Former NBA Legend Hated AAU Basketball. Was He Right?
Competitive youth basketball can open doors to college scholarships and the NBA. But Kobe Bryant believed the system was putting exposure ahead of player development.
Athletes World
• AAU basketball gives young players a chance to compete against top talent and gain exposure to college recruiters, but its intense competition, costs and focus on individual development continue to spark debate.
In 2015, Kobe Bryant delivered a harsh verdict on America's youth basketball system.
“Horrible, terrible AAU basketball,” he told reporters.
Bryant believed young players were spending too much time chasing highlights and playing games instead of learning fundamentals like footwork, passing and positioning. He also accused adults of turning youth basketball into a business at the expense of player development. (ESPN, 2015)
It was a striking criticism from one of basketball's greatest players. But was he right?
“Horrible, terrible AAU basketball,” he told reporters.
Bryant believed young players were spending too much time chasing highlights and playing games instead of learning fundamentals like footwork, passing and positioning. He also accused adults of turning youth basketball into a business at the expense of player development. (ESPN, 2015)
It was a striking criticism from one of basketball's greatest players. But was he right?
