ESPN’s Richard Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins and 14-year veteran Channing Frye lamented the how American kids were being taught to play, the volume of AAU games without structured junior practices and broken training systems was leaving the US behind their international competitors.<\/p>\n
“Overseas, they teach you how to move without the ball,” Jefferson said on the Road Trippin’ Show<\/a>. <\/p>\n “I watch (our) kids work out \u2014 they dribble the entire time. Then they get in games and don\u2019t know spacing, don\u2019t know how to sprint the floor, don\u2019t know how to set a screen.<\/p>\n “Basketball is being taught so wrong in America.<\/p>\n “It is an American sport that we started. Doctor James Naismith<\/a> \u2014 I said it since I was in college \u2014 thank God for Doctor Naismith. <\/p>\n “All of us have these jobs, all of us have this money, and it has changed our lives. Thank God for him. But the rest of the world is playing the game, and they are playing the game from a how-do-we-teach-the-game standpoint. How do we give people the proper skill level, right?<\/p>\n “If you think about Brazilians in soccer, you think about the French, the way they teach, the way they teach football. Why America is behind the skill level of their youth before they even get to eight, 10, 12 \u2014 that\u2019s why the greatest soccer players come from Brazil, from France, from England. The way they train is different than the way we train over here.”<\/p>\n Perkins was equally critical.<\/p>\n “I agree one thousand percent,” he said.<\/p>\n “It\u2019s not even about the athletes. People say, ‘Well, if LeBron James<\/a> played soccer\u2026’ No, that\u2019s not what this is. It\u2019s the way they train, and that\u2019s why they consistently do it. It\u2019s not just that it\u2019s a popular sport.”<\/p>\n An extraordinary more than 160 Australians are playing in women’s and men’s NCAA Division 1 basketball this season<\/a>. It’s no coincidence Australians are heavily recruited by American colleges given how they are developed from a young age.<\/p>\n WNBA\u00a0veteran Rebecca Allen<\/a> told basketball.com.au<\/a> that Australians are highly sought after because of the way they play.<\/p>\n “We\u2019re valued for grit, work ethic, and being good people in the locker room,” she said.<\/p>\n “We\u2019re seen as role players who put the team first. That goes back to pioneers like (Michele)\u00a0Timms<\/a>, Penny Taylor<\/a>, and Lauren Jackson<\/a>. They paved the way, and we all carry that legacy.”<\/p>\n Australia is one of the most dominant basketball nations in per capit<\/a>a with more than 20 Australians competing in the NBA\u00a0and WNBA.<\/p>\n The four best players in the NBA\u00a0right now aren’t American: Serbian Nikola Joki\u0107; Slovenian Luka Don\u010di\u0107; reigning MVP Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; and Greek-Nigerian Giannis Antetokounmpo will all be All-NBA First Team Members in 2025-26.<\/p>\n The last American to win the MVP\u00a0was James Harden<\/a> in 2017-2018. <\/p>\n The best perimeter defender in the league<\/a>, voted by NBA\u00a0GMs is the NBA reigning most improved player<\/a>, Australian Dyson Daniels<\/a>.<\/p>\n Former NBA\u00a0star Penny Hardaway, who is now the NCAA Division 1 coach at Memphis, said: “Over the years, to me, it\u2019s just getting worse and worse. <\/p>\n “Not in a bad way. But for me to watch, because I\u2019m in college, I see the fundamentals and playing team ball. And just shooting all the threes now is just a little irritating to me to just watch an NBA game. No one shoots layups anymore. It\u2019s fun to watch for fans. But for guys that were pure in the game, it\u2019s a little difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n Jefferson said the development programs for American kids just isn’t the same as in Europe or Australia.<\/p>\n “The way we train here in America \u2014 on top of that you add in the capitalism aspect, from NIL to the colleges \u2014 and you can only work out with your coaches three hours, or two hours a day,” he said.<\/p>\n “That\u2019s the max. They cap this.”<\/p>\n Perkins responded: “Meanwhile, other countries have kids in academies at 15 years old practicing twice a day every day. <\/p>\n “If you go play in Europe, you practice twice a day every single day except for game days. Twice a day, and you only play one time a week.<\/p>\n “We, on the other hand, think AAU basketball is five games on a Saturday and six games on a Sunday.”<\/p>\n Jefferson believes the kids of former NBA\u00a0players are excelling in the NBA because their fathers have recognised the deficiencies in America’s junior basketball development pathways. A prime example is former NBL\u00a0star Rick Brunson drilling son Jalen into becoming an elite point guard for the New York Knicks.<\/p>\n The world’s greatest shooter of all-time Stephen Curry <\/a>is the son for former NBA marksman Dell Curry, former NBA star Carlos Boozer’s son Cameron<\/a> is already a standout freshman at Duke University and say what you will about Bronny James and his father LeBron, Bronny is fundamentally sound.<\/p>\n “Why do you think so many NBA players\u2019 sons are making it?” he asked.<\/p>\n “And you\u2019re seeing more and more of that because NBA players are looking at the way basketball is being taught and they\u2019re like, \u201c{Expletive} that.\u201d No.<\/p>\n “How many players do you see whose parents played the game? It doesn\u2019t even have to be Division I. It doesn\u2019t even have to be professional. It\u2019s because they\u2019re seeing how this is being taught, and they recognise quickly, like, ‘no’ \u2014 we have experience in this. We know how this needs to be taught.<\/p>\n “So those kids get this double advantage. I know how to train you. I know how to teach you the game. Because what you\u2019re being taught at the AAU level is not it.<\/p>\n “That\u2019s why they say the worst parents at kids\u2019 sports are the ones that never played sports. The ones who played Division I, Division II, any level \u2014 those parents are usually the calmest, the most chill. <\/p>\n “But those parents who played know how to teach the proper steps versus, ‘I want my kid shooting threes at eight years old’, with crazy form.<\/p>\n “I told Little Rich (his son), do not shoot threes. I don\u2019t care if you\u2019re at the park with your friends \u2014 do not shoot threes. <\/p>\n “Now he\u2019s 10, and now he can shoot threes, and his form looks proper.<\/p>\n “And now I can tell his younger brother, who\u2019s eight, ‘Do you see how your brother wasn\u2019t shooting threes at eight?’ You\u2019re not strong enough. You shouldn\u2019t be doing that.<\/p>\n “There\u2019s a proper progression. Smaller basketballs, bigger ones as you get older, so kids aren\u2019t launching the ball just to reach the rim.<\/p>\n “So much is lost in, ‘We\u2019re gonna do dribbling drills and teach full-court press at nine years old’. I took my kids out of that once I saw they spent an hour of practice full-court pressing and learning how to break a press \u2014 something that\u2019s irrelevant by the time you’re 14.<\/p>\n “Why are you spending time doing that? So you can say you went 42\u20139 last summer? It\u2019s {expletive} insane. It\u2019s the worst part of basketball I\u2019ve ever seen in my life. <\/p>\n “It\u2019s disgusting.”<\/p>\n The reality Basketball US now faces is: The world is catching up in both men’s and women’s basketball with only Curry’s heroics at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, saving the now 17-time gold medallists from a historic defeat<\/a>. The US women’s team escaped with gold by a solitary point 67-66 against host nation France while the men’s team held off France 98-87.<\/p>\n Basketball USA\u00a0has a challenge now. The world is catching and the infrastructure to develop the next generation of American basketballers is broken. <\/p>\n “Three things I try to tell parents,” Jefferson said.<\/p>\n “We talk to NBA head coaches, assistants, GMs, college coaches, high school coaches \u2014 everybody. The NBA timeline is simple: get as good as you can every single day.<\/p>\n “But now parents pay for trainers, and trainers promise Division I. Then the kid doesn\u2019t grow, or develops late, makes JV as a freshman and sophomore, and mentally thinks, ‘I failed’.<\/p>\n “Development isn\u2019t where you are \u2014 it\u2019s how you approach every day.<\/p>\n “We\u2019re at eighth-grade tournaments and parents think coaches are watching. College coaches don\u2019t have the budget to recruit eighth graders. Unless you\u2019re top 50, maybe top 75, nobody\u2019s coming. No one cares in eighth grade. Or ninth. Or tenth.<\/p>\n “Be patient with your kids. Teach them the complete game.<\/p>\n “Overseas, they teach you how to move without the ball. I watch these kids work out \u2014 they dribble the entire time. Then they get in games and don\u2019t know spacing, don\u2019t know how to sprint the floor, don\u2019t know how to set a screen.<\/p>\n “You know what\u2019s the best thing right now? Three-on-three. It\u2019s the best basketball. Everyone learns to pass. Three-on-three everywhere.<\/p>\n “I did NBA Jam in Phoenix in \u201994 \u2014 All-Star Weekend<\/a> \u2014 three-on-three in the convention centre. Everybody played.<\/p>\n “Three-on-three teaches you to move without the ball. Pass and cut. We used to make up our own plays. Give-and-go.<\/p>\n “Basketball is being taught so wrong in America.<\/p>\n “One dad asked me how I stay so calm at (his kids’)\u00a0games. Because nobody\u2019s losing a job. Nobody\u2019s gaining a scholarship. Nobody\u2019s here watching except the parents.<\/p>\n “The only thing I ask my son after the game is, ‘did you have fun?’ I don\u2019t care if you won. ‘Did you have fun?’<\/p>\n “That\u2019s it.”<\/p>\n What is AAU Basketball<\/a><\/p>\n The Amateur Athletic Union<\/a> (AAU)\u00a0is a non-profit organisation founded in 1888 to promote amateur sports. Over time, \u201cAAU basketball\u201d has become shorthand for club-based, travel basketball played outside the school system.<\/p>\n How AAU Basketball WorksClub teams, not schools \u2013 Players join independent clubs, often by try-out or invitation.Spring\u2013summer season \u2013 Typically runs March to August, alongside or after school basketball.Tournament-heavy \u2013 Teams play multiple games in a weekend, often across state lines.Age-group based \u2013 Usually U10 through U17.Pay-to-play \u2013 Families often cover fees for coaching, travel, uniforms, and tournaments.Why It Became So Influential<\/p>\n AAU exploded in prominence from the 1990s onward because it:<\/p>\n Became the primary scouting pathway for NCAA coaches.Offered national exposure through major circuits (Nike EYBL, Adidas 3SSB, Under Armour).Allowed elite players to compete against top peers year-round.<\/p>\n Many NBA players came through AAU, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant<\/a>, Stephen Curry, and Kobe Bryant<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Main Criticisms (and why it\u2019s debated now)<\/p>\n AAU is increasingly criticised \u2014 including by former NBA players and coaches \u2014 for:<\/p>\n Over-emphasis on games over development: Limited practice time; lots of games.Early specialisation & burnout: Kids playing year-round with little rest.Individual exposure rather than team concepts: Isolation play, highlight culture.Inconsistent coaching standards: Anyone can start a club; quality varies widely.<\/p>\n This is often contrasted with Australian development models, which emphasise:<\/p>\n Daily skill workTeaching spacing, decision-making, and fundamentalsFewer games, more training<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former NBA players warn AAU culture and flawed coaching are leaving American youth basketball behind Three former NBA\u00a0players,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":352681,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,590,85],"class_list":["post-352680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=352680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352680\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/352681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=352680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=352680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=352680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6941d95e8d01929d6a4e715b_Panel.jpg\")
Richard Jefferson (bottom left); Kendric Perkins (bottom right) and Channing Frye (top right) talk about the decline of fundamental basketball. Photo: YouTube.com<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6941daa451d6c67bc387286c_GettyImages-2251785125.jpg\")
Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks shoots between Jonathan Isaac #1 of the Orlando Magic and Anthony Black #0 of the Orlando Magic in the first quarter of a semifinal game of the Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena on December 14, 2025 (AEDT)\u00a0in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: Getty Images.<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6941dafa3c9eb1b10c97bafa_GettyImages-2166235222.jpg\")
Stephen Curry #4 of Team United States reacts after a three point basket during the Men’s Gold Medal game between Team France and Team United States on day fifteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 11, 2024 (AEDT)\u00a0in Paris, France. Photo: Jamie Squire\/Getty Images<\/p>\n