Every NBA season, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr reads the same book, “The Inner Game of Tennis.” Written by Timothy Galloway, the book looks at the mental side of sports and the relationship between mind and body. Kerr’s mentor, Chip England, gave it to read back when Kerr was playing for the Bulls, and now, the five-time NBA champion (and four-time title-winning coach) brings about 10 copies with him whenever he’s traveling so he can give them to his players.
“In tennis you can tell who controls the point with the depth of the players,” Kerr Tell The media again in 2022. “If you’re pressing (in basketball) and getting them to start their offense well above the three-point line, you’re in possession control.”
As someone who started playing tennis about 10 years ago, and still loves the game today, I am very familiar with its ins and outs. But when I had the opportunity to practice SLAM in New York City, I was completely introduced to the world of basketball. After researching different players, watching highlights, and helping organize older versions of SLAM, I began to think more about what the two sports could learn from each other.
Let’s get real, professional hoops are just as in other sports as basketball, whether it’s golf or even tennis. Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward used to play tennis as a kid and once said that if basketball didn’t work out, he would have tried professional tennis. He still credits playing tennis for most of his mental game and says he still enjoys playing at home in his spare time.
Meanwhile, tennis players like Frances Tiafoe also have a love for the game. Tiafoe even played in the 2023 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game this year.
The two games have a lot in common – from popularity to the fact that both basketball and tennis are universal sports. But there is also a lot they can learn from each other.
SLAM Allow me to have some fun during the training period and think creatively about what it might look like.
Give tennis fans more freedom in matches to make the experience more enjoyable
When you’re in a game of tennis, the rules are pretty strict. If a stadium attendant sees you standing, he will immediately run over to tell you to take your seat. If the referee has heard too much talking before a point, he will make an announcement to be quieter. When these kinds of things happen while you’re trying to enjoy a match, it can make you feel annoyed and not want to be there instead of enhancing your live sports experience. In this case, tennis can look to the NBA and see how the players fuel the energy of the crowd. Why do you think teams have a home advantage? If the world of tennis eased up a bit and let the crowd go as crazy as they please, the spectator’s experience would be on a different level. It might even encourage more people to attend.
What if tennis had two-way contracts and a G-league?
Two-way communication has been massive for the NBA and its players. By giving athletes the chance to jump between two clubs, it gives them the chance to adapt to pro ball rather than just getting stuck and expecting to produce from day one. Tennis should try a concept like this, especially since it can be challenging. For an up-and-coming player to break through while playing against the best. Without high ratings, they end up playing the top seed and losing outright.
If there is some kind of league for rookies where they can play before, or even some kind of two-way contract, that might be more beneficial to a player’s career.
Tennis needs a specific season and tournament
Without a season defined like the NBA, tennis “season” starts to feel endless. There’s a new tournament every two weeks or so, and at the end of November they get about five weeks off before it starts all over again. While the NBA is now a year-round game in terms of coverage, there is an ebb and flow to the season with the playoffs being the most exciting time to wrap up a season.
Perhaps tennis should look at the PGA in terms of a playoff and tournament model outside the majors to add to the storytelling and drama of the title fight each year.
The National Basketball Association could benefit from installing a Hawk-Eye computer vision system to make calls
In the past few years, the game of tennis has installed a camera system that makes all calls accurate. You changed the game. If Basketball were to install this type of technology, it would not only save time but also any confusion/doubt on certain calls. Whether it is because of the fouls or whoever made them is out of bounds, this can be very beneficial for the referees.
Tennis should have an All-Star weekend
NBA All-Star Weekend is when the league’s best players gather and compete in games and skill competitions. Tennis is in desperate need of something like this, and it would certainly attract some much needed attention to the sport’s rising stars. From skills competition to legends playing doubles (or pickleball as we just saw in Florida), enjoying the game and putting individual competition aside for the weekend will help move the sport forward.
Basketball should have more overlaps between men’s and women’s events
In all tennis tournaments, the men’s and women’s draws take place at the same time. This means that the game’s biggest stars, regardless of gender, are all in one place. Tennis is capable of integrating men’s, women’s, doubles, juniors and even wheelchairs into the same tournament. So why don’t we see that in basketball? Could the NBA season overlap with the WNBA season and have more crossover events? We’ve seen it quite a bit during NBA All-Star Weekend over the years, but in an exhibition versus competitive format.
Tennis stars need to engage the fans more
NBA players like Jayson Tatum will hit a crazy shot or put up a great play and then interact with the crowd. The audience lives for it, and that feeling between the players and the fans makes the game even more exciting. Tennis doesn’t have that much because players tend to stay locked in (sure, they might scream for a second after winning a big point, but that’s a whole different story). It’s no surprise that Nick Kyrgios’ matches sell more tickets than any major player, and it’s time for the rest of the tour to harness that same energy.
Let the tennis fans cheer and scream during the points
Imagine a silent NBA game. Not the same thing, is it? In tennis, you can hear the pin drop all over the court while a point is being played, and fans are instantly silenced if they start screaming during points. While silence can sometimes make the point more acute, it’s time to let the fans get more involved in the game.
Let tennis fans walk back to their seats at any point during a match
Tennis only allows people to walk to their seats at the change-up, and it’s every single-digit game. If you run to the bathroom or go for a drink and come back when you restart, you might be waiting to get in for more than 10 minutes (and no one really wants to do that). While you may have to wait a second if you’re sitting courtside at an NBA game, you can walk to your seats at any moment, encouraging fans to feel like every game is a real experience.
Find ways to get the next generation of tennis fans more involved
How do we make tennis more exciting and make the next generation love the sport just like everyone else? Let’s look at the NBA. By marketing high profile matches and following the game’s biggest stars from high school to college to the league, players build a fan base before they step onto the NBA court. By uniting youth tennis and telling the most consistent stories, hype will match the talent by the time they hit the center court in their first major.
Images via Getty Images.