Game Day Ritual

Written By Amber Brown

From meditation, to resting, or listening to your favorite music, there are numerous ways athletes prepare their minds for game day. When I used to play overseas, my game day ritual consisted of waking up early to meditate, having a light shoot around at the gym, then taking a nap so I would have full energy when game time arrived. 

Alternatively, a teammate of mine swore on wearing the same lucky socks to every game while another practiced eating the same meal before each game. 

A ritual is a type of behavior or activity that an athlete performs with the assumption that these behaviors have a particular purpose, or power, to impact their performance. These rituals can be anywhere from the clothes one wears, the foods one eats or drink; the warm-up they perform or even the music they listen to.


Have you ever wondered what game day rituals NBA players do to get into the zone? Let’s take a look:


Stephen Curry

Aside from being one of the best shooters, Stephen Curry is widely known for his dribbling skills. Before each game, Curry goes through his dribbling movements with a set of balls in each hand and shoots long-range jumpers. This pre-game ritual has been coined the Tunnel-Shot and has now attracted huge crowds in the stadium hours before the official game starts.


Dwayne Wade

While playing for the Miami Heat, Dwayne Wade devised a game day ritual based on his lucky number, and jersey number, No. 3. He would do three pull-ups hanging from the rim, and later on chew three pieces of gum during the game: one during warm-ups, one at the beginning of the game, and another one during halftime. Lastly, he would drink no more and no less than three bottles of Gatorade during the game.


Shaquille O’Neal

To lighten the mood and provide more entertainment, Shaquille O’Neal’s pre-game ritual consisted of rolling a pretend bowling ball towards several players who’d fall like bowling pins. This gained so much prominence that it was performed during the 2009 All-Star game. 


Do you have a pre-game ritual? Let me know in the comments.



Amber Brown