And1 Tapes Represent a Form of Entertainment, Not the End of Basketball as We Know It
Let me repeat: the And 1 Mix-Tapes did not destroy basketball. Americans embraced the Harlem Globetrotters, and its brand of basketball entertainment for generations, but now blame everything bad in the hoops’ world on some city playground legends playing street ball and promoting a
sneaker for a couple bucks and a little fame? The Globetrotters were/are basketball entertainers, showmen using basketball to delight an audience, even if their brand of basketball and showmanship sometimes skirted the rules. The And 1 Tapes and Tour are the 21st Century Globetrotters, mesmerizing crowds with deft ball handling tricks, rather than basketball comedy. Blaming the And 1 Mix-tape Tour for basketball’s ills is like blaming Ray Allen for poor shooting. After all, Allen makes shooting a twenty-four footer appear simple, so why can’t a twelve year-old pick up a ball and go rain down three-pointers? Ludicrous, right? Who picks up a ball and expects to shoot as well as Allen, a player who crafted his art in gyms for the better part of his life? Whose fault is it when teenagers pick up a basketball and try to do a move Hot Sauce makes look easy? When a player steps on the court chucking threes with poor form, we blame the player’s ignorance. When a kid steps on the court and mimics Hot Sauce, forgetting the hours of practice at the Run ‘n Shoot in the ATL, it’s Hot Sauce’s fault. Ball handling is a skill, like shooting or hitting a
golf ball. Nobody believes
Tiger Woods picked up his
golf club and played six-under par at Pebble
Beach in his first round. Tiger ascended to unparalleled heights because of his work ethic; he was one of the first golfers to emphasize weight training, working out with Stanford’s lineman and he is notorious for finishing a round and going straight to the driving range or putting green to work on his stroke. As Magic Johnson said, “Talent is never enough. With few exceptions, the best players are the hardest workers.” Hot Sauce (and the other And 1 players) knows how to handle the ball. He developed an insane handle through fundamental drills, playing and flat-out dribbling the ball everywhere he goes. He didn’t just pick-up a basketball and start tossing it behind opponents’ backs; he learned to dribble and after mastering his handle, building control and quickness with the ball, he was able to do tricks and turn defenders in circles. The problem with the And 1 Tapes is it makes ball handling look easy because the players are so skilled. Everyone nowadays wants to one-up the next player, so they steal Hot Sauce’s latest move from the most current tape. However, they don’t put in the effort to learn to dribble, to develop a handle, to build the quickness and control necessary to do the moves; they just want to blink their eyes twice and magically make the move. Great shooters constantly work on their shooting, starting close to the basket and progressing further and further from the basket. They record the shots they take and make and shoot a certain percentage, or make a certain number of shots before moving further back. They work on game shots at game speeds from game spots. They practice all the shots they may take in a game; catch-and-shoot, one-dribble pull-ups, step-backs, space-step shots, etc. Ball handling is no different. Great ball handlers grab a ball and start with Pistol Pete drills, getting the blood flowing and improving the feel on the ball. They do easy drills, either working on two-ball drills to work both hands equally or doing basic stationary drills that force the player to handle the ball from different angles and with different emphasis, whether it is a basic crossover, a side-to-side dribble or behind-the-back. Then, the player progresses to game moves at game speeds, working against a dummy defender (chair/coach/trash can/cone), working on moves like the crossover, through-the-legs and around-the-back. Then, he works on double moves, using one move to set-up a second move, like the Tim Hardaway Move (through-the-legs, crossover), an in-n-out, crossover or a hesitation crossover. The key to developing a skill is to practice the form and/or control first and then build up to speed and/or distance. When learning a new skill, the focus is on one precise aspect, not a hundred different things. When learning to shoot, many people start close to the basket, shooting with one hand. This eliminates variables and concentrates the player’s attention on one thing; the basic movement and feel of the shot, release and follow-through; or as ESPN’s Jimmy Dykes says: “Release, Rotation and Result.” The player progresses through steps, adding the off-hand, moving further from the basket, working on the shot’s footwork and eventually shooting game shots. Ball handling is no different, as players focus on the details before moving to the And 1 moves. Players learn to control the ball with their finger tips and calluses and keep the ball out of the palm and wrist. They learn the hand positioning on different dribbles and add the footwork to make the move. Many players think they have a good handle, but if they make a move at speed, the ball crawls up on their wrist, slowing them down and oftentimes leading to a wasted, unnecessary dribble. This is like a shooter thinking he has a great shot, but needing to catch, stop, set himself, take a deep breath and shoot a set-shot. He may have a great shot, but if he can never shoot in a game, does it matter? The player may think he has a tight crossover, but if he can’t go by anybody, how effective is it? Great ball handlers understand how and when to use their handle; in a game, it isn’t about how pretty you look, but how effective you are. The Toronto Raptors’ Rafer Alston understands this; Alston, otherwise known as “Skip to My Lou,” started the And 1 craze before suiting up for Fresno State and playing in the NBDL. He’s the godfather of the And 1 Mix-Tape Tour, and the one who has made it past the street ball stereotype. Playing for Toronto, he sets up teammates, running the pick-and-roll, playing within the system, doing what he can to help his team win. The NBA’s best PG, Steve Nash, rarely does anything flashy, nor does he use anything more than a change of speed and a simple front crossover. Alston has succeeded in the ultimate crossover, going from Street Ball legend to
NBA Point Guard. He understands. The problem with the Mix-Tapes is not the Mix-Tapes, as they build interest in basketball and motivate players to play. The problem is the young players who watch the Mix-Tapes and fail to give the players’ credit, taking the skills for granted, trying to emulate the moves, but not the work ethic and drills the And 1 Stars used to build the handle.
