Why the best players are shifting how they train

Apr 26, 2026 5:01 am

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The game has already moved forward.

Most training hasn’t.

For years, players were told:

Get your reps in.

Lock in your form.

Repeat until perfect.

But the reality at the highest level looks different.

The game is not played in patterns.

It’s played in problems.

And the players who solve those problems fastest… stay on the floor.



Research in skill acquisition is clear:

  • Players improve through interaction, not isolation
  • Learning and performing happen at the same time
  • Variability builds adaptability, not inconsistency


This is the foundation of:

Constraint-Led Approach (CLA)

Differential Learning (DL)

And this is already being used.

Players like Duncan Robinson have trained in environments influenced by these principles through coaches like Mitch Kirsch.

Player development specialists such as Coleman Ayers are building entire systems around decision-making, adaptability, and game transfer.

This is not theory.

This is where the game is going.



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Inside Ubuntu Basketball, this is the standard.

Players like:


  • Shane Larkin
  • Chris Stuwart
  • Daniel Finch
  • Avery Anthony
  • Charles Chalmers
  • Lawrence Slim
  • Dianté Bah
  • Finn Gibson
  • Mohammed Abdellatif
  • Esther Fokke
  • Dapo Kruiswijk
  • Yinka Kruiswijk
  • Kadir Ozgur


NBA, Euroleague, FIBA Basketball Champions League (Europe), EuroCup teams consult and talk with us on improving their training quality frequently.


Train in environments where:

  • Every rep demands a decision
  • Every action has pressure
  • Every session connects to real game situations

No scripted workouts.

No empty repetition.

Only one focus:

Read. React. Finish.



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This matters whether you are:

  • A rookie trying to earn minutes
  • A 2–3 year pro adjusting to overseas play
  • A veteran adapting to new roles

Because the gap is no longer skill alone.

It’s decision speed under pressure.



Each summer, players come to Amsterdam to work inside this environment.

Not for volume.

For clarity.

For speed.

For transfer.


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If you want to understand how this applies to your off-season and what options are available:

[email protected]

The operations team will get back to you quickly.

This is not a trend.

This is where the game is already at.


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