Not all training happens on the court. It shouldn’t surprise us at all that some of the greatest basketball players have remained students of the game. They’re always looking for any edge that might give them an advantage over their competition.

Kobe Bryant was notorious for watching hours of film on a regular basis throughout his NBA career. His grandfather would regularly send him videotapes of NBA legends in their prime. He would watch and them model his game after Hall of Famers like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, among others. LeBron James has often stated that on his days off he watches every NBA game, paying close attention to every detail.

While watching films of others can really help your own game, there are some things to be aware of:

* Do not fall into the trap of strictly watching film of individual players.

* Be sure to also watch film of the best teams to ever do it as well.

Films of solid teamwork show how the individual players are selfless and tenacious, sacrificing for each other and sharing the basketball.

We can all learn a ton from watching championship-level basketball and especially those greats who learned the true value of teamwork!