Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert has credited his MMA practice routing for his improved conditioning in the Playoffs. He is averaging a staggering 7 minutes more in the post season as compared to the regular season. He is currently at almost 36 minutes per game in the Playoffs.
Hibbert is playing 7 more minutes in the postseason
He believes his skills have also improved as a result of his training style. Hibbert reportedly added the MMA practice routine to go alongside his regular training during the last couple of offseasons.
"It pushed me to my limit sometimes," said Hibbert. "We used to break things up, where we'd have 30 minutes of mitts, just punching. And then we'd do like a Cross Fit workout, where I may have to run on the treadmill, do some Burpees, do some pushups, do some ropes, do some wall getups, stuff like that. Or, like, get on the ground, and have to get up with somebody on top of you. It's just mentally fatiguing, and it strengthens you a lot more. Last game [Game 2], I'm, at the free-throw line, and I'm obviously tired, and I hear fans in the Miami section saying, 'Hey, Roy, you're bending over, you're looking tired, looking tired.' I'm like, this is nothing compared to what I did during the summer."
The Pacers are currently down 2-1 against Miami in the ECF
"During Game 6 of the Knicks series, I'm exhausted. I'm bending down in the timeout, 20-second timeout, basically on the ground. I'm exhausted. And the next play out, I get that block. It's just trying to be resilient. We need to get further. So that's what was on my mind."
Hibbert and the Pacers are currently down 2-1 against Miami in the Eastern Conference finals series. The Next game will be played on Tuesday in Indiana.
