Kuroko no Basket 3rd Season Episode 5 Discussion

Abrams interviewed numerous pro basketball players about their decision-making processes on the court, in the midst of a game. Did they think about which way to go, or which strategy to employ? Did they think through each free-throw? Strategize whether to take the two-point or three-point shot? Or did they just rely on “instinct” to guide them?

Most players agreed that too much thinking could be detrimental. Chris Duhon, a point guard for the NY Knicks, told Abrams, “Most players are at their best when they’re not thinking too much. They’re just playing and immersed in the game and letting the game dictate what they need to do.”

But all the players in question—successful athletes in the NBA—have an innate talent for the game and have accumulated years of expertise, knowledge, and experience against thousands of opponents. They also rehearse moves and responses to other players so often, and think about strategies so much, in practice, that conscious moves can become ingrained responses. So for an experienced hand, a “gut feeling” is actually drawing on a vast store of embedded training, knowledge and analysis, as well as the players’ supercomputer minds integrating of all the unfolding movements and positions on the court.