A few summers ago I was working with Kobe Bryant, teaching a group of players about the game and about working out. Part of the session was “how to watch film on yourself and your opponent.” During the session Kobe brought up the process he goes through during a game with respect to how the defender is guarding him.

Kobe told the players that he “logs the action,” that is, he keeps a close mental log of what his defender is doing on the different sets the Lakers run and the different cuts he makes. He said if you are counted on to score, that also means the opponent’s defensive focus will be on limiting your production. He said it’s important that players know the opponent’s mindset even before the opening tip.

Once players understand this concept of the opponent’s preparation, they then need to pay close attention to the opponent’s game plan, as that will give them their game plan for the night. The only way to accomplish this is to focus on how the opponents are defending you. Kobe keeps track of this early in the game and may not take advantage of it until later in the game.

Kobe watches a lot of film of how different teams and players defend him. He prepares as much as he can before the game then makes adjustments during the game based on his log. What players need to understand is that Kobe’s preparation is a never-ending process. The great ones — like Kobe — think the game and understand it’s not just the coach that has to prepare for an opponent and make adjustments during the game.

Where “logging the action” most notably comes into play is with your scorers, post men and best players. They are the ones who have to make the most adjustments during the game. They are also the ones that need to put in the extra preparation knowing that the opponent is spending their time scheming to stop them.

In my next post I will discuss the importance of the point guard position and how it relates to “logging the game”. After that, I will discuss the importance of film watching to other aspects of Kobe’s game based on the things he said during the film sessions with the players.