The NBA season is just starting as we go into preseason, and fans are ready for the action and excitement the rookies are going to bring this year to the league. With the top prospects being Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, fans are ready for what the next generation of the league has to offer.
The opponents that rookies are used to are much different than the experienced athletes they are facing now.
Going from being one of the best kids on your team in high school then having to live up to higher standards in college is very difficult. The amount of plays these guys have to learn in college is completely different than the amount they learned in high school. So with the standard is much higher than before, and change and development in character comes with it.
It is a different world when they go to the NBA. There is a lot of personal growth during the stages of going pro and as a rookie.
Although the season just started, the amount of work that these rookies have put in is incredible. From team practices to learning plays and personal work on the court and gym, it is shaping the character of these guys.
Hard work is what makes you grow and become a better person.
“If you’re the best player in the gym, then you need to find a new gym,” said Flagg according to “Sports Illustrated.”
Dylan Harper is another rookie who is projected to be a great player. The number two pick in the NBA draft coming from Rutgers University has a great work ethic that is now going to be in the league.
His character has changed a lot since he was in college. With new demands of accountability and responsibility, you are almost forced to change for the better, like he has.
“You can’t be perfect, but you can get close to perfect,” said Harper according to ESPN.
After a workout with Giannis Antetokounmpo, an NBA all-star, Harper “opened his eyes” because he reached a new level of understanding hard work.
The correlation between becoming a professional basketball player and building character is very important and not overlooked by these hard-working athletes.
From a little kid striving to become something great to actually becoming something great is an amazing accomplishment. Reaching new heights like the NBA builds responsibility, accountability, discipline, and so many other characteristics of mature and hardworking individuals.
