Ravin - The hoops whisperer: on the court and inside the heads of basketballs best players

Becoming Lamar Mundane

the greatest life becomes the one u never imagined
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I n the late 1980s, a television commercial aired for a new line of Reebok high-tops. The black-and-white ad began with several teenagers huddled together on the stoop of a brownstone, nodding their heads as an older man shared the story of a playground legend named Lamar Mundane. He described watching Lamar Mundane effortlessly release his jump shot from as far as fifty feet away, over the outstretched arms of defenders, with the onlookers shouting, Money, as the ball kissed the clouds before falling through the net.

I wanted to wear those high-tops. I wanted to do the things Lamar Mundane had done. I wanted to live on a city block within walking distance of a playground with a basketball court surrounded by a chain-link fence so an audience could witness my game. I wanted to take on the citys best players. I wanted folks to talk about my game with the same reverence. I also wanted to trade places with those boys on the stoop, even for just a moment, so I could hear the tales of the playground legends.

A few years ago, I received a call from Carmelo Anthonys agent at the time asking if I could assist on a commercial that Nikes Jordan Brand was scheduled to shoot with Melo as part of the launch of his new signature shoe. Melo and I had worked together since hed left Syracuse after his freshman year in 2003. The call from his agent surprised me, because generally I dealt directly with the players with regards to scheduling, training, billing, etc. Most agents were proprietary about their clients and felt uncomfortable knowing that someone had burrowed his way into their clients circle without the agents blessing. In any event, Melo was my guy, as players Ive worked with would say, and I would have flown to Timbuktu if hed asked, even with only thirty minutes notice and just the clothes on my back. I was available and I suggested the production company contact me to coordinate logistics.

You wont be getting paid for this, his agent reminded me.

Too bad we werent on Skype so he could see me smile. Money was never my motivator. I loved what I did. Whatever came with it was just gravy.

I flew to Los Angeles several days later. I arrived on set a day early to meet with Jesse, the ad agencys creative director on the account, and Brian, the director. They didnt seem overly excited; theyd researched and prepared their treatment weeks earlier, and they probably thought Id suggest things they had already seen, posted on YouTube by other trainers.

Id recently come up with a few new drills for Melo involving tennis balls, hand gestures, cones, and multiple basketballs, and I thought these would resonate on camera. Their energy changed once I demonstrated the scope and complexity of Melos training. Brian positioned his hands in the shape of a camera lens to visualize how to frame and shoot each drill, while Jesse asked me to explain the drill and its purpose.

Yes. Very cool! This is going to be great! I love it! Youre intense! they said, maybe not in that order.

I didnt tell them that I might have to audible from the intended outline, depending on what I felt from Melo once he stepped out of his trailer. You cant be wedded to a script when working with superstars. Sensitivity to their rhythms is important. If I sensed reluctance, I would pull back. If I sensed excitement, I would push forward. If I sensed indifference, Id play it by ear.

The following day Melo arrived in the early afternoon on a flight from Asia. He had spent the last several weeks representing the United States in the world championships in Japan. I assumed he would be exhausted from all the travel, practices, games, and off-court commitments required when you represent your country.

Keep the takes to a minimum. He doesnt have much gas left in the tank, I told Brian.

Efficiency was paramount, not only for Melo, but also for the ad agency and production company under orders to deliver top content to their shoe company client.

Our first scene involved Melo shooting jump shots from beyond the NBA arc. The second scene showed Melo catching a tennis ball with one hand while dribbling with the other and moving in different directions based on my commands. The drill refined his ball control because it overloaded his senses to simulate the intense distractions he faces under game conditions: long and active defenders, screaming fans, teammates in motion, coaches calling out plays, clocks ticking down, referees circling, and television crews hoping to capture great footage.

The third scene showcased his ability to anticipate defensive pressure, identify passing opportunities, and handle the ball all at once. I stood almost directly behind him, just slightly off-center. Keeping his back to me, he dribbled while I flashed different numbers with my fingers; relying only on his peripheral vision, he had to call out the number of fingers I signaled without losing the dribble. This went on for a minute, and I switched between his right and left side every few seconds.