First of all, it protects the ball from the other team and allows your team to score.

Second of all, it allows you to get anywhere on the court you want to be.

And when you can be anywhere on the court because of your ball handling ability, you can cause the opposition all sorts of problems.

To be a good ball handler, you have to practice—that's the most important thing.

It's the easiest way to be successful and to be a good ball handler, it's to practice every day.

Ｗhen I was a kid I practiced for 15 minutes every day, no matter what, just do ball handling.

Start it off with little fingertip drills just to get your hands warmed up.

I dribble the ball with just my fingertips.

Sometimes I go to one finger, use all my different fingers, just to get warmed up.

And when you get warm, you can start doing figure eights.

This is important, to use both hands and dexterity, and as you get better, try not to look at the ball.

As you continue to develop your skills, and to get warmer, you can start just doing different drills, like moving the ball side to side and behind you, on the side of you, and in front of you.

Switching one hand, using both hands...

Just making sure you use both sides of your body so no matter where you are on the court, you can handle the ball and get to the spot you want to be, and also to protect the ball from your opponent.

That is why ball handling is important.

Once the ball starts to feel more comfortable in your hand, it's important to start working on your moves, or ways to avoid defenders and difficult situations.

One of the easiest moves and the most fundamental moves that's also the most successful is the crossover dribble.

The most important thing about making a crossover move is to be on balance.

If you're off balance, it's very difficult to keep the ball in your hand.

It's also very difficult to elude defenders.

So when you're on balance, you're always in a basketball position, where your back is straight, your waist is bent, your feet are shoulder-width apart.

And as you attack your defender, it's really important to change direction.

You just dribble at your man and you get him leaning one way, and you can cross over and you go the other way.

Another great way to beat a defender is to dribble behind your back.

The same principles apply: you have to be on balance and try to get the defender off balance.

As you get the defense...

Felicia thinks she can stop me, but she's been kind enough to allow me to get by her for these drills.

As you get the defender leaning one way, you're going to take the ball behind your back and change directions.

It's another really effective way, if you stay on balance, to keep the ball under control, beat the defender, and cause the defense all sorts of troubles.

It's important to practice the behind the back dribble.

As the ball gets more comfortable in your hand, you can just dribble up and down the court, throwing it behind your back.

The better you get, the less you can look at the basketball.

This gives you an advantage, as you can still see behind the defense, especially once you beat your defender.

... 66% from the field.

James Carter's percentage goes down as he misses. Nash behind the back.

It's important to be efficient and go in straight lines.

Ｗhen you go north and south, you really punish the defenders; you make them really work.

But if you go east and west or take banana routes toward the basket, it's really easy for the defense to recover.

Their first game against Puerto Rico a loss, 82-75.

They did do a good job taking shots, they normally take and making them—there's Steve Nash doing a nice job getting to the bucket.

Angie's going to help me demonstrate a few more ball-handling moves.

The same things apply with all ball-handling moves: to be on balance, have a change of pace and a change of direction

The next move I want to demonstrate is the between-the-legs dribble,

where again I want to get to the defender, Angie leaning in one direction and change direction by going between my legs

It's especially effective because your leg protects the ball from the defender.

So as I get Angie leaning in one direction, i'm going to...

dribble between my legs and change direction. Here, you try.

Very good! Angie, you're doing great!

I want you to help me demonstrate the spin move.

It's, again, important with the spin move to stay on balance.

It's another way to protect the ball with your body and change direction and pace, enabling yourself to get past the defender.

Let me demonstrate.

As I get Angie leaning in one direction, I'm gonna spin past her and keep my head up so that I can see the rest of the defense.

Ｎice! And she scored on me! How about that?

Remember, on the spin dribble, the first thing to turn... is your head.

You have to see the defense and be ready.

There's one more move I want you to help me demonstrate, and that's the in and out dribble.

It's like a fake crossover—as you cross the ball over, you bring it back with the same hand,

and change pace and change speed to get past the defender.

Let me demonstrate.

As I pretend to cross over on Angie, I bring the ball back in the same direction.

Very good. And scored on me again. Thanks a lot!

It's really important to keep your head up so that after you beat your defender, you see what the rest of the defense is offering you.

Angie, you've been killing me! You've been so good I'm going to have to ask you to take a seat. Sorry about that.

Let's get Dermaine out here. Come on, Dermaine, let's see what you can do.

Ready? OK, let's go over the moves again.

Follow me, I want to see what you got, OK?

Ｗe're gonna work on the crossover—between the legs, behind the back.

It's important to all these moves to remember to stay on balance.

Ｗhen you're on balance you have less chance of giving up the basketball.

You want to get the defender leaning in one direction, and change pace and direction the opposite way.

OK, between the legs.

Same thing, but this time, we're gonna go between our legs, to use our leg to protect the ball from the defender.

I hear those sneakers squeaking, sounds good.

Ok, the last one, behind the back.

Same thing, but now we're going to protect the basketball with our body; we're gonna change direction and pace once again

You're not giving me any breathing room; I like that. Thanks a lot!

I see kids all the time playing basketball putting the ball on the floor with nowhere to go;

they just catch it and put it on the floor and they haven't gone anywhere.

It's really important not to waste your dribble.

Use your dribble to get to the basket or to create a shot for your teammates.

It's important when you take it in, too, when the defender cuts you off, not to pick up your dribble.

A lot of people pick it up and get themselves in trouble.

When I take it in and someone cuts me off, I want to take it in, keep my balance, take it back out, protect my ball so I can get my teammates a shot.