Over the years there have been so many Basketball players with fast foot speed. The Fastest Basketball Player in the NBA is considered after taking into account different things like lateral agility, quickness, straight-line speed etc. When it comes to the quickest player, we have to look no further than the point/shooting guards as they have the tendency to be the fastest (as this is required for their position)

Russell Westbrook and John Wall are two of the fastest basketball players of all time. But there are some exceptional cases as well where players from other positions found themselves in the list of Fastest Basketball Player in hoops, in particular making our “short list” here at MyBasketBallSkills.com.

In fact, there are so many players who have the ability to be the fastest player in the history of Basketball and I am sure this post is going to stir up some arguments,  no different than a post about the GOAT stirs up. Names like John Wall, LeBron James, Russel Westbrook and Derrick Rose are always sitting atop the list when choosing the fastest and most agile player in the NBA.

#1. John Wall – Probably The Fastest Basketball Player in The NBA

Well, keeping in mind his performance and people’s choice in mind. John Wall is probably the Fastest Basketball Player in The NBA who has ever played in the game. His speed and agility are matchless. There are players who can come close to him like Westbrook but at the end of the day John Wall is probably the fastest player in the NBA.

One of the strongest weapons in John Wall’s arsenal is his speed. There is no question that the aggression that he brings to the game is remarkable and unmatchable. That is what makes him a dangerous player in the game. He is a player full of athleticism and lateral agility.

#2. Russell Westbrook, Lightening Out of OKC

Russell Westbrook. He is no just lightening quick, but an incredible shooter, passer and all round MVP style player.   Player with his speed remind me of others like Leondro Barbosa, who was one of the fastest players of all time but he lacked the shooting and finishing skills to really match up with my top 4 faster players.

Of the fastest players in the league, Westbrook has the most diverse set of tools not to mention the most recognized sense of style in the league.

#3. Derrick Rose.  Injuries Can Only Slow Him Down.

Well, next in the list is the Derrick Rose of Cleveland Cavs. There is no doubt that whenever there is a discussion of speed in the NBA his name will definitely be there to be discussed. Before tearing his ACL, he was a clear candidate for the fastest player in the NBA.

A lot of players only have straight-line speed but Derrick Rose is not limited to this ability only. He has more skills to offer on the court that what makes him a unique player. His agility and lateral strengths make him a brilliant player on the field. He is an efficient and skillful player with so much to offer to the game.

His commitment and passion for the game is priceless as he is dedicated to every single game he plays. His never-ending stamina and will to never get tired is truly unbelievable. He knows exactly how to maintain his speed and stamina to play efficiently.

#4. LeBron James, Worth a Mention.

Well, this man has been considered to be the fastest player in the NBA history. His elite speed and lateral quickness are really incredible. What makes this 6’8’’ a unique asset to the team is his speed. He gets into the top gear right from the start. Most players start from gear one and two and then get into the top gear but this isn’t the case with LeBron James. He gets into his top gear whenever he wants too.

He gets into the top gear right from the start and he is a speedster with some incredible skills. Well, he is considered to be a prodigy when it comes to speed. Most players are no match for him as his speed and agility are on a different level. Matching his speed and stamina is no joke at all.

The likes of Dwayne Wade seem to be behind his speed too. He is an outstanding player and his speed is his main weapon. LeBron James speed and agility when combined can produce astonishing results for the team.

If you are looking to improve your speed as a basketball player, you should consider the best speed and agility training tools.  You can check them out here.

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So, what do you think of the fastest player in the NBA? Lebron, Westbrook, Rose, Wall….or  someone else? I would love to hear your feedback  and if you have a player you would like to add to mix, feel free to do so (out of all current players in the league).

Regardless of whether you or 5 feet tall or 7 feet tall, it is the expectation now that you can shoot a 3 pointer and that you can shoot them with consistency. If you want to make teams and make the cuts, your ability to shoot from “outside the arc” is critical. I am going to walk you through the best 3 point shooting drills for improving your outside game.

A stationary 3 pointer and the ability to shoot from the set position isn’t the be-all-end-all. Yes it is important, but just as important as three point shooting and your actual shot is your ability to set up shot.

I am going to break this down into four layers. The first is setting up your actual shots and getting open. The second is going to be increasing the speed and the release of your shot. Then we are going to focus on the accuracy of your 3 point shot. The last thing our shooting drills that you can use to increase the range of your shot.

Importance of 3 Point Shooting in Today’s Game

Basketball is an evolving sport. There once was a time when height meant everything, and although a great shot was still important, there’s never been a more in port and time to know how to shoot a 3 pointer.

If you tune into any NBA game, you will see the emphasis on the 3 point shot and players are shooting from further out than they ever have. A great 3 point shooting team is one that will be able to capitalize a much more open court and make slashers and the centers far more efficient.

In respect to Varsity and College ball, the 3 point shot is something that is becoming expected of you, so it is truly time to step up your game and put some focus with your practice into your 3 point abilities and improving all the underlying aspects that will make you a great 3 point shooter.

There are 4 things that lead to a great shooter:

1. Ability to Get Open
2. A Quick Release
3. Accuracy of Your Shot
4. Ability to Shoot at a Distance

Improving the Setup of You Shot. Get Open. Unload.

There’re two ways in which you can get open. You can allude the defender with great dribbling skills, or you can make cuts away from the ball to get open.

Getting open for the pass comes down to your effort. If your defender becomes tired or isn’t willing to run around enough screens then they are going lose defensive position on you.

Endurance and speed are critical aspects to being a great shooter, in particular as a game wears on. If you cannot get away from a good defender, you are going to be shut down and your shooting skills won’t matter. So first and foremost, you focus on your speed and agility.

A Quick Release. Buying Yourself More Time.

The longer you take to release the ball, the less opportunity you were going to have to make the shot. There is no worse feeling than being blocked from behind the 3 point line, so part of your three point shooting skills surround the idea been able to release the ball quickly.

This is something that you should practice and should be part of any shooting drills that you are doing. If you look at any great shooter in the NBA, you’re going to notice that there quick release. This includes the likes of Ray Allen and Steph Curry, Two of the greatest shooters of our time And two of the quickest releases we have ever seen.

What Are the Best Drills to Improve 3 Point Accuracy.

There are several ways that you can work on your 3 point shot accuracy. An inch can make a difference between a ball that bounces out, and a swish. I know they say football is a game of inches, but basketball is also a game of inches.

Here are few 3 point shooting drills that I recommend that you use in order to improve your 3 point accuracy and your overall shooting accuracy.

• 3 point Bank Shots. These are naturally a little bit further than a normal shot. A bank shot has a lot less room for error, an by hitting bank shots from various angles you are going to improve your precision as a shooter. It is far more difficult hit a bank shot from three-point land, then to hit a rim focused shot.
• Hit the Rim. As funny as it sounds if you can practice hitting the rim in certain spots, you are going to be able to improve your accuracy. For this drill, you want to shoot from straight on to the hoop. Start by trying to hit the back of the rim, and then work counter clockwise around the rim. Back side, right side, front side, left side. Then end with a shot square in the middle attempt to “swish”. Do this 5 times.
• 5 Spot Shooting. To do this drill, you want to work your way around the 3 point arc. First, start in the baseline corners. Hit a shot from one corner, then run to the other side and hit a shot from the other corner. If you miss a shot, run back to the same location until you hit a shot from there. The next fall is the 45 angle on the arc, and then do the same thing there. Then finally you want to hit two shots from straight on.This drill is also a good practice in terms of endurance. If you’re missing your shots, you’re going to start to get tired as you have got to run and fetch the ball, returning to that same shooting location.

Drills to Improve Your 3 Point Distance

There are a lot of great drills for improving your shot strength, but I want to keep your exercise routines as simple as possible. You shouldn’t need to take a “book” to the gym to remember what you have to practice, so you should get in the routine of doing just the best drills that will be the most efficient accelerators in terms of your “distance shooting” .

There are 3 distance shooting drills that you should be working on to help you improve the overall range of your 3 point shot.

• Start Deep, Move In. With this drill you’re going to start at Your maximum range. If you need to find a few shots to find that range, then do that. If you have a partner to help feed you the ball, then this drill will take a lot less exercise. I recommend you fetch your own balls.Take five shots at each position, And then move one step in as you get closer to the three-point line. Something interesting is going to happen by the time you reach the three-point line. It is going out all of a sudden feel like a 10-foot jumper and your range has just been increased.This can be a good pregame warm-up.
• Medicine Ball Shooting. Make sure you focus on the spin of the ball as well and proper form. You’re not just heaving a ball up and down you’re emulating your actual shot. Make sure you are getting back spin on the ball and the position the ball in your hands as you would your normal shot.If you are in the gym, shoot the ball towards the hoop and try to also work on accuracy at the same time.
• Shots from Center Court. If you have ever been to an NBA game and watched great shooters like Steph Curry, Lebron James, Isiah Thomas, Klay Thompson, you will notice that pre game they usually take at least 10-20 shots from center. It may seem as though they are doing this just to mess around, but that is not the case. Moving out of your consistent shooting-range, will increase the distance of your consistent shooting-range.As you start to shoot more and more balls from center court, you are going to find your the hoop appears bigger and it starts to feel like a free throw to drop a 3 pointer.

**On a side note, you always want to end shooting free throws when you are tired. This will emulate game play and it is most typical to be shooting free throws after you are being very active and not fresh. This will improve your free throw shooting percentage, Well it is not the focus.

3 Point Shooting “Must Haves”.

One last thing that you should consider before heading into game time. You should not be trying to extend your shot rate for the game, Yes you can take deep shots, But you should finish your practice with a range in which you want to shoot the shots during the game. This will hone in your range.

One of the best tools that I know of for improving your 3 point shot (outside of the drills that I have provided), is the Hathaway Rebounder.  This is great for “solo shooting” which is handy because most practice is done when you are solo.  This will increase the number of shots that you can shoot in an hour by over 50%, and will allow you to rapid shoot from a shooting tray.

Click here to improve your 3 point practice efficiency & check out my ultimate rebounding tool!

That is if you are practicing before the game on shots from center, without reestablishing yourself at the three-point line, Your first few shots of the game are likely going to be long.

The 3 Pointer. Make It Your “Go To”.

These 3 point shooting drills should help you improve your game. Again if you can shoot a “3 ball” you’re going to be of much more value and asset to any team whether you are playing varsity, college, NBA, or playing in a 3 on 3 tournament.

As far as I’m concerned, anyone that practices shooting 3-pointers properly can become a 3-point shooter. Perfect practice leads to perfection and by implementing that strategies that I have laid out in the training above, you are going to be setting yourself up for a killer shot, from anywhere on the court. Bombs away!

Hi everyone and welcome to my Basketball Skills and Drills website. Basketball has been a passion of mine ever since I was 12 years old and over the years I have purchased numerous products in the basketball world to try to improve my skill sets as well as my athleticism.

Being a kid from Canada with a limited opportunity in terms of court time, I was oftentimes looking for alternatives to help me get better at basketball. This usually came in the form of drills and often times me sitting in my basement dribbling a basketball for hours on end.

Now I want to give back.

Over the years I’ve learned a lot about shooting, a lot about dribbling, a lot of ball exercises that help you improve your speed and endurance…. and I want to offer others some insight into many of these as well as provide you with updated tips and techniques that the real pros are using these days.

A Little Story About My Basketball Life.

Growing up I was always a little smaller than everyone else. In fact when I graduated in grade 12 I was still only 5ft 7in. In a sport where height matters, I always felt I had to work a little bit harder and do whatever it took to gain that extra edge on the competition.

As you all know we’re all in competition with one another trying to gain more playing time and to impress the coach enough to be put into the game in critical situations.

So how you perform and how your skill set of all this is critical to this?

I literally used to spend hours in my basement dribbling a basketball, practicing dribbling skills that I learned from and1 videos, and emulating some of my heroes in basketball and these included Penny Hardaway, Michael Jordan, and Allen Iverson.

I would also spend hours working on drills to improve my vertical leap. I bought just about every product and every manual made out of time to improve this. There are obviously geneticlLimitations to your overall success, but when you follow stories like Steve Nash (who is a local player here from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada), you realize that anything can be overcome and that good work ethic and hard work can truly lead to your success in basketball, just as a can in anything in life.

The Game Has Changed.

The basketball world has gone from a state of height being the most critical element to successful team, to a 3 point shooting skill being the most critical element. You don’t see seven footers coming into the NBA any longer that can’t shoot and you definitely don’t see one guards that can’t hit a three pointer at a very high percentage.

Different positions require different skill sets and different body types, but ultimately the core and the fundamental of all success in basketball these days is hinged on the ability to shoot the basketball, dribbling skills, speed, agility, and endurance. In essence, I think it has gone back to the roots.

Much of the content that I’m going to be discussing here is going to be centered around improving your skill set, with an underlying focus always being on shooting skills, speed in which you can release your shot, and how are you can properly set up a shot to be open.

The game has changed and so does the way you need to develop your skills.

They Say Perfect Practice, Leads to Perfection.

There is no point practicing If you’re going wrong way and you are not being productive using the allotted time that you have. A lot can be accomplished in an hour or two sitting at the gym with the right motivation and the right drills and exercises.

This can lead to a better shot, more skill, better defense, and ultimately more playing time on the court.

So have a look around and if you ever have anything to share in respecto building your own basketball skills, I would love to hear it.

To your jump shot and breaking ankles,

Kyle

Founder of Basketball Skills And Drills
mybasketballskills.com