The NBA has improved over the years, but perhaps one of the most underrated shifts has been the transformation in how players treat their bodies. Weight training, now seen as standard practice, was once foreign.
For legends like Walt “Clyde” Frazier, training differently was one thing, but surviving in an era where basketball culture misunderstood the science behind strength was another.
Why players didn’t lift weights
In the 1960s and early 1970s, being a skilled shooter or quick ball-handler mattered more than building strength. Players feared what the muscle might do to their mechanics. Frazier, a two-time NBA champion and seven-time All-Star, lived through that skepticism.
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“In the beginning, because of the lack of education, basketball players thought [weight lifting] would affect their shot,” the legendary point guard said. “That’s why they didn’t lift weights — because you get too muscular like football players, you don’t want your muscles to contract, you want to keep them loose and flexible.”
Back then, flexibility and finesse were the metrics of greatness. Teams rarely employed full-time fitness staff. The modern performance teams seen today — armed with data analytics, biomechanics experts and recovery protocols — simply didn’t exist.
When Frazier entered the NBA in 1967 as the New York Knicks‘ No. 5 overall pick, players were responsible for maintaining their own conditioning.
The league offered little structured support outside of training camp. It was a different era. Players weren’t expected to maintain year-round peak performance. Offseasons were long, unstructured and rarely centered around muscle development.
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Changing things
Despite that culture, Frazier remained ahead of his time in his understanding of personal limitations and physical disadvantages he carried into the highest level of basketball. Unlike many of his peers, he sought out ways to improve outside the traditional scope of basketball training.
“My problem was I was never that fast, I was never that strong,” Walt said. “So, when I went to college, we had a guy named Doc Spackman who invented isometrics. He was the inventor of the isometric exercise. So, I went to him and he put me on a weight program.”
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Doc Spackman, a pioneer in alternative strength-building, introduced “Clyde” to a concept that focused on muscle tension without movement — an ideal solution for athletes wary of bulking up. At Southern Illinois University, where Frazier helped lead his team to the 1967 NIT Championship, this unconventional training set him apart.
He didn’t need to be the fastest or the strongest; he needed to be resilient, balanced and durable. The isometric regimen gave him just enough edge. By the time he entered the NBA, Frazier’s unique blend of mental sharpness and physical efficiency helped him thrive.
Walt’s lateral quickness, timing and positional awareness became the trademarks of his game. He made the NBA All-Defensive First Team seven times despite not having the raw speed or strength of some of his contemporaries.
Today, weight training is mandatory for NBA hopefuls. Modern stars such as LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo spend millions annually on body maintenance, including personalized weight programs, physiotherapy and recovery tools. Sports performance in the league has transformed from a supplemental routine into a fundamental pillar of a player’s identity.
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Frazier’s experience underscores the wide gulf between eras. What was once discouraged as counterproductive is now seen as essential. In the 1970s, only a few dared to embrace strength training. Now, it’s a baseline requirement for success.
The evolution didn’t happen overnight. It took decades of trial, error and influence from other sports. Football, with its visible emphasis on physical development, helped shift the narrative. The influx of international players, many of whom arrived with more advanced physical preparation methods, also accelerated the change.
By the 1990s, stars like Michael Jordan began working with dedicated strength coaches year-round — Tim Grover’s work with Jordan set a new bar for individualized athlete care.
