It’s Over. The disagreements between the owners of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Basketball players’ association escalated into a full-blown war, where neither party was willing bend at one point. The months spent in a state of limbo turned out to be destructive for everyone involved. While the owners were busy squabbling away about revenue sharing agreements, they were actually missing out on the entire revenue for the season being lost. The considerable viewer ship and audience for NBA games was also being made to experience a void of some sorts in their lives due to the entire dispute. But the group of people who probably felt the greatest void are the basketball players themselves.
With a sudden loss of purpose and income, their basketball mental toughness was taking a beating, and unless sports psychology for basketball is applied to them by experienced professionals, they will find the act of bouncing back from the lockout infinitely challenging. As the mental game of basketball is more taxing than other sports, and the concerns of huge pay check cuts and widespread adulation to the owners, does not adequately balance the lows of obscurity and mental injuries. Basketball psychology is about living in the present and performing well week in and week out. However, with the current state of affairs, players can hardly choose to dwell on the loss of their income – instead, they need focus on what’s in front of the right now. The start of the season this month, bouncing back and regaining peak performance.
A mental game coach specializing in sports psychology for basketball can help a basketball player in bouncing back from the lockout. Evaluating the player’s basketball psychology can help a mental game coach decide the best course of action for him. It is quite apparent that a player’s needs must be met, regardless of the lockout damage. This means that the sudden void caused by the lockout can hardly be an excuse to be woefully off now that the NBA season has resumed.
The problem is certainly more complicated when it comes to NBA veterans. They are the ones who are approaching the twilight of their career, and their legs cannot go on for much longer. For them, losing out on the final stage of their career can be devastating, and can lead to a complete erosion of their mental toughness, and can spiral into depression and anger issues. Such players need to be coaxed out of their shells and made aware of these subconscious challenges before they surface. This will in turn help them extend their careers beyond their original shelf lives.
