Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green recently shared an interesting sentiment while resonating with the thoughts of LeBron James on the younger generation of players focusing on “training” rather than “playing”. While speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, Green critiqued the impact of trainers shifting the focus away from the game itself. He said:
“LeBron discusses how the next generations of players are relying more on basketball players instead of just playing the game, and I agree with that. I didn’t learn how to do a proper individual workout till I got to college. Growing up, I’m going to hoop, where’s the nearest run? Drop me off. I’ll play all day.”
“It’s different when somebody puts you in a position to do this move. Like, how do you use your creativity?” he continued. “There’s a time and place for a trainer, and I think, with where the game has gone, you need those resources in order to be successful.”
He then made an intriguing statement regarding the socioeconomic impact of trainers in basketball by saying, “I feel like basketball used to be a poor man’s game. We all played it. We were poor. We had nothing, and it was our way out. Basketball is not a poor kid’s game no more. Basketball is a rich kid game.”
Green refers to the origins of LeBron James, a kid from Akron, Ohio, raised by a single mother. He reiterates how stories of that nature are far less likely to draw attention, primarily because they lack the resources to do so.
The comments made by the Warriors forward also display the kind of template that is set for most players in future generations. From the types of moves they do to the way they approach the game, Green inadvertently slammed basketball trainers for stunting the imagination of kids who are capable of navigating their paths.
Green’s approach is mildly different from James’ take, which emphasized how kids are more likely to burn out when they just focus on one sport, and there is some truth to this as well. The saturation of information and effort in one field, especially in the formative years, can lead to boredom and stress.
Considering the kind of athletic talent in the NBA today, with the likes of Ja Morant, Jalen Green, and Anthony Edwards, among many others, it is evident that some degree of training has had a positive impact on the younger players.
But developing the fundamentals and cultivating a sense for the game by simply engaging with it in the purest form of competition may have a larger impact on helping younger players improve.
