3-Ball in the Corner Pocket: Ex-Bull Craig Hodges Teaches Basketball Fundamentals at Rich Central

Craig Hodges loves to shoot the ball.

He also loves to come back to his old stomping grounds to teach others what he knows.

The former Rich East standout and NBA player was in town on Wednesday at Rich Central High School to conduct a coaching clinic.

“When Craig found out that I became head coach, he wanted to come and do something like this,” new Rich Central boys' basketball coach Bobby Smith said.

Hodges came to offer a crash course in the infamous Tex Winter triangle offense that helped lead NBA teams to world championships, including his former team, the Bulls.

“He wanted to show the offense, spacing on the floor, and how to work kids out to get the maximum potential out of them," Smith said. "I told him that would be awesome.”

Hodges grew up in Chicago Heights and attended Rich East High School in Park Forest in the late '80s.

“I look at it as giving back,” he said.  “Being at home, doing what you are supposed to do and being an elder in the community.”

Hodges won three consecutive 3-point shooting contests from 1990-1992 and still holds two contest records--most 3-point shots made in a row (19) and most points scored in a single round with (25).

He was a member of the 1991 and '92 Bulls teams that won NBA championships.

“Having been through some 'quote, unquote' success and also some not so grand times, I want to teach lessons that I have learned in the past that could help others,” Hodges said.

Hodges: Don't Neglect Lower Body

Hodges credits his grandfather and uncle for getting him involved in basketball.

“My whole family is involved in teaching basketball,” Hodges said.  “We want to enhance athletics, making sure children understand the influence of being a student-athlete.”

Hodges sees a lot of the same mistakes shooters make when trying to make baskets.

“A lot of shooters try to do whatever they can to get the shot up at the basket,” Hodges said. “So, a lot of times people shoot the ball from their hip or behind their head, whatever they can do to get the ball to the basket.

“That shot may have gone in (once), so they think that is their shot and now their form is all messed up and really spotty.”

Hodges said there are three parts to being a successful shooter.

“Foundation, form and follow-through,” he said.  “A lot of people focus on the upper body, but it is more important to focus on your legs and work bottom to top.”

Hodges has an easier time teaching girls than he does boys.

“Girls listen the best,” he said.  “I think it is a bit natural that girls have more respect. Where guys are sizing you up, the girls are just trying to get better.”

One such player that quickly has improved her shot is former Marian Catholic star and current Roosevelt University women's basketball player Casey Davis.

After just one week, Davis could see the impact Hodges had on her shot.

“I am so much tougher mentally,” Davis said.  “It has been a great experience and helped my confidence.”

Hodges also stresses repetition.

“Do the same thing over and over,” he said. “It is similar to a golfer when they say they want to try to make the swing as simple as possible.”

Hodges' Advice: Stay Positive

As is the case with most sports, your mental state factors in when attempting to shoot a basketball.

“I say 99 percent of shooting is mental,” Hodges said.  “I like to say, 'Keep making it and not keep shooting.' What is the use of shooting if you are not going to make it?

“Don’t just throw the ball at something. Put the ball on the point so that it has no choice but to go into the basket.”

Hodges spent last season as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers where he was their shooting coach. He had what he called the perfect job.

He didn’t have to travel with the team, rather he would attend practice and home games whenever players needed him.

“It is a cool job," Hodges said. "I am in the purist form of the game. I help people with their weaknesses, as opposed to being in discussion about who they're bringing in or who they are cutting.”

Hodges doesn’t go over film with players. Rather, he goes over what he sees at a game or what he sees on television.

“The difference between golf and basketball is you can talk to a golfer in the middle of a tournament,” he said. “In basketball, you can’t talk to them in the middle of the game because you are basically going to tear their head up.

“This is a reaction game, and you have to react to your surroundings. You can't think about it.”

Hodges said he is asked about once a week to recall the time he hit 19 3-pointers in a row in the All-Star Game contest.

“The biggest part about that was it was a chance to impact the game and do something individually within game that excited a lot of people and brought a lot of excitement to my family," he said.

Hodges still feels he could compete with today’s players and even went so far to say he could repeat his performances in the early '90s. One person who supports that claim is Smith.

“I saw him shooting in here yesterday, and he took about 50 shots and missed just two of them,” Smith said.

He said it's all in his technique. The way Hodges shoots the ball, it has no choice but to go in the basket.

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