Should you watch the NBA if you want to become a better basketball player?

When you want to become better at any sport in this world, you will want to focus on watching it as much as playing it. The more you watch the elite players, the sooner you develop skills and understanding. You spot little things like how they shield their bodies, how they move the ball from side to side, and how they dribble with their eyes off the ball and on the game. That is a big part of becoming a proper basketball player. However, most basketball fans watch the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the USA.

As the elite level of the sport, that makes sense. However, from a purely educational perspective, we recommend watching college basketball instead.

By all means, watch the NBA for inspiration and education – but college basketball games teach you far more than an NBA game ever could. The reason is that you will find that the NBA is such a unique level and pace of play that learning anything from it can be tough. The short shot clock for a start makes it much harder for plays to develop at a speed where you can actually educate yourself. By the same token, players move so quickly up the court that you can often find it hard to learn anything meaningful.

College basketball, by contrast, is a slower, more methodical game with a longer shot clock. It’s also less built on pure athleticism and power. Games can be more tactical and you get to learn more about the fundamentals of a game. You get used to learning about screens, learning about running plays, and generally learning a bit more about how basketball works as a whole.

With that in mind, then, you might find that college teaches you more about the sport.

The European leagues offer education, also While not played at the same pace or style as American basketball, the European basketball scene is great for learning. Part of what makes European players so interesting to NBA teams is the pass-first approach. The game is built more on the team as a whole, with everyone involved in contributing to team success. NBA games can be built on a roaring pace where one player ‘takes over’.

Again, from an educational perspective, you might find that you learn more about the game by watching the European game. You get to learn more about passing the ball, playing at a pace that fits the team and avoiding the pitfalls of individualism.

Indeed, some of the best players in the NBA today are European-based. Arriving into a basketball league with the fundamentals of both European and college-level basketball could create a player with a much more team-oriented vision. And while the NBA might be the pinnacle, its style of play is so unique that you should use the NBA for entertainment as opposed to education. It can really change the whole experience for you.

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