Basketball players are made between the months of June and September. While most of us are on vacation, or looking for the best summer-time parties to crash, NBA players sweat out grueling workout regimens from sunrise to sundown.
This requires altering their diets, and mechanically breaking down every facet of their game to kill off bad habits. Every player knows that if they don’t produce stellar statistics, they’ll get replaced. In the interest of their contracts, players commission fitness gurus to help them reach their potential in time for NBA Tip-Off Week in late October.
Top-tier personal trainers put them through insane workout sessions and basketball skill challenges. The unorthodox means some players use to drastically improve are straight up ridiculous. But hey, stakes is high. Here are 10 NBA Players’ Off-Season Training Regimens.
Stephen Curry’s Ball-Handling Drills
Joakim Noah Hits the Pool With Big Wave Surfer Laird Hamilton
Kyrie Irving Dodges Oncoming Basketballs Without Losing His Dribble
Kyle Korver Trains in Shark-Infested Waters
Zach LaVine’s Conditioning Drills
CJ McCollum’s One-Minute Circuit
Nate Robinson’s Early Morning Workout
LeBron James’ Blue Collar Work Ethic
The Mamba Never Sleeps
Dwyane Wade Is the Best Dodgeball Player in the NBA
Major key: Think of this difficult strength training and conditioning as fun. Dwyane Wade loves being in a competitive mode—even with himself. This clip above shows the Miami Heat legend working with celebrity trainer Ed Downs on his core to maintain agility and adjust his body when he goes airborne some 35-plus inches off the ground.
That’s piece one, but this Instagram clip of him playing dodgeball as part of his offseason workout regimen is the real clincher.