By BFS

WEIGHTS vs. TOUCH John Stockton: If | were to lift and not shoot it would screw me up but I don’t do that. I’m always shooting and doing skill work as | lift. Then, it works out great.

Jose Ortiz: Lifting does not affect your touch at all. Eric Leckner: Weights don’t affect your touch. That's a fallacy. All you got to do is keep playing as you're lifting. Thurl Bailey: Lifting is important during the season to keep your strength. It does not affect your touch. | even have a set-up at home. Mike Brown: As long as you lift and shoot you're all right in-season. | like the feeling of getting stronger. It helps performance.

Iphysically. Mark Eaton: Weights are a part of my life now. The guys now are getting stronger and bigger. | gotta do more.

Marc Ivaroni: I’ve lifted in an organized program for 9 years. My last two years have to be the best as far as inseason training. Lifting does not affect my touch because | always lift, play and shoot. If I take a day off, I'll take everything off. | don’t ever just lift. Karl Malone Les: improvement on speed, quickness and my shooting range. I’m playing in a big man’s game and it’s made me able to play tougher. [t takes me only about five minutes to get my touch back after lifting.

Darrell GrifÏth: The key is to shoot afterwards. Weights have helped a lot coming back off my injury, especially this year. | didn’t do it last year consistently. This year I have and it’s paid off.

Bobby Hansen: Weights are becoming more and more important. People used to think it was only for football players but now it’s important in the NBA. | lift also to keep injury free and increase the longevity of my career. I’m thankful for the emphasis the Jazz have placed on Jim Farmer: | had a real good weight program at Alabama and I can do things at my height because of my strength, that | wouldn't be able to do otherwise.

Karl Malone: Weights do nothin’ but help you. If | was a high school coach my players would all lift. If they wouldn’t get intense in the weight room, then they wouldn't play basketball for Karl Malone.

Coach Jerry Sloan: | have heard in the past that weights would make you tight, but it’s not so, especially the way we do it. [t also helps on keeping us injury free.

From BFS Magazine — Summer 1989. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).