The SECRET GADGETS Of NBA Superstars...

Jalen Brown’s underwater workout went viral but he’s far from the first guy to do this type of training.
This was also Joakim Noah’s formula that allowed him to get a big contract and even earned him an all star selection.
You knew you could count on him to give you 100% effort, and that he’ll always come in shape and ready to compete on a high level. A part of the secret to his success is the fact that he used to do crazy workouts with heavy weights while holding his breath in a pool. As you can see here, having to reach the other end of the pool, in 1 breath with that extra weight is as hard as it looks. This is an awesome cardio training that greatly improves the endurance and stamina of a player.
Some NBA players would do anything to get better. From extreme workouts to using special gadgets, all for that little bit of competitive advantage.
So let’s check out some of the strangest ones. What up everybody, my name is Stefan and this is Heat Check. Let’s get into it.
If you check out the youtube channel of Kristaps Porzingis, you’ll find old workout videos from his time with the Knicks, where he’s kicking and punching basketballs, throwing chairs, all of that. But in that same video you’ll also notice this. As you can see it’s some type of attachment that makes the hoop smaller, so basically you have to be more accurate and always aim to swish it. Great way to improve your shooting.
Back in the day when KD used to call Russ his brother, they shared the same obsession, and that is getting better every day. This was chronicled in a documentary type video about KD that showed us up-close just how an NBA player is spending his summer working out. We can see them running up and down the sand dunes, doing suicides, cross steping and what not. This helps a lot If you want to become more explosive and boost your quickness. Blake Griffin used to do this as well alongside his brother Taylor back in his playing days, and as you can see they even added weights to it. As if this workout is not hard enough by itself.
Another training accessory is the elevation mask that guys like Paul George, Dwyane Wade, and even Lebron James implemented in their training program.
It’s designed so that it limits the airflow that you get, making it very difficult for the player during practice, and the idea is that the lungs work harder, and thus increase their capacity over time.
Honestly I’ve done some reading on this and science doesn’t really agree with this theory, but you can’t blame the superstars for always trying out new and different things searching for a competitive advantage.
Speaking of that, I don’t know If Rondo was searching for competitive advantage when he was recorded shooting the basketball while spinning around on a hoverboard, but this sure looks like fun. Wesley Mathews was also into it as he posted a video of his shooting practice. The hoverboards had a short explosion of popularity that even reached the NBA.
Next up is Steph Curry with his special glasses. As if his ball handling drills weren’t complicated enough, he adds a whole new challenge to them.
These are called strobe glasses, and they do exactly that. This is how Curry basically sees while doing this drill. So this makes following the tennis ball extremely tough, and as you can see there are moments when he is also struggling to focus on what’s in front of him.
Really interesting tho, and I can definitely see how this translates to better hand eye coordination and it’s no wonder why he’s been able to make moves like this look so easy.
Something that’s definitely not easy though, is playing defense like this. This bar adds weight but also rigidity so it’s difficult to change direction. So Dwight Howard and Lonnie Walker used this method to really focus on the footwork and improve conditioning at the same time.
Finally, we got Derrick Rose with his special green ball that he’s been taking with him on every single team he’s been on.
It’s a 4.5 pound or 2 kilo ball that he practices with and builds and maintains the strength in his shot. So then when he switches to a regular basketball that weighs 1.4 pounds or 630 grams, it makes it seem light as a feather.
Derrick never really had the best shooting mechanics, so I totally understand how having some extra strength can help out a lot and make the whole shot feel a lot smoother.
Rose said it himself: If I didn’t have that ball, I wouldn’t be in the league right now. That’s how he feels, so as strange as it seems, this green ball is so important to him, and he makes sure he is the one to bring it to practice and take it home with him.
Which one of these would you do to improve your game? Let me know in the comments. That’s it for now, subscribe and talk to you in the next one. Peace out.