National Basketball Association

NBA coaches helping create instructional videos

Published Sep. 26, 2017 10:52 a.m. ET

MIAMI (AP) NBA coaches are about to start offering instruction to anyone who can get online.

The National Basketball Coaches Association announced Monday that it is embarking on a partnership with a company called eCoach to produce instructional videos about the various skills of the game. The content will be offered for the first time this fall.

''This technology and content is unprecedented and will totally change the way we communicate our game to the rest of the world,'' said Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, the NBCA's president. ''In my 12 years as President of the NBCA, this is without question the most exciting endeavor we have been a part of.''

Organizers tout the project as an ''online basketball university,'' and there will be a special emphasis on reaching markets in China, India, Brazil, Africa, the Philippines, Australia and Europe.

Most of the videos will be between 2-4 minutes, touching on various topics and done differently for varying skill levels. Beginning next year, the videos will be subtitled into many languages.

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said he thinks it will be a tremendous boost to growing the game, both internationally and in the U.S.

''Kids from the Philippines to China to Europe to South America can access drills to learn fundamentals,'' Spoelstra said. ''I think all of us have been really searching for a way to house all of the fundamentals and basics that are getting lost, particularly in the youth American game with AAU. (We want) to find a way to tap back into that, and then use the coaches at our level to help teach the game and grow the game globally.''

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