Giannis Antetokounmpo devised the most brutal training method to improve his free throw shooting, and it involved his family!
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The Greek Freak is known for his work ethic. Throughout his time in the NBA, he has constantly strived to improve his game and add weapons to his arsenal.
He has also worked to rid of any chinks in his armor throughout his career. Over the last few years, perhaps the biggest flaw in his game is his free throw shooting.
Giannis’ shooting is nothing spectacular by any means. He is not a shooter and he knows this, yet free throws are a crucial part of the game.
Critics have often pinpointed his bad shooting as a cause of losing games. So, what does he do? He devises an almost archaic training method, of course!
Still cant believe Giannis was making his girlfriend run suicides every time he missed a free throw in practice, what a sick individual
— Hoops Reference (@HoopsReference) January 22, 2021
Giannis Antetokounmpo makes his girlfriend carry his son and run if he missed free throws!
To improve his free throw shooting, in the middle of his workout sessions, he would go to the charity stripe twice. If he missed a free throw, his girlfriend, Mariah Riddlesprigger would have to run ‘suicides’* carrying their son Liam!
Talk about a ridiculously bizarre and cruel way to improve your game! We don’t think Kobe himself would have done something so grueling!
But, the reason why Giannis did this is very different from what you might be thinking. To the Greek Freak, watching his girlfriend carry their son was painful and it gave him the motivation to make his shots.
We think it may have paid off because when it mattered the most, he shot 17/19 from the stripe in game 6 of the NBA finals and led his team to a championship.
*What are suicides in Basketball?
For the uninitiated, suicides are drills utilized by basketball coaches to improve the conditioning of players. They require sprinting at full speed along with a quick change of direction while pivoting at each checkpoint.
