Basketball ranks first among the highest-paying sports in the world. The NBA, considered the pinnacle of professional basketball, pays its players around $8 million per year on average. Besides the big bucks, playing professional basketball also opens up another world of opportunities, including serving as a coach, mentor and finding a niche in broadcasting.

Unfortunately, the odds of making it into professional basketball are significantly low compared to other types of sports like baseball. Although this does not make it unachievable, it means that you need to work extremely hard to impress coaches, scouts and recruiters.

Here is what you need to become a pro-NBA basketball player today:

Develop Elite-Level Explosiveness

Explosiveness is an athlete’s ability to move from zero to maximum speed within a short time. On the court, explosive strength is a fundamental attribute that separates good hoopers from the pros.

Why is explosiveness crucial in basketball? The thing with explosiveness is that it is manifested in most basic movements of the game, from jumping to cutting and sliding. Whether you are trying to create space against aggressive defenders, close distance or beat an opposing player off the dribble, explosiveness will give you a tremendous advantage over other players.

Multiple studies are suggesting that explosiveness is linked to muscular architecture and fiber composition. However, despite its genetic coefficient, explosive power can also be optimally developed and improved. As a trait mainly influenced by power output, explosiveness is generally best trained using resistance training, ballistic resistance training (performing movements, such as bench presses…