As a kid playing sports, it was always a dream of mines to one day play in the NBA for the New York Knicks. As I grew older, and not much taller, chances became slim that I would ever reach that level despite me being very talented in the sport. Now at 21 I play basketball for leisure exercise, however I would consider myself pretty knowledgeable on what it takes to become that top tier player. Injuries played a large factor for me, however I now feel that I have the 5 tips that will help nearly any basketball player from grade school to high school become a professional athlete.

1. It's not about how many hours you put in; it's about what you put into those hours.

Training is like dress rehearsal for a show; If you don't do it in practice in the game it ain't happenin'. Work on all areas of your game and be sure to be in the best physical shape as well. Things such as agility, stamina, and flexibility can all be heavily affected by weight. Don't spend meaningless hours at gym "going through the motions". Have a workout plan and follow it religiously. Two hours of hard training is better than four hours of being nonchalant at the gym. Run drills with a buddy and when you get to a certain age get a trainer that knows the best ways to effectively utilize your time in the gym.

2. Eat Healthy.

It may not seem important to worry much about diet when you're young, because your body burns off most of the extra fat and most players feel like they are in great shape. Treat your body like a car and give it the best fuel when possible. Obviously, as a kid no one's expecting you to eat healthy all day every day, however be sure to get good nutrients in the body. Before and after workouts are probably the most vital times for you to treat your body good. Some relatively inexpensive foods that I would eat often to build muscle and for good nutrients are peanut butter/jelly sandwiches, eggs, crackers, yogurt, and rice. The vegetables you'll get at school/home hopefully and of course be sure to drink lots of water.

3.Get the fundamentals down.

Too often I walk into the YMCA or LA Fitness and see guys tossing shots from half court (Thanks Steph Curry). Other days I'll see guys that want to dribble too much trying to emulate that epic crossover they saw on television (Thanks Iverson). All players should be able to dribble comfortably with both hands, lay the ball up with both hands, have a shooting technique, and have some form of court vision/awareness. Having the ability to properly run basic plays is also a must and defense is key. Defense is just as important if not more important than scoring. If you notice, most of the top NBA guys are solid two-way players and you should be too. Offense sells tickets, defense wins games.

4. Develop Mental Toughness

Basketball is a game where trash talking seems to begin virtually immediately. Players will try to get into your head on the court and there will be fouls and illegal tactics done to you that the referee may not always see. Being mentally tough means dealing with these issues and not letting it affect your game. Michael Jordan, the greatest NBA player of all-time, was notorious for becoming a better player when heckled or taunted on the court. Use insults and other tactics as motivation to win and don't be afraid to be physical in your game. A player that's mentally tough will have a long career, because they can always get a player that's just talented off their game and can't be shaken.

5. Believe that you can do it.

Too many players fall short of the ultimate prize because they stop believing in themselves. If your family doesn't support your dream find someone who does and don't give up. You have to visualize yourself being drafted and shaking the commissioner's hand. There should never be a doubt in your mind that you can't make it and if there is you should proceed to work harder. Remember, being a pro doesn't necessarily mean playing in the NBA. There are plenty of guys that went on to have incredible careers overseas, because they never stopped believing and eventually saw their dreams come to fruition.

As long as you adhere to these steps I can guarantee you that you'll be right there waiting for a shot at the big leagues when the time comes. As hard as it sounds, making the NBA is the easy part and actually staying in it becomes a whole different monster altogether. Every year there are nearly half of the players from a draft that either get injured, see a drastic cut in playing time, get demoted to the d-league, or never get a team invite after summer league. But good luck to the young men reading this and when you make it to the league I'll charge you a fee for this priceless advice.