Hi friends! First off, I have to say how excited I am to give you this next article. This has easily been my favorite one to put together, and I think you’ll be just as excited after reading it. That being said, it might be a little longer than the previous ones. Hang in there — it’s worth it.
What can we learn from a professional basketball player? Sure, we could learn a silky smooth jump shot, but what if we don’t care about basketball?
To me, the biggest lesson to learn from someone who has reached that level of success is what it took to get there. I like to know their habits and mindset along the way. Few athletes make it to the professional level based on raw talent alone.
Most who succeed have really maximized the talent they were born with. They’ve played the cards they were dealt the best they possibly could. The goal is to figure out how exactly they played those cards and see what pieces we can apply to our own lives to make us more successful in whatever we choose to do.
I recently got the chance to do some Q & A with the most humble professional basketball player at our gym (also the only one, but that’s not the point), Keaton Nankivil (aka Big K, Big Killa, Keaton With the Good Hair).
If he wasn’t so much taller than us, we probably wouldn’t know he even played basketball because you’ll hardly hear him talk about himself. That’s really something, considering how impressive his basketball resume is.
Although he doesn’t particularly enjoy talking about it, I want to show you all just what kind of success he’s had. And for the record, I trimmed some stuff off this list to keep it a manageable size. Here are the highlights:
High School
State championship
4 conference championships
State Player of the Year
College
4 seasons at University of Wisconsin, 3 years a starter
Big-10 Championship
4 years NCAA Tournament birth, twice reaching Sweet 16
Professional
Going on 6 years playing for teams in Germany, Spain, Latvia, and
Italy
Multiple Finals appearances
“Ok yeah, but look how freaking tall he is. Of course he’s good at basketball.” – someone, probably.
Yes, he was born a tall guy but plenty of tall guys out there don’t have the list of accomplishments above. You also might be surprised to find out he kind of sucked when he first started. There’s a lot to be learned from someone like that, and 10 questions isn’t nearly enough. But, 10 questions will have to do for now. Enjoy!
Q1: What was your first experience like with basketball?
A1: The first basketball I remember was in 3rd grade. We played on low hoops and I was a big kid, but I mostly remember throwing the ball off the backboard over and over without making a shot. I was tall so the ball would come right back to me but I would just slam it right back off the backboard again.
Q2: How long did it take before you felt like a good basketball player?
A2: I realized I was a decent player when colleges started showing interest. I still didn’t consider myself very good at 14 or 15 years old, but I was aware that the number of kids getting that kind of attention was small so coaches must have seen some kind of potential.
Q3: What are 1 or 2 of the biggest things that you think helped you develop as an athlete?
A3: The best way I have found to develop is being curious, especially with people who have expertise. I like to ask questions and try to pay attention to what other people do and how they do it. I’ve been lucky to play with really good players and have great coaches that have a ton of knowledge. Then I try and take what I see or hear and figure out the best way to apply it to my style of play and the way I train.
Q4: What are 1 or 2 things you tried, or witnessed other people try, that didn’t help in the long run? What would you do differently if you had the chance?
A4: One thing I have seen get in the way of people improving is stubbornness. There are so many people with natural ability that end up staying at one level because they don’t want coaching. I wish I had been less stubborn in my earlier days of basketball because I realize now that it only takes time away from making improvements.
Q5: Did you have any big setbacks along the way? How did you handle them?
A5: I have been lucky not to have any big injuries over the years. I have had a handful of small problems and surgeries that have taken time to fix but nothing that has taken me too far off track for an extended period of time. That being said, even small or chronic pains do deserve full attention so they don’t get out of control. CrossFit has really helped me look more into being proactive with my body in terms of mobility.
Q6: What do you think is currently your most valuable habit/routine?
A6: My most valuable habit might just be having fun. Like any other job, if it isn’t fun you lose passion. Having fun makes me want to play and train every day and look for new things in the game to improve on. Similar to CrossFit, there is an endless amount of strategy and individual skill to work so that keeps it interesting.
Q7: How has CrossFit helped with your basketball career?
A7: CrossFit has been something completely new to me. During a basketball season we only do basketball related practice so to have a new sport to learn is really fun. I’ve learned a lot about where my body mechanics were not where they needed to be and CrossFit has helped straighten some of that out. The atmosphere at the gym also makes it a fun place to spend time.
Q8: What advice would you give to someone struggling at something new?
A8: My advice to someone trying something new would be to be to work with people at the level you want to be at and don’t worry about failing. Just putting yourself in that setting adds so much to your training without having to think about it. Also, don’t get discouraged by comparing yourself to other people or if you aren’t improving immediately. Trust that the work you are doing is going to pay off.
Q9: What’s something people don’t realize about the life of a pro athlete?
A9: The life of a pro athlete is not as glamorous as it is made out to be. There are some major benefits to it, but it can also be pretty strange and like any job requires sacrifice in others areas of life.
Q10: Any favorite quotes or books at the moment?
A10: I don’t have any specific books or quotes but always enjoy circling back to different looks at mindfulness. It reminds me to try and keep an even keel and treat people well. I think there is valuable information in it no matter what is going on in your life at the moment.
PS – Let me give a big giant thank you to all of you who have mentioned you have actually read (and even enjoyed) these little articles. That makes me feel warm and fuzzy.