents must be treated with respect. They are a lot like you, only from different locations. The more people you treat with respect, the more likely you will gain respect in return.

Respect can be a difficult concept to grasp even though it seems simple. You do need to earn respect and not every individual does what is needed to have earned it. Strive to earn respect, and remember that treating others respectfully (whether earned or not) is one of the quickest ways to get there.

Generally, people around you will give you opportunities to earn respect and reward you with it. Still, there are those that will want to bring you down. Nothing will eat at them more than treating them respectfully when all they want is to ruffle your feathers. That is why treating others with respect is some of the best advice we can give.

You can’t go wrong with acting respectfully, so do so as much as possible! Even when you stumble, be apologetic, humble, and gracious to get back on the right track. Respect is important in life (and on the court), so make it a focus in 2020.

For more tips, basketball news, and more, keep it locked with us here at The Basketball Movement!

Merry Christmas from The Basketball Movement!

Merry Christmas, everyone! We talk a lot about using holidays and weekends to outwork your opponents but maybe hang with family on this one.

At The Basketball Movement, we are serious about hoops. However, we are also well aware that there are plenty of things that are bigger than basketball. Here on The Basketball Movement blog, we have discussed doing inside work on rainy days, getting in a gym on holiday weekends, and more. That said, Christmas is one of the most important times of the year for stepping away from work, school, and play to focus on what is important.

We were thrilled to partner with Yanders Law to show the power of basketball with our Angels of the Hardwood event. It was great to show that even as basketball organizations, there are still ways to get involved in the true reason for the Christmas season.

To all of the players, parents, fans, and The Basketball Movement trainers and staff - Merry Christmas! This is an excellent time to reflect on a year’s worth of accomplishments, hardships overcome, and great things on the horizon.

Thank you to everyone that helped us to make 2019 successful. We are proud of everything that has been accomplished and proud to have worked with everyone who helped to make it happen.

Enjoy this time with family and friends and remember what Christmas is all about. Have a blessed and Merry Christmas, everyone!

Angels of the Hardwood at The Basketball Movement

Yanders Law’s second annual Angels of the Hardwood event is underway right here at The Basketball Movement!

Our favorite day of the year, the Angels of the Hardwood event has been marked on the calendar for Yanders Law and The Basketball Movement for a long time. The event is finally starting with dozens of kids coming through the doors of The Basketball Movement facility.

Multiple Yanders Law players are in attendance, helping kids find the right size of brand new Nike shoes, getting shirts for everyone, and directing them to get professional photos were taken, a new Nike Elite basketball, and even courtside haircuts courtesy of our friends at CUT N EDGE barbershop.

In their new Nike Elite socks, shoes, and shirts, they will start doing simple basketball drills soon as Yanders Law coaches and The Basketball Movement trainers take them through what they do best. The lighthearted nature of the basketball portion will be a bit less intense than we usually see around here, but the inclusion and fun make it many times sweeter during the season of giving.

The gym is currently filled with the sounds of balls bouncing and kids laughing, and we couldn’t be more excited to keep the energy going!

In addition to the gear, all athletes will receive presents, goody bags filled with healthy snacks, and North Face fleece pullovers as temperatures drop outside. It is a great day of giving, but it wouldn’t be possible without ample support.

We want to give a very special shoutout to all of our sponsors:

Nike

OMS Surgery

Parkcrest Dental Group

Eastbay

Clear Creek Family Dental

Aleshire Robb & Rapp

Cox Health - Neurosurgery (Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute)

Spencer Fane

Multiple anonymous donors

We also want to thank the Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, Harmony House, YMCA, and multiple area public schools for getting the word out and participating in this event. A special shoutout of course to the Yanders Law players and parents for donating presents and their precious time!

Make sure you are following along with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram during and following the event to keep up with the good we are hopefully doing for the community that has given us so much. Merry Christmas from The Basketball Movement!

Evolution of a Hooper - Out now!

ICYMI: Robert Yanders’ Evolution of a Hooper program is available for coaches, trainers, players, and parents.

The Evolution of a Hooper is up and running for anyone around the sport of basketball that has a desire to improve. Click this link to go directly to Patreon, which is home to the Evolution. The on-court curriculum is in abundance in the form of drills that coaches, trainers, and players can benefit from.

These drills have been created and perfected over years by The Basketball Movement’s Founder, Robert Yanders. This curriculum has been a trade secret of Rob’s that has gone into elevating the play of NBA players down through college, high school, and younger athletes. New drills are uploaded each week to The Evolution. To have access to all of these is an incredible value for the price, but it doesn’t stop there.

The off-court curriculum is included as well, focusing on many aspects of life that are important for ensuring a balanced approach to the sport. “The person is the player,” Yanders says. Making sure that your circle of friends, goals, and approach in all you do is optimized will translate to the court as well.

A “Midwife” section in the curriculum is made specifically for parents that want to help their athletes by doing all the right things and letting coaches and players take the reigns at the right moments. This is not a lesson in parenting, but how to be the best parent that you can be in terms of maximizing your impact related to your athlete’s performance.

Rob Yanders’ Evolution of a Hooper will continue to grow and will soon be linked with a documentary that explains where Rob has come from in the sport. Yanders’ journey through life has been directly linked to the sport of basketball through each step and we want to show how important it is to him that you get the most out of him as a coach and out of this product. His desire to improve those around him shines through absolutely.

Weekly drill uploads alone would make this online program worth it, but the abundance of other materials is what sets the Evolution of a Hooper apart. Give it a shot this shopping season - for yourself or the coach/athlete in your life. You will not regret it.

If you or your athlete want to maximize potential as a hooper, this is a must-have resource. Click here to give it a try, or go download the Patreon app for Apple or Android and search for The Evolution of a Hooper.

Robert Yanders - The Evolution

The Basketball Movement’s Founder, Robert Yanders is unveiling a new program to turn the basketball world upside down.

Already three or four years in the making, Rob Yanders’ Evolution is a basketball program like no other. Throughout his own personal evolution through the sport, he has acquired the knowledge and expertise to put together an on-and-off-court curriculum that can benefit anyone around the sport of basketball.

Yanders’ personal journey has played an important part in the creation of this program. So, in conjunction with the curriculum and all else that will be included in The Evolution, Rob will be putting out a documentary from his time on the court and off. From the Salvation Army court to four European Championships, from the streets to moving his Mom in next door in a million-dollar home, you are going to want to see this.

The heart of The Evolution is the curriculum. There are on-court drills such as the one Rob previewed on his Instagram below:

With numerous drills that can greatly benefit trainers, coaches, and players alike, there is already an absurd amount of beneficial content within The Evolution. It doesn’t stop there though, with off-court curriculum to benefit players as well.

There are multiple facets to the off-court curriculum and Rob has included so much detail that we can’t possibly unpack it all here. In a nutshell, the off-court lessons will be conveyed in a computer format; individuals will be able to click around the various sections of the curriculum to expand on topics and ideas presented.

Some examples of off-court topics are: who is in your circle, urgency, putting in the “unrequired” work, preparation, being intentional, and more.

The Evolution will provide great benefits for coaches and trainers. The benefits can be passed along to players, or players can access The Evolution directly. This program is designed to aid everyone around the world of hoops. For that reason, there is even going to be a piece included for parents of athletes as well.

Rob has included a section in The Evolution that revolves around the concept of a basketball “midwife.” This portion is all about what parents of athletes can do to help their children succeed while accepting assistance and guidance from trained hoops professionals.

Check out more details below in the latest Vibin Session, where Writer Wil Harrington asks Rob to dish on as many details as he can regarding this exciting new program:

As Rob mentions in the video, The Evolution will be dropping sometime next month, so keep an eye out for upcoming details and announcements. The Basketball Movement is well known as a premier hoops training facility in the Midwest and Coach Rob is one of the top trainers in the nation. You don’t want to miss this impressive package if you are an individual fortunate enough to be involved with the game. Stay tuned!

Tips: Ignoring the noise

At every level of the game, there will be plenty of outside noise that you must learn to tune out.

When we say tuning out the noise, that is meant to be taken both literally and figuratively. There will be literal noise in the form of opponents jawing at you, harsh words from the stands, and encouragement. The figurative noise can come in many forms: online chatter, the media (for the higher tiers of the sport), and other off-court words from teammates, peers, and more.

For any players worth his or her salt, the literal noise is much easier to tune out. When on the court, locking in and focusing on the task at hand should be fairly natural.

That said, it doesn’t hurt to be reminded to not get sucked into the pettiness of on-court chatter. You have no business getting dragged into chatting with your opponents. Focus on yourself and your team. When the chatter is coming from fans, you have even less business engaging the crowd. Just allow the crowd to be white noise. You will still be able to register the roar when your team is doing well at home or relish in the silence that comes with success on the road. Even words of encouragement, which are definitely not a bad thing, can be a bit distracting. Just focus on the game and wait until the end for your pats on the back.

Keep an ear open for your coach and teammates. Their words are the only ones you must focus on. Any other noise during a game is just that - noise.

Off the court, you don’t have the heat of the moment to distract you. You may be told you’re no good. You may be told you’re the best. You may be told your shot is ugly. You may hear your team is going to win it all. It is nearly impossible to tune out all of the outside noise you will hear over your playing career.

While you may not be able to control what you hear, you will always be in control of what comes next. Do you worry about how your shot looks? Do you hang your head or puff your chest? The thing to do is to remember that you are the only one that can control your destiny on the court. Do you, only take advice from those you trust the most, and focus on doing whatever it takes to improve and help your team.

No one knows you and your game better than yourself. Control what you can control and let the flow of the game take care of the rest. Ignore the haters and make sure your circle consists of honest individuals that truly want to see you succeed.

The noise will always be there, but it is up to you to filter as much as possible and don’t let the rest affect your game. If you must hear it, use it as fuel as you pursue the path that YOU determine is best. Many of the top players have unique styles that probably garnered some hate more than once on their journey. The best thing you can do is trust yourself, work hard, and silence the noise with your play.

The Basketball Movement Invitational 2019: Day Three

Day three of The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp is all about the games - time to showcase what got these guys invited in the first place.

Starting with light stretching and shooting, today’s focus quickly turns to the games this morning. Day two was great; a full morning of drills and workouts culminated in a night of ferocious competition. Today should prove to be even better, as the teams fight to be the best.

Some extra incentive has been placed on these games by Rob Yanders, saying that the coach of the winning team will receive a nice little bonus… Hey, if you don’t perform in the real world and come together, unfortunately, coaches don’t always get to stick around long. This is a fun little twist that puts a competitive spin on things for all involved.

Check out the below, as Yanders highlighted some of the top performers from last night in our NBA Division:

If you couldn’t make it out last night, we highly recommend catching some of the games this morning, which are slated to run consecutively until around noon (EDIT: STRETCHING AND WARMUPS STARTED AROUND 9:00 AM, SO THE GAMES WILL BE BUMPED APPROX. AN HOUR BACK FROM THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULE). Once again: These games are open to the public! We highly recommend this to any area fan of HS basketball. Think Bass Pro Tournament of Champions with evenly distributed talent, an urban atmosphere, and blue-color work ethic and intensity. Just be here. See for yourself.

At the time this is being written, there are still a few more courtside, luxury leather seats available, first-come-first-served!

We’ll be coming at you with highlights and a weekend recap that will have Rob Yanders selections for his All-Camp guys. Stay tuned and hopefully, we see you soon!

The Basketball Movement Invitational 2019: Day Two

On the first day of The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp, we should have known better than to tell you to wait for day two for competitive fire.

Alright, alright, so the “getting to know you” portion of day one lasted about 30 minutes and the ferocious competition may have started a bit earlier than normal. That may or may not have been intentional on the part of Rob Yanders, whose opening remarks for the camp included the question “Who you got beef with? Who do you want to go at?” This was adamantly answered by a few camp-goers, who got their wish in the form of some king of the court after warmups.

This set the tone for not just the rest of the night, but the rest of the camp. Everyone got in on 1v1, 3v3, and some 4v4 king of the court, an impromptu “show your stuff” dunk free-for-all broke out, and we started several in-camp rivalries already.

If night one was any indication, day two is going to be tuff.

The morning portion will consist of warmups and stretching, followed by positional station work and drills on the court. Lunch is going to be provided at the gym for the players and a guest speaker will be joining us right after.

Things have been moved up a bit from our schedule released a few days ago.

Teams and game times for the evening games will be posted at 4:00 and then games will be played on both courts simultaneously on the hour the rest of the night starting at 5:00 and wrapping things up between 9:00 and 10:00 pm. These games are open to the public, so feel free to stop by at any point! We have luxury leather seating courtside and bleachers for overflow.

So far so good for heated action as usual at The Basketball Movement. The competition is already at the level we were hoping for and it will only go up from here. These are going to be fierce games between high-level competitors, so we highly recommend you make it out if you are a basketball fan. We are sporting talent from all over the country, plenty from St. Louis, and a good amount of local talent from the Springfield-metro area, so come out and support your hometown guys!

Keep it locked to our social media channels, primarily Twitter and Instagram to stay on top of the action throughout the day. Hope to see you tonight!

The Basketball Movement Invitational 2019: Day One

The time has finally come for The Basketball Movement Invitational. Tonight is day one, where we start focusing nervous energy into focus and determination.

At The Basketball Movement Invitational, day one is all about setting expectations, making the players feel special, and honing in on what will be an intense weekend. Once the expectations are set and the focus is at laser level, the spark will ignite the competitive fire that the next couple of days will be all about.

The players are getting hooked up with gear, getting professional headshots, hearing opening remarks from The Basketball Movement’s FOunder and Lead Trainer Rob Yanders, and then doing some light stretching and shooting. The players will get a takeaway dinner at the conclusion of the night.

As this is being written, the players are lined up for their pictures. Taping stations have been set up and those players that need them are utilizing them before we hit the floor. Music is pumping, there are plenty of introductions being made, and everyone is anxiously anticipating the official start to the weekend of basketball.

The nervous energy will fade fast, as these are already established players that know exactly what to do when they hit the court. Our drills and stations won’t be so much for teaching new concepts as sharpening existing skills and making sure that bad habits aren’t lingering in anyone’s fundamentals.

Tonight will be good for meeting new people but come tomorrow night, they will be broken up into teams and clash in a big way.

Stay tuned to The Basketball Movement on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and right here as we keep you up to date on one of the biggest camps and showcases in the area for high school boys’ talent.

The Basketball Movement Invitational schedule

The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp is finally here - check out the schedule of events to make sure and keep up with the action.

Finally upon us, The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp is underway Friday the fourth and will run through the weekend. As we have mentioned, there will be traditional camp elements as far as skill development, conditioning, etc. but also a showcase of the elite talent possessed by the young men.

Games will be taking place Saturday night and Sunday morning. These games are open to the public - if you want to see top-tier high school boys basketball in action, we have you more than covered.

There are courtside, leather seats available on a first-come-first-served basis. Remember to please respect the facility during your visit - no stepping on the courts without basketball-exclusive shoes, keep your feet off the chairs, and so on. Thank you!

Here is the schedule of events for our campers:

EDIT: THINGS HAVE BEEN BUMPED UP AN HOUR FOR DAY 2. BREAK FOR LUNCH IS 11:00, PLAYERS WILL RETURN FOR TEAM LISTING AT 4:00 AND GAMES WILL START AT 5:00 PM

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This event gets bigger and better each year, so make sure to stop by to get in on the action. If nothing else, just drop in to say hey and check out everything we have been doing with the facility. We are proud of what The Basketball Movement has been doing and love that you are along for the ride. We hope to see you this weekend!

Team USA falters in FIBA World Cup

Already seen as one of the weakest international rosters in almost 20 years, team USA will be playing in the 7th place game of the FIBA World Cup.

Dropping an exhibition game to Spain was not shocking for the men of Team USA ahead of the FIBA World Cup. What the United States is certainly not used to, was losing in the tournament, which it did against France… and then Serbia as well.

Even including Jayson Tatum, who has missed the last four contests with an ankle sprain, Team USA’s roster was much lighter on star-power than usual for international showings. It is still a potent team, featuring explosive guards and solid young talent. However, their lack of cohesion and stagnant offensive stretches caught up with them as they fell in the first non-exhibition match in years against France. The USA had a 58 game win-streak prior to the loss.

Two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert put on a clinic against the USA in the quarterfinals with 21 points, 16 boards, and three blocks, which came in clutch moments. The world has certainly caught up with the USA, especially when they don’t show up with their “A” team.

France features just two other NBA players in addition to Gobert in Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum. Then, adding insult to injury, Team USA turned around and lost again, this time to Nikola Jokic and Serbia. They fell far behind early and never recovered. They are now set to play Poland in the 7th place game. Team USA will be heavy favorites in that one, but that apparently doesn’t mean much. This will be the worst-ever finish for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup, win or lose.

France lost their following game, surprised by Argentina, which is doing well to remain relevant despite the retirement of star, Manu Ginobili. Argentina will face perennial contender Spain in the Final.

One interesting note is how the Utah Jazz have been represented in this tournament. Donovan Mitchell has been the scoring leader for Team USA, Rudy Gobert France’s driving force, Joe Ingles for a surprising Australia squad, and Ricky Rubio for Spain, though Ricky is now off to the Phoenix Suns.

It should be a good Final, but most fans are accustomed to seeing Team USA in contention. Perhaps Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics will produce a more competitive USA Men’s squad. We will see!

Push limits with Rob Yanders and The Basketball Movement

What limits you from being the best player you can possibly be? The Basketball Movement can help you push those limits.

Every individual has limits, whether perceived or literal. A literal limit may be that you are considered undersized for the sport of basketball; you can’t change when you are done growing. A perceived limit is that your small stature means you can’t guard bigger players, get up for rebounds, and so on. Those are perceived limits because you can do something to change that. We can help.

“When they say you can’t, they show you their limits, not yours.”
— Kevin Keenoo

One of the biggest lessons that I (Site Blogger, @WilHarrington) learned growing up came on the basketball court. My teacher was Robert Yanders.

I’d been working out with Rob on and off for a year or so and was just 13 or 14 years old. I had started bringing a teammate along and it was definitely elevating our skill level. The breakthrough for me though was all about pushing limits and the power of mind over matter.

We were nearing the end of one of Rob’s trademark grueling workouts, got to shed our weighted vests, and got on the line to do some running. He wanted us to do a simple down-and-back, but put a very limited amount of time on the clock. He blew his whistle and my friend and I took off, touched the line to head back, and didn’t quite make it before the buzzer sounded.

We thought Rob was simply going to have us try again. However, he stepped over to the scorer’s table and took a second off the clock. Was this punishment? We lined up again, made our attempt… and missed the mark. We were completely exhausted at this point. What did Rob do? Let us grab a drink to come back and try again? Let us hit the restroom to vomit in peace? Of course, he took another second off the clock.

My friend and I never made eye contact, but we clearly had the same thought flash in our minds. “This guy is crazy. This is an all-out sprint because if we don’t do it this time, we’ll be doing this until we leave in wheelchairs.”

“Ready,” Rob shouted with his whistle in his mouth. “Go!”

Adrenaline propelled our tired legs and carried us like we were running for our lives. There was nothing but teeth-gritting, sweat flying, and the blur of two desperate white boys moving faster than they had ever moved. We went down and back, both touching the final baseline with a second or two to spare.

This lesson didn’t change the fact that I was five-foot-eight and just interested in playing the sport for fun. I never had NCAA aspirations or professional delusions. But what I learned that day shaped me as an athlete in general and as a person. It showed me that my limits were in my hands and I could push them as far as I wanted.

The confidence I gained from that day in the gym that would become The Basketball Movement helped me to push my high school self to two All-State baseball selections, contribute to a basketball team that took 3rd in state, be an All-District cross country runner (hell, even All-District choir for that matter), and the courage to date the girl that would become my wife.

That all may seem like a real leap to draw from a down-and-back run. Those who have trusted Rob Yanders to help them as I have can attest to what I’m saying though.

Assuming you are not already the best in the world, you must try to push your limits to see what you can really do. Not only on the court but in all aspects of life. For those interested - reach out. The Basketball Movement was built for this. We’re ready if you are.

Rob Yanders' first wave of Invitational players

With the date of The Basketball Movement Invitational drawing closer, Rob Yanders has put out his first 50 invitations

Primarily keeping things in-state to start, The Basketball Movement’s Rob Yanders has put out the first 50 names to be invited to the prestigious Invitational Camp. If you have been following along on our Instagram, you have already seen several local names dropping in. The list has recently been bolstered with some of the top talent in Missouri and beyond.

Big names are already on the board in this first 50 selection. Per Rob, a few of the biggest are: Patrick Baldwin (6’8” Hamilton High, WI) , Michael Foster Jr. (6’8” Hillcrest Prep, WI), Desmond Polk (6’4” La Lumiere, WI), Phillip Russell (5’10” Vashon High), Jordan Nesbitt (6’6” StL Christian Academy), Anton Brookshire (6’2” Kickapoo High), Rashad McDaniels (6’0” StL Christian Academy), and Kentucky commit Cam’Ron Fletcher (6’5” Vashon High).

The talent keeps going, with other notable players such as Luke Kasubke (6’5” Chaminade Prep), Ryan Kalkbrenner (7’0” Trinity Catholic High), Kobe Clark (6’4” Vashon High), Caleb Love (6’3” Christian Brothers College High), Rob Martin (5’9” Christian Brothers College High), Evan Guillory (6’2” Joplin High), Alex Martini (6’8” Carthage High), Quenton Shelton (6’2” Lebanon High), Dantae Taylor (6’1” Parkview High), and Isaac Haney (6’0” Dora High).

Rounding out the first 50 invitees are Austin Garrett, Anthony Green, Andrew McMillin, Bline Cline, Cameron Liggins, Carson Noel, Devon McMillin, Elijah Bridgers, Evan Mayse, Elijah Whitley, Grisham Aleshire, Jaiden Carrasqullo, Jadon Gilpin, Jason Jones, Jordan Kerr, Joshua Tate, Kamaren Bevel, Kaden Bruce, Kyke Flavin, Kanon Gipson, Kelby Stuckey, Logan Applegate, Lucas Kimbrough, Shawn Killion, Sergio McClain, Trevon Brazile, Ty Cooper, Tavari Eckwood, Tyler Harmon, Tyren Hendrix, and Zach Howell.

Sporting so much elite talent, the camp also acts as a showcase of sorts. SLAM, Ballislife, and more will be in attendance. Sponsors as of now are Nike, Eastbay, Spalding, Houlihan’s, Hilton Garden Inn, Guaranty Bank, Old Missouri Bank, and TLC Properties.

We know we have been all up in your feed with talk about The Basketball Movement Invitational. The thing is though, there is plenty to talk about! We count on our following being fans of basketball. If that is true and you are a fan of the sport at any level, you have to see this camp and you have to watch these young men in action.

It will have traditional camp elements such as skill development, maintenance, and enhancement. However, it will be ramped up beyond what most players may be used to. The drills will pit these elite talents against each other with the understanding that iron sharpens iron. Game situations and competitive opportunities will abound, making the whole thing a visual feast for basketball purists.

Remember to check back here and on our social media pages for the final 50 invites as well as more details on the 10.4-6-.19 event.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!