The Ultimate Finishing Drill

In less than 5 minutes a day you can greatly improve a part of your game.

The Mikan Drill is a basketball drill commonly credited to George Mikan and Ray Meyer. It is designed to help basketball centers and forwards develop rhythm, timing for rebounding, and scoring in the paint. It is also used for outside players to better their layup skills and increase stamina, for longer games.

The drill is practiced as follows: From under the basket, make a layup with the right hand, rebound the ball under the net with the left hand and make a layup with the left hand. Rebound with the right hand and layup with the right hand. Continue to repeat this, alternating hands. Eventually the player should learn how to quickly grab the ball and take a shot while taking their two steps. The ball should always be kept high and the pace should be fast. It is best to practice in at least one minute intervals and count your baskets and attempts.

Virtually every great forward and center since Mikan has practiced this drill. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar describes how he taught it to kids he coached in his book A Season on the Reservation. Shaquille O’Neal, who admired Mikan so much that he offered to pay for his funeral expenses, learned the drill from his coach Dale Brown, when O’Neal played college basketball at LSU. The drill is more or less a standard practice procedure for all basketball “big men” and very useful for players of all sizes and positions. 

Learn the drill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Um2k6tmL1U

Advanced Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycNqi-VTL5Q

Who is Mikan?

George Lawrence Mikan, Jr. (June 18, 1924 – June 1, 2005), nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League(NBL) and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Invariably playing with thick, round spectacles, the 6 ft 10 in 245 lb. Mikan is seen as one of the pioneers of professional basketball, redefining it as a game of so-called big men with his prolific rebounding, shot blocking and his talent to shoot over smaller defenders with his ambidextrous hook shot, result of his own Mikan Drill.

Mikan had a successful player career, winning seven NBL, BAA, and NBA championships, an All-Star MVP trophy, and three scoring titles. He was a member of the first four NBA All-Star games, and the first six All-BAA and All-NBA Teams. Mikan was so dominant that he caused several rule changes in the NBA, among them widening the foul lane—known as the “Mikan Rule”—and introducing the shot clock.

-Coach Dave