Celtic Pride corner: How guys like Kemba got really good at ball handling

Kemba Walker has some of the best handles in the NBA. His ball handling is brilliant, and through it, he can create so many opportunities for himself and his teammates. But becoming this good with handling the basketball doesn't come overnight.

On that note, Andover native and huge Celtic fan Stephen Stapinski shares several ways aspiring players can develop their ball-handling.

Dribble hard.

Dribbling the ball hard is one of the most basic drills aspiring players can do, Stephen Stapinski mentions. The faster the ball returns to the fingertips, the more control a player has over it and the less likely other players can steal it. However, players don't need to dribble as hard if there are no defensive players around. Pacing is also key.

Use fingertips for dribbling.

Stephen Stapinski recommends that young players practice dribbling using the fingertips rather than the palm of one's hand. This gives them a lot of control over the ball's direction, whether they're just dribbling or executing a crossover dribble.

Dribble facing the opponent.

While dribbling with one's back to the opponent when handling the ball may seem like a good defensive position, Scott Tominaga mentions that it limits a player's vision of the court and the person guarding them. Dribbling facing one's guard is necessary for people to create opportunities to pass, drive, or shoot.