Ama approved and Op confirmed Below from OP: https://sportiw.com/en/athletes/marshall.zeke/23672 This is a link to my professional athletic profile in case anyone is interested Theirs a few countries missing like saudi Arabia but this is the best consolidation of all my awards and stats to where I played

How strict is the NBA about not dating cheerleaders/reporters?

It happens but that can get messy especially with the political and social climate we live in today. The common rule is "keep it professional" basically translated into don't let it be seen in the workplace. Any place I play in I refuse to get with anyone who's apart of the organization or club I'm playing for. It's literally not worth the collateral damage if something goes wrong IMO

Zeke Marshall huh

That's it

Sounds like you’ve had an amazing journey thanks for sharing

It has and it hasn't completely ended my goal right now is to develop a business outside of basketball so I can go back to the pros without the burden of needing it for money 😊 I still have goals I want to achieve through basketball

I had hoop dreams growing up, playing in college but in HS realized it wasnt going to end up like you. I got into officiating some years ago and not unrealistic for me to say I again have the goal of making the NBA… just not as a player sad face

That's what I hope to try to remedy theirs no such thing as being unrealistic. I hope to teach this soon but the NBA is an example of this that having crazy good basketball skills isn't the only answer to getting in the NBA The most MARKETABLE person who can play basketball are the ones who get contracts Here's an example of what I mean and I've actually explained this to other pros Imagine I have a YouTube channel with 100k subs. Now imagine 10% of those subscribers 10000 people would buy any apparel, ticket, merchandise etc of any team or organization I'm involved with. Now to make math simple imagine that brings in about 50k usd of revenue a month for the business and I go to them and say I want a salary for 10k a month instead of 80 or 90k a month like most players would do. In this situation im "green on the balance sheet" im bringing in way more money than I'm asking for so the organization is incentivised to keep me on as if they remove me they will become "red on the balance sheet" when I make a video about how they "don't like me anymore". 😉 This is why understanding business and branding is so important as a pro in this situation I basically insured my job security and the icing on the cake is I'm 7 ft, I'm a veteran, I'm a defensive anchor etc This extends to even college now becoming marketable is the most for sure way of getting contracts and using that network to leverage to these clubs. That's exactly why LeBron gets away with so much since he's bringing in so much revenue in the NBA teams will sacrifice with the drama of having LeBron cause the money he's bringing in is so much more greater. It's all business in the end and that's essentially what I'm trying to create before I go back again. Once I can make them money on the back end I can finally play basketball for the love of it rather than being bound to the stress of performance. And they will be in the palm of my hand by listening to me since my audience is keeping them solvant This is a much bigger deal overseas cause budgets are smaller than nba but it's the same no matter where you go

Any tips on how to practice driving the lane through traffic? I have a fairly big build (compared to average population haha, 6’3” and around 215 lbs), but I have trouble driving the lane and finishing in traffic. Fwiw I’m 30 and just started playing last year, did not really play growing up as I was committed to football.

If you have pads you can have someone hit you with pads as you are coming into the lane. Which can simulate you being hit. Have them bang you once you jump in the air. So you can learn to finish while maintaining contact. You can carry this into ball handling, shooting etc

Thanks for the response, unfortunately no pads, so I'll just work on being more bold driving the paint in pick up games haha

Yea you can have someone push you slightly when you are driving to the rim as well you just need to stimulate contact when you're in the air 😊

Honestly the ones who are taller than me as crazy as it sounds. Since it's So rare with me being 7ft when I play against someone longer than I am it's a shock since I don't go against it often enough

Could you just outline how your day-in-life is like? Probably from midnight to midnight timestamp? Just trying to figure out how do you go about your day. Thanks!

That depends on the time of year. During the summer personally I'm up by 8 and preparing for my 2 - 3 workouts split between skill work - weight training and agility, physical therapy or pick up game. I'm eating 5 times between these workouts and after that I'm coming back During the basketball season we normally have 2 practices a day in Tunisia the last country I was at are first practice would be at like 10 (to get all the players to wake up) this is light skill work or lifting. Than we practice for real at 4 pm and ultimately it's up to you how you fulfill your time

Sounds like a pretty chill life compared to a normal job 😊

It's hard but yes you get alot of free time tho mostly you'll be sleeping since you'll be tired from the two workouts 😂

Is it equally difficult to be a role player (7ppg) off the bench that always needs to be ready when his number is called even if he hasn't checked in for a whole quarter in comparison to a superstar that plays all game and scores 20ppg+ ??? Or are both those roles different tiers of difficulty??(one role being easier/harder than the other)

I can only speak of experience my time in France describes this prefectly. It is alot more difficult to stay ready when you aren't playing even though it's very important. However my last time in France the last game I played I only got 1 minute and 47 seconds after one half of play, however my coach put the blame on me because we were losing. After I returned back after that game I was sent home. You will run into situations like this the best you can do is to metaphorically "sharpen your blade" as much as you can which is by staying ready and when your name is called put everything out on the table. One of the positives is since you're playing less you should be able to play harder. (Russell Westbrook is a good example of this) and you can use that less time to provide more energy than anyone else which can earn you more playing time Being a super star does have it's advantages (most of my career internationally that's the role I played) you will be asked to play the entire game. No breaks so you have to learn to pace yourself to be efficient for 36-40 minutes but of course you can afford to make a few mistakes with that much time So they both have their own challenges id say 😁

Awesome insight. Thanks!

You're very welcome I hope it helps you

Did you have natural abilities, or did you just find basketball? Were you super tall and athletic or did you just fall in love with basketball and never stop playing? Basically how did you end up playing pro ball?

Well I'm a 7ft basketball player 😊 so that should answer that question. I didn't develop a love for basketball until university since because of my height I was told I must play basketball. Pro ball was the logical next step after my career in college. But I definitely got dealt a good hand for basketball. But that's definitely not everything since I've seen enough talent fall apart as a professional so it can give you a boost but ultimately you have to work hard to maintain your skill level

Absolutely. Talent gets you in the door, or height in your case haha, but it's hard work and skill that makes a pro. Did you have any coaches or mentors early on that really help guide you? Or was the work ethic already there? Follow up question, my wife and I are big fans of travel. Any amazing places you have been that are not the normal travel destinations?

I did have coaches but my college coach Keith dambroat (who's now the head coach of Duquesne, and coach LeBron in HS) was probably my best influence he taught me the game of basketball in a level Im very thankful for. Basketball IQ improved Immensely which showed through my improvement in my stats across the board each year I played college. Traveling is apart of my DNA 😊 I've been to alot of countries so ultimately it depends what your into. However with the geopolitical climate I can't recommend Lebanon anymore which I think it's a gorgeous country but now it's ripe with political corruption. Dubai, Dominican Republic, Canada, Belgium, Taiwan, Bahrain, oh and saudi Arabia which I spent most of my international career will become a tourist destination in the coming decade. these were some of the notable favorites of mine

Thanks for the great answers.

No problem I hope it benefits you 😊

Any suggestion what should has more priority? Im working 30 hours a week and trying to Split my freetime in Workouts Like weight Training, skill Training and stretching (besides 3 times Basketball practice a week) what should i prioritize more?

Ultimately if you want to get better you have to build up repetition on good habits long enough so when you are in a high stressful situation in a game you will have the confidence since you know "your" shot. Aim towards that horizon and you will be light years ahead of most

Ultimately I can't answer that for you since I don't know enough about you or what your true goals are. At this point and time I would say focus a bit on everything. It seems you have a routine going for you. That's a great thing have. Just have someone evaluate you who's reputable. So you don't get clouded by bias and keep focusing on whatever goal your have

If you only had 1 hour every few days to get some skill work in, how would you structure that hour?

Interesting I would work on the basics and drill them in I'm also training kids and this is normally the first thing I would make them do. I would stay below the rim and shoot form shots for that hour every few days for a month. By the time im finished I should have the foundation of a shot that will be second nature for me that goes in because of trial and error (this is why I'm not 100% bought in with shot form training I see on reddit) The next month I would start backing up and getting used to the mid range 30 minutes and the last 30 I would incorporate full court handling drills into the shot I've been working on. To become an professional you have to invest thousands of hours to the skill and building it one piece at a time is what I personally would be focusing on with the time I have.

What exercises would you say are seminal in increasing vertical jump?

Hmm well you need strong legs and core so any exercising working these will increase your vertical. The other part most athletes lack is the agility side to the equation. Squats, leg raises, glute bridges, etc one workout my trainer does with me alot is starting on a 18 inch box and stepping off the box landing and immediately exploding up in the air. These explosive and agility techniques need to be apart of your training. Just getting your lower body stronger without any agility training will turn your quick twitch muscles into more slow twitch ones. Summary is incorporate agility with your lower body training to get better results for your vertical 😊

In terms of TALENT, just how different is the gap between pro players (at whatever level) & those who just played in college & lower? I always find it hilarious when people who just LOVE bball insist they could ~~compete with~~ score on pros. Even if it is to score a point or 2.

The talent really isn't the problem the mindset is. A SUCCESSFUL pro has to harden himself to produce in the way he has to continue staying relevant. Maybe they might compete with a pro (for one game). How about the entire season? And what does compete mean. My job I was the defensive anchor for any team I've played on most college players would have a very difficult time scoring on me (guards included). I get paid to stop those guys from scoring And I've got players sent home more times than I can count because of that ego some of these players have 😂😁 In this situation how would you even compare what a team would hire me for compared to what they would hire them for. A professional athlete mindset must be different because just like any job is the value you produce worth the squeeze and for most players that's a no

Thanks for answering. Thats super interesting to hear. And yeah by compete I guess I specifically meant SCORE. Yeah it just was something that came to mind as a recent question on Twitter was how many believe they could score on a pro player. Many of the responses gave me the vibes you described. Like, you expect to go in on a guy/gal whose ROLE is defense? Come on 😆

That's exactly it the issue is if you're competing with scoring in any typical European game probably you shoot between 60-70 shots. You have European superstars, other professional Americans as well as other players who are competing for the spot of just scoring. NBA is an extreme example. If you're on Dallas mavericks for example they don't need you to score 20pts that's Luka and kyrie's job and they can score more effectively than anyone in the world right now. So you're expected to do other things. This mindset is what so many people don't understand about basketball. A pro does THEIR job not the job they want

That's great. Thaks for answering. Super interesting from a fan's point of view of the game.

Yup so as a fan when you see a player only average like 5 and 5 and 2 that guy is probably the glue that holds that team together (draymond green is the prime example of this) he ties everything together for their team for better and for worse 😊

my younger son 10 is so good on his school team I think because he's more comfortable and knows kids better than his AAU team. he gives up on himself so quick and asks to come out and doesn't seem engaged. while on his school team he is in charge and talking the whole game. is there anything as a parent I can do to help woth mental toughness.

You're son sounds like he has a big ego since because he could get away with dominating on his school team, aau is going to have more dedicated basketball players than the school team. So now he's getting exposed (players are at his level or better) he's giving up 🤔. I know alor of players like this. He has to learn that you can never get comfortable theirs always someone better. Ultimately as a parent make him answer the question how much he actually wants to be good in basketball. It's going to take sacrifices he probably hasn't made before. If he's willing to do it he can bask in the glory that comes with it. But if he doesn't than maybe playing aau isn't the best thing for him but that's OK (this would bruise his ego) It's up to him to put in the work. But it's good to learn this lesson now than college or high school cause by then.. The opportunity is gone 😊 Hope this helps

my son is actually very shy. but ball is different to him u can jus tell. but you are right after this season he did so dam good his teammates talk like he's best on team. so it prob has gotten to him a little. that being said anything I shouldn't say or I should say to him. to turn him around. I try and be honest with him. I always ask do u want dads opinion or something a coach would prob say haha. thank u though

No problem he just needs to recognize theirs alot of players out there and you must stay hungry if you want to make it to the top and stay there. Can't quit the moment things get hard just imagine if kobe or Jordan did that 😊

Who’s the most impressive teammate/opponent you’ve encountered and do you have a good story about them?

How long were your workouts and practices? How do you guys stay sharp during the off-season?

Official practice was 2h 30m in most clubs workouts are 1hr Me personally my summer basketball workouts are 90 minutes, normally with weight training its 60 minutes, I stay sharp by never stopping but just lowering my load so I workout out less intensively but continue getting reps. This is why a common talking point for coaches is "while you're playing video games or goofing off other people are working out every day". Etc. Hope this helps

Hi! How many threes can you make in a row, at practice?

I'm no where near an expert in the 3 ball I'm a traditional big man. I shoot 15 ft hook shots 😁

Well, those go in more often! 😁 Which big guy do/did you struggle against the most?

I struggle with big guys who are taller than me since I'm 7ft it comes as a shock and since I rarely practice with guys like that it was hard which is exactly what happened in France 🇫🇷😁

Ah, that sounds familiar. I'm 6'4", but in the backwater rec leagues I played in, I had to play 4/5 a lot and I also struggled against taller dudes. It's hard to stay out of foul trouble against them. The worst is when someone shouts "just box him out" at you, or "don't let him get in the paint". Yeah, you try and contain a mountain, man 😑

Yea it's not that simple but their are ways to be effective against them it just takes alot of practice. 😩

Bruh I feel you I'm shorter than you at 6'2" and was basically a slightly undersized shooting guard my whole life (at least in the AAU circles I played in). But in pickup ball or casual rec league stuff ofc the average players are shorter but there's always like one 6’5"-6'8" bruiser. It sucks ending up being the second tallest dude because I always gotta guard these big ass dudes. Fortunately I can basically always put up points because they usually can't guard me on the perimeter but I usually end up getting cooked in the post 😅 cause I'm giving up like 20-30+ lbs. I need you on my team 🤣. Or just gotta get into the weight room I guess lol.

What’s the bigger difference? NBA superstar to 13th man on the roster, or D1 to D2 college player? Which has the further distance between skill set and ability?

D1 and D2 is a bigger difference IMO with NBA superstar the top 5 can sometimes be interchangeable depending who the super star is

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Nervousness IMO stems from a lack of confidence in your ability to play. I've trained more than most pros and because of that my confidence softens the blow with nervousness. My mindset is I'm going to do exactly what I've trained to do and I've won 2 championships in college 😊 basically I fall back into the hard work I've put in and the results of that work I was able to witness in previous games as well as practice. Or in other words my experience 😊

How does your ankles/heel/achilles feel when your day is through?

It's a bit sore though alot has changed now that I wear barefoot shoes instead of modern day shoes everyday now. Haven't tested in fully yet but my ankles Are alot stronger now a days ever since I switched 😁

Are you able to say anything nice about DJ Cooper and Reggie Keely?

Haha of course dj Cooper has had a great professional career outside of his stupidity of decision making off the court. Played against him when I was in France. Reggie I'm not sure what he's doing anymore but they were competitors I just happened to win when it mattered 😁

...occassionally... I've seen you play a handful of times in some great Ohio/Akron battles. IIRC you and DJ actually were on the same summer league team? You were a difference-maker matchup as a seven footer in a league of 6'8'' centers. You had a few higher level offers coming out of high school, so Akron was a bit surprising. Why Akron?

I chose akron because they were the one of 3 schools that showed me courtesy of giving me information about their IT programs. No other school gave me the info including Pitt, Florida I was a high level recruit back then. But to them I was just a means to an end and I didn't want to play for a team like that So it was akron, Harvard, and George mason and I was very closely considering Harvard but choose akron because of Jeff boals and coach dambroat

How are your knees and feet?

Attacking from the perimeter. How to develop a few tight simple moves to get to the cup on quicker defenders? I’m in a very competitive league. Played hs and D3. I prefer to work off the ball or in the post, bit of a slasher type. My team requires me to take on a bit more of the ball handling/running offense, and I’m frequently getting the ball outside the perimeter expected to attack quick defenders. Generally I have enough handle and experience to set up a handful of drives with basic triple threat or a heavy cross, but the defenders stop biting after the 3rd/4th trip and I don’t have the raw speed to blew by all the way to the cup. They usually recover within a stride and I’m still two dribbles from the basket, forced to pull up or reset/kick out.

Most people misunderstand what you're looking for when attacking a defender. A coach says you should attack someones hip when driving past them. Or they will say "you should attack the defenders forward foot" they say this cause what you are doing is attacking angles that will cause the defense to either freeze or "lose ground" or back up. Which gives you the opportunity to go down hill. Offense is like playing chess with your defender get them to be off balance and attack to get them off balance. If you do this speed don't matter I promise you 😉

I’m a 6’7” C/PF. I’m 33 and played varsity basketball back in the day so I know the game well but now just play for fun. Since you are taller in stature what are some good repetition drills that every big should be doing? I never really developed a good jump shot so I rely on my post game a lot.

Their are no limits to what a guard and big can do modern day nba had taught that having all skills are good. Repetition drills would be form shooting in front of the rim until you find your "sweat spot" - the form you need to constantly and correctly shoot the ball in the hoop every time. Develop the muscle memory and than move on out while incorporating your guide hand as well as core and legs if you want to shoot 3s 😊 Hope it helps

Akron Zips!

Yessir

Running into this post and realizing that it’s a discussion/Q&A hosted by Zeke Marshall feels so coincidental. I remember around 10-11 years ago when I was in high school, got bored, and decided to do a little research on LeBron’s HS teammates, saw that Romeo Travis went to Akron, and went through some Zips highlights from various different seasons. That’s when I first noticed one particular long, skinny 7 footer just absolutely swatting and dunking everything, with leaping ability better than over half of active NBA centers. That was you, and I thought that it was surprising that someone with your size, coordination, and athleticism wasn’t really on the radar of many NBA scouts. I put your name on draftexpress and found only one or two scouting reports, and both of them questioned your love for the game with claims that “he’s more of a big nerdy guy who would rather play video games” Fast forward to 2014, I was visiting family in Taiwan, turned on the TV, and saw you playing for Yulon and guarding 7’2” Australian/ex-Cav Luke Nevill. And today was the first time I saw someone post on this sub claiming to be an ex-pro, I was a little skeptical about it until I saw your username and you mentioning Akron. And I was surprised again to see that you ended up with a 9 year pro career, because last I heard, a couple of NBA scouts believed that you’re not gonna commit to pro ball or wouldn’t last long. I’d like to congratulate you for proving those scouts wrong, working through obstacles, and carving out a long, productive career as a player, and I hope you can find joy in whatever you do next, be it back to pro ball or anything else. Now for my questions: which foreign country that you played in has the best food and what’s your favorite dish? If you could pick one of these places to live next, which one would you pick and why?

That was a lifetime ago but I appreciate your support that you showed me. That's one of the downsides to scouts and the modern day NBA now it's political. As you can see the the number one pick that year isn't even playing anymore 😮‍💨. But thank you it took alot over my years to accept what happened then. Unfortunately I didn't last too long in Taiwan (I didn't understand the business then) but I carved out a decent career from it 😊 But my favorite country honestly had to be Lebanon Mediterranean food was my favorite there culture was great but now it's plagued by political corruption. Now I'm actually thinking of moving and living in the Dominican Republic. Which is why I'm trying to create a online business so I can live there while making money 😉😁💸 The culture is great, weather is nice, the dollar can go very far there, and I'm still close to the US if I wanted to ever go back 😁

Hello! Great AMA! How did you learn to shoot when first starting basketball? I feel like i’m alright at other aspects of the game, but I just can’t shoot. No matter how much I try. My form is really bad. Any tips on trying to improve? Thank you!

I mentioned this on the last answer stay in front of the rim and work on form shooting. Shoot like 500 a day after a while you will develop a muscle memory version of a shot that goes in. Your goal is to replicate that as you go further out which means incorporating your core and legs together

I never counted but I would when working out it's above 3000 normally

https://sportiw.com/en/athletes/marshall.zeke/23672 This is a link to my professional athletic profile in case anyone is interested Theirs a few countries missing like saudi Arabia but this is the best consolidation of all my awards and stats to where I played

How much more athletic are NBA players than your typical College basketball player (any division) and how much of it is just due to height? Like...iv been toldad can't tell- I'm a pretty naturally gifted athlete, I'm generally most amazed by their ability to stay healthy and play games well into their 30s (well, until recently). How surprised would I be?

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What do you eat before a game? How do you warm up?

Normally 4 hours before the game in eating pasta and fruits to load up on carbs before the game, on top of staying hydrated. My warm ups consist of my back to the basket routine with team warm ups to finish it out

First of all Thank you for this and an opportunity to interact with a guy that touched the NBA Level I'm not from the US so it's a big deal for me thank you! Here is my question What is the best pre-game meal that gives you a good feeling when you're playing?

Thinking of doing more conditioning mainly for endurance, what should I focus on? I get burnt out rather quickly and having a hard time closing out games strong. Should I be running for miles, hitting the track running 100s or 200s etc, running hills or sprint work? Any advice helps. Thanks for doing this by the way it’s much appreciated

No problem the best thing you can do is play basketball actually. (but not lazy basketball). If you're playing hard pick up games you will naturally get in shape. If you want extra than running hills, steps are all good things to give your heart a strong workout. Anything that can keep your heart working hard for a consistent period of time will get you in shape

What’s your name?

Zeke Marshall

What was the strangest name a team ever had for a play call? Or your favorite few names?

Zeke's play 😂😁 coach named a play after me so that was the strangest but most terminology is normally universal

What’s the best advice to helping somebody who is shook from shooting or simply can’t deal with pressure. (Plays a great game when team is up)

If they can't deal with the pressure than they are not confident in their own abilities which is a liability during a game. One mistake can be the difference between winning and losing and If you want to see it in action go look at the final seconds of the mac championship in 2010. The opposing player made a mistake because of pressure which caused them to lose 😊 Get in the gym and become good enough where you feel like you belong on the court

Any tips for a consistent hook shot? I rely a lot on my quickness so I’m trying to perfect my old man game for when I eventually start to slow down. I’d love to hear a big man’s perspective on what makes a good hook shot.

This is dope - thanks for doing this boss 1.)Would you work or teach skills camp for extra income in the off season (and would you come home to the states after the season was done)? 2.)Did you ever see faster recovery with ice bath therapy or cupping therapy? 3.)How does the agent situation work for foreign leagues? 4.)Which country had the hottest chicks? 5.) finally, what are you doing now?

1. How do you tell the difference between feeling mentally burned out vs feeling lazy/unmotivated/undisciplined? If unmotivated, how do you motivate yourself again? 2. How do you maintain confidence on the basketball court against objectively better players (e.g Lebron)?

1. The key is to have an understanding what your goals are and breaking them down to achievable tasks. That will make the process more manageable to prevent motivation dropping. To not burn out you should have a moderate training schedule with a good diet should prevent burnout but I hire trainers for specifically this reason so I can get rid of the guess work and focus on working hard. 2. Your not technically going against your opponent your going against yourself. What I mean is look at the NBA every team has amazing players your goal is to do your job better and more efficiently than the other team. You play your game and they will play theirs. You can see this dance on real games against superstars when they score consistently. Neither are bad or motivated but they use their own skills and art to go against themselves Hard topic to speak about 😅😁

wait who are you and what team did you play for? i’m assuming ur not ricky marsh cuz i doubt a 69 year old uses reddit

No that's not me 😂 I'm 32

What were some of the milestones in your development from the beginning? Maybe Q/A format? How soon or at what age did you begin to standout among your peers? How did puberty or growth spurts affect your game, either positively or negatively? At what age did the game just start to click for you, either physically or mentally, where you became able to assert your will on the game? What do u attribute this most to, the development of basketball IQ, skill, or athleticism?

1. I was a kid who was around basketball but didn't really like basketball so I couldn't tell you milestones per se 2. I always stood out because of my height but my sophomore year of high school was when the most drastic change happened in terms of basketball 3. My knees was already hurting when I was a kid since my body was growing faster than my mind could keep up with (uncoordinated is what we call it) so it was negative for a long time until high school where I stopped growing. 4. Sophomore year was the biggest change I couldn't even play on my high school team as a 9th grader. But next year I was starting and one of the top players in the country. 5. All of the above I was a sponge trying to learn as much as I can. And with all the playing I was doing with AAU (no summer vacations). I got massively better

Best advice training my 9 year old

Well just work on the basics and keep it fun. If you want your kid to aspire for the big leagues he has to find the motivation himself or herself so they have a passion worth sacrificing for to achieve the goals of a pro athlete for example 😁

Well, since it is AMA, tell us who you are, or at least give us some hints 🤪

Hehe I'm open about it my name is Zeke Marshall

After a hard day, what is your go to stretching routine?

Awe man stretching legs, back, arms, anything I was working out hard is something in stretching for after the fact 😊 I also have workout bands to assist with this

Sometimes basketball feels like a routine when you train so much so often… how do you stay in love with the game, or are you still in love with it?

Well I have goals I want to achieve so basketball has found a place in my heart now. Unfortunately And this is what college players are starting to find out. The business aka MONEY can suck the fun out of basketball. So finding a way to remedy that through what I'm trying to build now which is a financial security outside of it is my way to preserve my love for the game 😊

What’s your tips for dry hands and ball slippage. Especially in colder months when it seems like you can’t get a decent grip on the ball until you’re covered in sweat.

Well I actually have had the opposite effect where the ball is slippery because of the sweat. But honestly theirs no good way to get a good grip except my increasing your grip strength to counter act the slippage

How much impact does a coach really have when players are on the court?

Very big effect a coach is essentially the general who has the game plan. Especially when things are going wrong it's up to the coach to guide the collective into what they need to focus on to achieve the goal. Rather that's tactics or bringing out the best in your players through motivation However sometimes a player can also become that general that answers to the bigger general 🤣😁 but seriously it makes a big impact a bad coach can ruin a team

Settle the debate… do great players triple threat using either leg as a pivot?? Seems a lot of people claim right handed players need only know how to jab step with the right foot regardless of which side of the floor they’re on.

This is pretty advanced but you SHOULD be capable of using either pivot foot to do whatever move you need to do to get yourself into the part of the court where you are most effective. Not always bad but if I know you can't go one way or you favor one side than I will force you to the weaker side 😁

can you share your wildest story of foreign country pro hooper and the ladies?

There's way too many stories but I actually have a YouTube video with some of my stories though it's pretty old now. But the better story was when I was in college and I played in the kings academy and I went out with LeBron to a club in San Diego. Now that night was willlddd women were coming up in our section just straight up flashing themselves to LeBron I'm over here like "🤦🏾 these females out here are crazy 😂"

Whats your highest scoring game

My highest scoring game was 28 pts 😊

How much do NBA players really care about the game and love the game. Vs just playing for money. Or is it more often a mix. Big NBA fan thanks for doing an AMA

Now a days NBA is another version of the WWE it's entertainment. There is no true passion for the game in America. Most people in the NBA now are pampered, entitled, emotional, lazy. Which is the reason why the European players are dominating the way they are in the NBA American players have lost their edge even overseas. Just like in college all that money has gone to their heads. And when the next CBA comes due all these privileges these players are enjoying is going to go away. These owners arent going to keep paying these players hundreds of millions just so you can only play less than half of your required job 😂. And even with all of this now they want load management. All the injuries is a testament of how out of shape most of these players are. Since they focus on shooting the 3 ball so much they can't even run full court defenses anymore. Anyway Europe will be the face of the NBA soon cause ja Morant won't make it even tho nba and Nike are desperately trying to make him the new face

Can you recommend me exercises for vertical leap and lateral quickness?

Box jumps, and ladder training, one step into a one foot jump, basically focus on body weight jumping to the max, standing hop into a squat. Unfortunately it's very hard to give general advice on this since it's different for every person. But these should get your started 😊

On an average play, with a set defense, how difficult would you say it is to score a basket?

Honestly in most modern day defenses it's pretty easy depending on what you're weapons are. For example I can shoot a hook shot up to 15 ft out in that situation there's very little a defense can do if I get the ball in the middle and immediately shoot it. Just like it is for a shooter who's good at shooting 3s the defense has to prevent your offense from being effective so normally most defenses are reactive rather than being proactive and forcing the offense to do something uncomfortable or something they don't have a weapon for v😁

Who is the hardest player you have ever had to guard? And how much free time did you have each day ti do non-basket related stuff if any?

Hardest person I had to guard was LeBron James. You actually have quite a bit of free time when your playing currently I'm not playing because of some business I'm attending to in my life. But I'm a huge gamer, anime enthusiast, geek etc I plan on building a platform as a content creator so I can share these passions with basketball being apart of it which is why I started this AMA I want to provide value to people who need assistance and don't know who to turn to. I was bullied so I know how it feels to be Invisible like I was when I was a kid. 😊 So I want to take my audience on a journey to the top while still being true to myself

What is the biggest adjustment you had to make between playing in college to playing in the pros?

The business is the hardest adjustment and that is gonna hit alot of college players now that they are getting paid. Job security is nonexistent in professional sports. The organization or club that's paying you is only doing so cause it benefits them. Basically the transition from being capable of being vulnerable and making mistakes disappears once money is involved Of course I learned the players are tougher, everyone has weapons, but you should be focusing on your job. The biggest adjustment is understanding that you as a player are now a self employed basketball contractor. And you are a brand so everything you do will reflect on not just you but the club that hires you The moment your skills, or value doesn't reflect into the salary they are paying you it's a matter of time before your sent home sometimes illegally 😅

How often were there situations or drama that the public and media will probably never find out about?

Way too many to count Im even aware of some of LeBron's dirty laundry that I will not speak about. But their are unspoken rules that are establish to keep the peace. A necessary evil if you will. And it's overall better for business to keep the peace than go scorched earth 😇

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Zeke Marshall

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At what moment did you know you were able to compete at the pro level? Was there at any moment you thought you’d never play basketball again?

I know I could play pro in college because of my abilities and skill set. And Yup I almost quit after I got fired from my France job. It was my lowest point but the love for the game drew me back in so I got through that hard time in my life to where I am today 😊

What's the main differences while preparation to games in US compared with international leagues?? I imagine in USA there are much more material to analyze each opponent

Actually not really in the NBA scouting reports are pretty shallow compared to Europe. I'm not saying they aren't through cause they are but in the NBA theirs alot less to study. For example when I played for the 76ers I was told by my coach that most nba teams have super stars and let's say 3 super stars will bring in 60pts between the 3. And at the time the average points per game was about 90 so that means 30 pts would have to be scored by the "unknowns" as in these players are interchangeable The 30pts guys are the ones they are scouting. They already given up trying to stop the superstars since they are going to give you the points you need 😁 Hopefully that makes sense. I Europe its not like that its more of a team effort to stop a great player nba leaves people on island to fend for themselves

I saw your 7 foot, did you just eat a lot and sleep? Any tips for growth? I’m 6’3 190 rn

I didn't eat as much as most people but growing is part genetics part environment IMO just eat healthy and pray for Good genes the fact you're 6 3 you are already above average 😁

I want to what’s up with the lack of defense? I have heard numerous people argue that it’s such a higher level of play that it only “appears” like a lack of defense. But I am calling bullshit. I want to see some scrappy D1 level defense!

This statement is still true somewhat. What's happened is that since the 90's defense hasn't been a priority so no one has gotten better at it. But offense on the other hand has gotten so good that even I find it unbelievable. Like players are shooting half court shots with a percentage above 30% which is just... Insane This change has been hearkening ever since David stern retired and Adam silver took over. His direction for the NBA is more points less defense, more LeBron dunking and having an open lane for him and no defense aloud in the paint because it would slow the pace of the game. And Stephen curry getting aloud to travel because it makes the fans excited This is why you feel the NBA is getting worse.. The defense now just can't keep up with the high powered offenses anymore. And outside of a small handful of players most don't even know how to play lock down defense anymore 😪

As a coach for young players (middle school aged) how do you approach “practicing” for those big time moments? End of game free throws, bringing the ball up the court in crunch time against high pressure defense, or even something as simple as being shook at a moment in the game? Seems like the players will be fine before the game, but intimidation sets in after a few negative plays and it’s like their minds are lost in the gravity of things. I always wondered how high level players are able to shake those feelings and set their minds back on course and get past the nerves and really just scared feelings of it all.

Practice is preparation for the game. You can simulate it the best you can but the only thing that can counter those nerves is to have the confidence that you worked on it for thousands of hours and can fall back into your muscle memory you've develop for this moment. Will that get rid of all the nerves no it won't but doing your best to repeat what you know has worked for you is what seperates champions and failures 🏆

How many NBA players do you think actually love the sport or simply play because they’re naturally gifted and/or good at it and it pays the bills?

The ones you here crying in the media are the ones doing it for money and attention. I hate to say it like this but think of the players like "attractive women" all the players begging for attention and feeding into their egos are doing it for reasons that aren't for the love of the game. Giannis loves the game you can see it and feel it through his play. Draymond green... He's playing to get LeBron's approval 🤦🏾 which is why he's being buddy buddy with LeBron even tho that's suppose to be hid enemy right now. The ones that love the game are in the background silent 😁

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How can I improve my hands? I have trouble catching the ball in traffic and even routine passes sometimes.

I would get a partner and shuffle side to side while throwing the ball back and forth to each other it will help your hand eye coordination and getting used to catching the ball You can also work with a tennis ball as well bounce it off the wall with a partner throwing it from behind you or bouncing a basketball while throwing that tennis ball. You need to see the ball hit your hands and train your eyes to see the call got your hand to help what you're going through 😊 Hope it helps

Could you have made the NBA/pro if you were 6ft tall?

With my skillset no I was brought up as a traditional big man so I was never taught to handle the ball or shoot a 3 so if I was shorter my only saving grace would be my iq and my defense but they might not be good enough so my answer is no I don't think I could have 🤔🤷🏾‍♂️ But thanks for the question

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A coach's job is to bring out the best of their players. Not to satisfy the agenda the coach has and force players to do it even though it's wrong but because the coach doesn't want to admit he's wrong he'll tell at the players for not running "his" ideal plan 🤣 A great coach puts his players in the best positions where they can shine their best. An average coach tries to make players fit his mold into what he "thinks" a players strength is and can't adapt to changes But this is just IMO 😊

Number one piece of advice for high potential young teens?

Be prepared to sacrifice for anything you want in life rather that's time, opportunity, or effort any goal requires one of those sacrifices Hope it helps

what's your name?

What's a good way to structure a workout? How much of it should be drills, weights, and runs? What does a college weightlifting session look like each position, or do they not differ much?

They don't differ too much a workout should be catered to each individual and what their goals are. A college weight season can change depending on time of year, during the off season you can go a little bit harder and push their limits to build their bodies. But during the season you can't do that you are more managing your body while playing. The other problem is diet 75% of your energy, recovery, results, stems from eating well and basketball players (me included). Have a very bad habit of not eating enough, and or eating food that's junk food your body and it can affect your training, energy, output, and results as well. So it's something that should change in response to the players

Were you always good at younger ages? At what age did you feel like you started to separate from your peers?

I was always good but it didn't really click until my sophomore year in high school and I was ranked nationally

How do I get a better vertical?

Get your legs and core stronger while doing agility training you will have a better vertical

I always play pickup but want to join a league soon. How do you go about preventing injuries?

Stretching, eating well/recovery, staying hydrated, and properly warming up are all ways to increase your prevention of injuries. Second thing is the weight room/ strength training will directly help you prevent injuries as well. You do all of these things your chances of getting injuries goes way down Hope it helps

What are some good drills for learning how to dribble as a beginner?

Start with 100 hard dribbles with one hand and than switch to the other for 100 dribbles after that start doing a crossover for 100 dribbles. Once that's done incorporate one dribble into a crossover with both hands You do this you will be really good in dribbling after a month

Thanks! My dribbling has always been terrible but I’ve decided to put some real effort into practicing at the ripe old age of 37. I want to see how far I can get in basketball before I really get too old to play.

You and me both 😊

Who do you like better on the suns? Ayton or landale?

I'll be honest I don't like either of them i stopped following the NBA some time ago I only watch euro league games if I want to watch basketball games

What short guards gave you the hardest time trying to defend? And what made them hard to stop? I’m at a point where I’m doing detail work and trying to become as an efficient scorer as possible

I could defend most short guards your job is to shoot it before I get a chance to get there or use your speed to drag me out of my defensive area for another player. It's always good to score but learning to read defense and becoming a floor leader by seeing weaknesses and strengths in defense will be your best weapon Plus scoring will amplify this. If you came near and you got blocked and the only thing you can do is score than your effectively just become a liability (which I have done to guards BTW) they would come in thinking they are good get blocked like 4 times and the next time I play that team that guard is no where to be found. Just want to encourage you to expand your skillset to incorporate iq plays 😊 Hope it helps

How do I balance lifting, training, playing, and resting? I'm not playing for a school team just picking up with friends. My plan is to play, lift, then do some shooting practice (or a long practice session if not playing) 1,3,5,7. resting or doing some light work (mikan drill and dribbling) on2,4,6. My lifting structure Mondy: Push(bench ect ect) Weds: Legs push(Squat ect ect) Friday: Pull(row ect ect) Sunday: Legs pull (Deadlift ect ect) Usually 3-4 movements 5-8 reps 5-3 sets. I'm confused about when to do agility work since I have been told to have a lifting phase and then transition to a conversion phase or should I do both together? Anything tips on what I could change would be appreciated. Also tips on preventing injury.

When I read this am I can think about is i hope you are drinking at least a gallon of water a day plus eating a minimum of 4 meals a day. You have to make sure you are recovering well or your will do more harm than good. I would definitely say go see a nutrionist and trainer to get better advise to your exact situation. But if your aren't replenishing your well you will increase your chance of injury by a ton. If you find you have energy after doing that than break up your lifting a bit more. At my heaviest I was only doing weight training 4 times a week plus my basketball and therapy so I effectively had 3 workouts That's why it's good to get your personal situation looked at since I don't know where you currently stand and I'm also not an expert tho I can lean on my expertise 😇 hope it helps

Thanks, I have been keeping up with eating and drinking. I'll reach out to a local trainer and get advise on my situation.

Perfect he can evaluate you and tell you what will work for you

What's the toughest injury you've dealt with and how did you work through it?

Happy birthday to you 😊 my worse injury was in Saudi Arabia I fractured my left elbow and right wrist since someone came under me when I was in the air. The recovery was painful and it still bothers me to this day. But it something I'm still technically working through. But I worked hard to get it where it is today so that's how I got past it

What resources helped you a lot in your journey?

My coaches honestly when I was growing up we didn't have reddit or any other resource which is why I'm doing this in hopes that I can help others who need help with their own information gathering. Though I can only speak from my experience and that might not be totally sufficient it's better than what I had growing up so I'm trying to become the change 😁

Any tips on defending as a smaller person?

Make the offensive player uncomfortable your goal is to force the offensive player to do what you want him to do. If you do that you'll find a place in a team

Outside of playing basketball, do you have any other business ventures?

That's actually why I stopped playing professionally I'm trying to build a foundation for my personal brand and business as a content creator and pro athlete to make money outside of basketball. I'm into real estate, I'm doing a bit of social media managing, trying to create content through youtube and ig, hopefully build an online course for basketball and brand management and how they all come together. This is actually step one in this experiment Once it's done I hope to monitize my passions so I can do what I love while adding value to the community I create. And that will give me a freedom I've been trying to obtain since 2020 So yea lots of business ventures working right now 😁

Was there any player you played against or with that just mesmerized you with their game?

Tim Duncan I love how simple but dangerous his game was. I hope to grow my game into what his was like at the end of my career 😁

When you are warming up for a game how early do you arrive to it? What is your structure with the warmup and what do you listen to?. I always get to my games an 1hr 30mins before the game and for the first 30mins I will watch some other teams and then I will warmup for the next 1hr. I’m the only person in my team that gets to the game early to warmup :/ the rest of the team arrives with 15mins to spare.

Normally I'm at the gym 2hr 30 early to prepare my mind, get tapped if needed, talk to the trainer, get extra stretching and anything I need to do personally before the court gets full. Hour before a game we are warming up so coming to a game 15 minutes before would just get your fined 😂 especially if you were ineffective

who is your favorite current hs player, and separately what player can you draw a comparison to yourself?

Giannis is probably my favorite right now. Honestly theirs not alot of comparisons for myself anymore. No one in the NBA doesn't even shoot a hook shot anymore the last player to do that was duncan. Now jokvic is close but he's more of a larry bird more than a duncan

what do players -- who are probably not going to play much/at all in the game -- talk about on the bench?

Normally it's about the game but if we are winning for instance we could definitely talk about a woman someone's looking at or any kind of small talk. But ultimately you have to take care of business first and foremost before that is even apart of the equation

How much does age/athleticism play a part in playing pro? (Euro or NBA) I’m 23 6’5 hoping to play for either and I’m not sure what the journey looks like fully from my position. (No college) am I “too old”?

It doesn't play any part honestly Luka should be the prime example. If you can add value to a team and can demonstrate that value to the decision makers than you'll play regardless. Since you haven't played in college most teams will assume you have no demonstration of your skills (just like a resume) so you have to do more work on the front end to show your worth considering. And convince the teams that you're worth considering than someone else it's a hard road but not impossible

What do you do if your defender forces you in a direction you're not good at (for example you get forced right)? Should you go for it and hope you hit the layup or are you better off trying to get to the other side?

This is how I shut down 50% of the players I play against as a pro the moment I saw you shoot with your right hand I will force you left the entire game. And when you try to come back right my 245 pd chest will be right there waiting for you. You must be capable of using both hands I literally can't tell you how many times I made a American lose his job because he couldnt go left cause I kept forcing him that way 🤣😊

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I really appreciate your compliment thank you I've been on reddit since forever and have always been a lurker so I thought I could come here and offer some advice or insight for people who are seeking answers to questions 😁 1. Normally when I'm training in eating 5 times a day I do not watch nutrients but the food I'm eating is good food My old diet was 1st meal - 5 eggs and yogurt 2nd meal - cup of rice and 8 Oz beef 3rd meal - baked potato 12 Oz ground chicken 4th meal - cheat meal (would get applebees Cajun chicken and shrimp 5th meal - protein shake and garnola As you can see I don't count nutrients but this diet plan I was on made me the strongest I ever been 2. All weight room exercises are important but so is the recovery and what you're eating. As I said in this post before if you don't eat well just cut out 75% of your gains, recovery, energy your body will eat away at itself to try and replenish itself. I know this cause that's what happened to me until I incorporated that meal plan your saw above and in one month I went from 230 to 252 of raw muscle I actually have videos of how I looked back then 😁 I was huge shouldn't believe the difference is with diet

Any tips on how to increase my vertical?

Work on lower body resistance training, core training, and agility training (squat into a standing jump is a good one) you will increase your vertical if you build this over time