Alvaro Cardenas, Spanish point guard, NCAA assist record holder at Boise State, and now newly signed Euroleague professional with Valencia.

Álvaro opens up about where his competitiveness comes from, how playing multiple sports shaped his development, and the mindset that carried him from backyard battles in Spain to breaking NCAA records. We also dive into:

• Why specializing early in one sport may hold players back
• The weight room work that helped him catch up with NCAA athleticism
• Lessons learned from transferring schools and adapting to new roles
• How visualization, self-talk, and mindset training became game-changers

This is an episode full of practical lessons for any young player dreaming about college basketball or going pro.

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Alvaro Cardenas
01:09 The Roots of Competitiveness
05:04 Choosing Basketball Over Other Sports
08:17 Transitioning to Basketball in the USA
12:15 Physical Development and Maturity
13:47 The Decision to Transfer Schools
16:17 Consistency and Hard Work in Performance
19:21 Developing Decision Making and Skills
25:36 Training During the Season
26:20 Optimizing Training for Rest and Performance
27:59 Managing Turnovers and Creativity on the Court
30:00 Mental Resilience and Self-Talk in Basketball
31:56 The Importance of Mindset and Motivation
36:03 Working on Mental Skills and Visualization
41:01 Transitioning to Professional Basketball
44:01 Reflections on Challenges and Growth
48:00 Memorable Moments and Advice for Young Players