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Inače puno igrača je prihvatilo yogu
With the exception of Abdul-Jabbar, yoga largely has been ignored in basketball due to its stereotype of being for women or the spiritual. Katich is changing that, and when asked how yoga can help basketball players, he doesn't hesitate.
"Because of the running and the jumping, (basketball players) have a tendency to have tight glutes, and their IT bands--the muscle that runs on the sides from your knee up to your hip--that quad area can be tight," Katich said. "Basketball players also have a tendency to roll their ankles a lot. Repetitive spraining of the ankle starts to harden the muscle that's around the ankle.
"Getting these guys barefoot is an accomplishment, because they start having to work with these smaller muscles they never deal with because their ankles are always taped and they're wearing shoes. You're able to start to identify some of the deficiencies and imbalances that come with overload of certain workouts.
"Yoga has grown into another tool by which they can train."
Katich works with the Clippers throughout the season, tailoring yoga workouts to each individual player's needs. In addition, he spends his offseason working with NBA players around the country or in his Los Angeles-based studio.
Some, like All-Star Baron Davis, have dedicated a large part of their schedule to yoga. Davis and Katich work together almost every day.
Others, like Clippers rookie Blake Griffin, are using yoga as a way to get flexible and minimize injury risk.
"For me, flexibility is huge," Griffin said. "Staying loose and healthy and staying limber--you can tell a difference when your muscles are tight or when you're stretched out and completely relaxed."
While it's not quite there yet, Griffin sees yoga growing into a league-wide training tool.
"Slowly," Griffin said. "I wouldn't say completely, but a lot more guys are realizing the importance of flexibility."
Katich, a former college basketball player, has worked with about 25 percent of the NBA's current players, as well as past stars like Reggie Miller. And with the competition intense for NBA roster spots--and the nice paycheck that comes with it--players looking for an edge are starting to see yoga as an untapped resource for tuning up the body, preventing injuries and staying in the sport for a long time.
They can look to an NBA legend as evidence of yoga's worth--the one and only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
"I've heard from a lot of guys that flexibility is the key to longevity in this league," Griffin said. "For those guys who want to play a long time, I think it's important."
[uredio madmax17 - 20. prosinca 2013. u 14:29]