• Loading stock data...
Monday, December 2, 2024

Larry Hughes Pushing To Standardize Youth Basketball Skills Development

  • Following a career that included LeBron James and Michael Jordan as teammates, Hughes understands importance of skill development.
  • Along with his Larry Hughes Basketball Academy in St. Louis, he also has the backend Basketball Training Systems.
larry_hughes_playing_basketball
Photo Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Larry Hughes Big 3
Photo Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Many athletes use their sport as a platform into other non-sports business ventures, but former NBA guard Larry Hughes is using his post-playing career to transform basketball training.

In April, Hughes, who retired in 2012 following a 13-year career, opened the Larry Hughes Basketball Academy in his hometown of St. Louis after four years of running a remote training company. Along with the academy is a Hughes-co-founded venture, Basketball Training Systems, a full-service platform to support youth basketball programs.

While basketball was an obvious choice for a career, it wasn’t where his thoughts initially pointed.

“I don’t know that there was a definitive point of where I was headed[after the NBA],” Hughes said. “I just knew I had a good business understanding and that I’d live much longer after I was done playing. I’d always focused on the people and community around me.  

“I was just interested in what was next and let things happen.”

The basketball business ventures came after four years of running ROC House Women’s Fitness Spa, an Atlanta-based wellness company geared toward empowering women to have a space of their own, he said. His involvement in Rackhouse was fueled by his wife and daughters and the desire for them to have their own holistic space.

Hughes, however, wanted to get back into basketball, spurred by his involvement in youth basketball and watching how games were being played at the youth and high school levels. He started to think about how he could get the players to feel more successful, as he helped in practices and worked on skill development.

As part of his skills development training, he felt it was important to incorporate things he learned playing with some of the game’s greatest ever – like Michael Jordan when he was with the Washington Wizards and LeBron James when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“When I played growing up, we didn’t have the amount of skill development as we do today,” Hughes said. “I saw this as an opportunity to, after all the years of being around different players, to look at what were the most important, foundational things to learn. So I built the organization and curriculum-based program.”

As Hughes’ basketball training business got off the ground, there was always an issue of facilities – schools are quick to bump out sports for other events. He always had the vision of owning a multi-court facility. He was able to secure a two-court building, which opened in April. The new Larry Hughes Basketball Academy allows for greater technology integration into the sessions.

The academy has incorporated both RSPCT and Kinexon technology. RSPCT uses optical sensors on the backboard to track shots, makes and misses, arc, angle, and point of entry, while Kinexon measures athletes’ speed, jumps, positioning, and other stats.

Currently, there are approximately 300 K-8th-aged participants and another 200 players participating on the team-play side.

“Using technology has been huge for us, and when we were at multiple gyms we weren’t able to do that,” he said. “It’s an understanding, awareness, and validation. You never get away from the human element of training, but the kids want to understand the whys, and with the help of technology you can explain those whys better.”

READ MORE: James Harden Acquiring Minority Stake In Houston Dynamo, Dash

While the Larry Hughes Basketball Academy is based in St. Louis, Hughes has hopes of scaling the methodology through Basketball Training Systems, the platform he co-founded with Richard Campbell and the New Amsterdam Group. The platform provides human resources support to on-the-court programs.

BTS is currently used at several other high-profile academies, including Chris Paul’s CP3 Academy and Bobby Jackson’s Bobby Jackson Academy. Included in the platform is also a not-for-profit arm that takes charitable donations to help support members who can’t pay academy dues and elite-level team travel costs.

“The focus is using technology to help build players on and off the court,” Hughes said. “We want to help standardize basketball development.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

U.S. Investors Are Gunning for England’s Small Soccer Clubs

Is another Hollywood-like success story possible among the U.K.’s smallest clubs?
Nov 1, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) leads the team onto the field prior to the first quarter against the San Diego State Aztecs at Albertsons Stadium.

Schools Are Scrambling to Prepare for the NCAA Revenue-Sharing Era

In the post–House v. NCAA world, “everyone’s kind of on their own.”
Bluesky and Twitter

Why Bluesky Is Not a Serious Threat to Sports Twitter

Bluesky recently hit 23 million total users. That doesn’t touch X/Twitter.
May 1, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; From left: TNT analysts Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford, play-by-play announcer Kevin Harland and reporter Allie LaForce during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena.

WBD Target of Investor Lawsuit Over Loss of NBA Rights

WBD sued the NBA in July after failing to retain broadcast rights.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Happy Thanksgiving From FOS Today

0:00

Featured Today

Nov 4, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Recording artist Taylor Swift arrives prior to a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

The PWHL Could Be Inviting a Date With Taylor Swift’s Legal Team

The Toronto Sceptres may have opened a Pandora’s box of trademark issues.
November 23, 2024

Can an Elite Women’s Soccer School Survive the New College Sports Moneyball?

Santa Clara faces an uphill battle in the new college sports landscape.
Nov 16, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman (2) celebrates after defeating NJ/NY Gotham FC in a 2024 NWSL Playoffs semifinal match at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit:
November 22, 2024

The Washington Spirit’s Business Makeover Carried Them to the Finals

The team’s return to the NWSL championship looks a lot different from 2021.
Nov 18, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Williams Racing driver Logan Sargeant of the United States (2) during the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
November 21, 2024

F1 Grand Prix Upended Vegas Last Year. Stakes Are High for Its..

Stakes are high as F1 gears up for a successful second act.
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum (10) drives past New York Liberty forwards Kayla Thornton (5) and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (44) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center.

Kelsey Plum Backs Out of Unrivaled

She’s skipping the new league’s season, along with Caitlin Clark.
Juan Soto
November 26, 2024

Juan Soto Leads MLB’s Offseason Frenzy, Chasing $600M Deal

Soto reportedly has already received contract offers from five teams.
Conor McGregor speaks to press on the red carpet before the premiere of Road House at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas on the first day of South by Southwest, Friday, March 8, 2024. McGregor plays the character "Knox" in the movie.
November 26, 2024

Two Big Brands Drop Conor McGregor After Rape Civil Verdict

McGregor’s whisky brand won’t feature him going forward.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
November 25, 2024

Mo Salah–Liverpool Saga Puts Saudi Arabia Back in Soccer Spotlight

The striker’s upset he hasn’t received an offer for a contract extension.
November 24, 2024

Max Verstappen Wins Fourth Straight F1 Title Despite Red Bull’s Down Year

The driver clinched another championship at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Despondent Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.
November 22, 2024

Giants Cut Daniel Jones Days After $23 Million Benching 

The Jones era in New Jersey is over.
Michele Kang
November 20, 2024

The Wealthy Booster Spending Millions to Turn U.S. Soccer European

Michele Kang says NWSL expansion requires more coaches and refs.