How to Improve Your Hoops Game

In tough times, the NBA’s defending MVP offers tips on how to let off steam:

“You have to practice like you play. The moves you see me do in the game are the exact same moves I do in the gym, over and over again. When your shot comes to the point that you’re not thinking about it, you know you’re doing well–when it’s on autopilot. Guys have a tendency to start thinking about the next shot. You can’t do that. Just trust the process and let that thing fly.

“Sometimes basketball has to do with the emotional space you can put yourself in. When I scored 61 points against the New York Knicks last month, I wasn’t in the mood to talk to anybody. I wasn’t going to say hello to my man Jay-Z. I was in my mode.

“Oh, yeah–and never, ever forget to stretch.”

Kobe One on One See the Lakers star give a basketball tutorial at time.com/kobe