Nike Basketball News

It all comes down to details.

nikebasketball_emea — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:40:23 GMT

The moment has come. Four massive teams. A world-beating battle. But this time, more than ever, it’s the little things that will make the difference.

Little things, like being that nano-second faster to the rim, gaining that one extra inch of air, earning the psychological edge by analysing your opponent’s offensive plays.

These are the details we’ve all been working on for weeks – preparing our players for every possible scenario; thoroughly outlining our opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.

It’s a tough time for the players. They want to perform in the national league but they don’t want to risk getting injured right before the greatest moment of their season.

That’s why I need them to focus on the game only, so I have to find that delicate balance they need to be confident, but not too relaxed. And to be excited, but not nervous.

The team most capable of eliminating even the tiniest of distractions will have the greatest chance of winning. I can give my players all I can - but once they’re on the court, it's up to them.

I don’t know what will happen, how we will play, or even if we will win. But this I do know: I won’t miss a single detail that can help make us first in Europe.

Ettore Messina

NO PRESSURE

nikebasketball_emea — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:00:04 GMT

This is it - the final chapter of the season, the Final Four. The pressure’s breathing down your neck - but you can’t let it take control. Any distractions will only damage your game.

I’ve been in this situation for the last seven years, so it’s easy for me to say. But it’s true; it’s not about the pressure. It’s about the team that performs best - the team that manages to stick to their play, because that’s what brought them to the finals in the first place.

There’s only one way to do this: work even harder, get into the best possible shape and prepare your team for any situation. Make sure you know how to react when you’re down ten points in the final, or whether to shoot or to pass with just seconds left on the shot clock.

Finals will always bring high expectations. There will always be that immense pressure, but in the end results aren’t decided by outside pressure - they’re decided by the team.

Theo

NBA, HERE WE COME.

nikebasketball_emea — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:15:53 GMT

Recently we played a Euroleague game in Belgrade in front of 22,000 frantic fans. European basketball is getting big. And not just big – it’s getting better every year, with major talents rising in every team.

European players have become top athletes; they’re quicker, jump higher, run faster and yet they’ve maintained their typical European team style. They can still open up a game with smart passes, and they still look for the open man.

So what has caused this giant leap in quality? Well, first of all, the simple fact that the European fan base has massively grown over the years and games are now televised all over the continent. This has made European Basketball more professional – allowing players and teams to evolve.

This increased level of professionalism can also be seen in the high standard of referees. The European game is one of the toughest games to ref because of the high level of contact. Just ten years ago it was very hard to win away games, especially in some hot spots. But our refs just kept getting better and better. Nowadays, if you play hard and smart, you have a fair chance of winning abroad - no matter how hot the crowd.

And finally, THE GAME IS GETTING GLOBAL. Twenty years ago, European teams only had two foreigners and most of the time, they were unknown Americans. Today, we see American stars in the Euroleague and an increasing number of European top players in the NBA. Although the greatest superstars are still from the US, there’s new talent from all over the world waiting to take over.

The European fans, still love the great NBA stars but they also get more and more excited by the intensity and the drama involved in most of our games. The distance between us and the magic world of the NBA is still there but, believe me, we're closing in - fast.

Ettore Messina

Superstar Material

nikebasketball_emea — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:19:49 GMT

Last time I discussed the importance of a superstar in your formation. But how do we get a star on board if we can’t afford one? Easy – recognize his skills before anyone else does.

What exactly makes a superstar? First of all: talent. One way of identifying talent is to check the statistics. But stats aren’t everything; lots of players fool us by playing great against weaker teams.

So, what you should be looking for are flashes of brilliance in the games that matter - match-winning shots in the playoffs, and plot twisting steals in the dying seconds of the finals. After all, it’s moments like these that win competitions.

Besides being brilliant, our potential superstar should also constantly improve his game. Although I believe every player should always work hard to boost his skills, regardless of his talent or age, this is especially relevant to a star. It’s what turns a great talent into a truly great player.

This of course, all comes down to mentality. The most talented player often tends to be the laziest - it all comes natural to him. He doesn’t have to work that hard to keep up with the rest. But ‘keeping up’ shouldn’t be his goal here. Beating everyone on his path and constantly evolving as a player, that should be his goal.

Only then will the long journey take him from the playground to the very top of the international basketball stage.

Coach Messina

Formacion Equipo

nikebasketball_emea — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:36:23 GMT

You want to win competitions? Better form solid team. Because these days, more than ever before, the shape of a team is the most important thing – even more important than the coaching. Here’s how you create a killer team.

Let’s start from scratch. When selecting players for our winning team, we look for: athleticism, versatility, personality and at least one superstar. We also need the medical guys to be absolutely certain about the physical condition of our dream team – we don’t want to have players benched half the season.

We need all that, but most of all we need trust. The coach and general manager should work together as one with the team’s resources and goals on their mind.

Now about the players - today’s game is becoming more and more athletic everyday, so they better be the very best athletes you can afford. A team that lacks athleticism cannot compete at top level.

As well as athletic, the team must be fundamentally sound.

Balance is the key word here. We need versatile players – players who are interchangeable on the court. In a twelve-man roster we only need four specialists: the point guard, the center, the shooter, and the defensive specialist. The remainder of my dream team can play at a minimum of two positions.

The team should work together as one throughout the season. For this, we need chemistry. So when you’re scouting, it’s essential to get as much information about a player’s personality as possible. Go see him live to check his reaction to a bad call, a substitution, or to the pressure of the crowd. Try to find out everything about his background, his family and friends and his practice habits – is he working out in the gym all day, or is he slacking around. Better yet – talk to him face to face and make up your own opinion. This is essential because with the wrong personality in your team – you can forget about chemistry.

So we’ve got the top athletes, the versatility and the chemistry – now get the superstar. Who can win if the system and the team cannot? He’ll give your whole team personality and gives you an edge over opponents. Plus a great player has the quality – to help teammates overcome their fear, igniting confidence and improving their ability to play under pressure.

Now that you have your great team, you’ve got great expectations – these will only be met if everyone in the process is responsible for their decisions and puts the team’s goals first - AND NOT THEIR OWN.

Good luck with your team - trying to beat mine.

Coach Messina

‘No Complacency’ – the unstoppable Coach Ettore Messina talks tactics

nikebasketball_emea — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:09:52 GMT

Euroleague champions CSKA's head coach identifies the qualities a team needs to make it to the top – and stay there.

Everyone calls my team ‘unstoppable’. Everyone except me. More often than not I’m focusing on our weaknesses and mistakes rather than our strengths. That’s because what distinguishes a good team from a great team is the ability to take care of the details every day. It’s about looking for the right angle, the right timing, bending your knees on every shot. These are the little things that make a big difference. I call it NO COMPLACENCY.

After the detail comes focus. I’m not afraid of long practices but I also know you can’t switch concentration on and off like a switch. That’s why we never spend more than two hours practicing - but those two hours are all OURS. Body and mind and heart must be on the court. In short, WE PLAY LIKE WE PRACTICE.

We’re lucky at CSKA because the club understands that pressure doesn’t make players. The team knows they’re expected to give 100% of themselves every game - but they also know even 100% doesn’t mean they’re invincible. Once we have analyzed our game, we move on to the next one, not overreacting to a loss or relaxing about a win. This ability to reset mentally after any game is of incredible value. It’s all about THE NEXT GAME.

I have been lucky in my career to have coached players willing to accept responsibility in tough moments, under very high pressure. This is essential to a strong team. I see it day to day, where my veterans are always ready to support the rookies. If I’m tough on any of them I can be sure that Trajan or Matjas or JR will be ready to explain to him why I reacted and the right response. They understand that they are the true owners of the team, not the president, not even me.

Thanks to this and all the qualities I’ve identified, I will admit that we’re hard to stop. But what gives me more pride is knowing that the day we get stopped (and it will happen) we will be able to say we gave 100% of ourselves and can shake hands with our opponent, congratulate them and move on to the next challenge.

Coach Ettore Messina

Develop your game with tips and advice from Coach Ettore Messina, on his monthly NikeBasketball.com blog.
If you have any questions or comments for his next post, or to tell us his advice helped your game, email: nikebasketball.europe@nike.com