6 perspectives · Updated · 2 min read
Almost every athlete feels nerves before a big game. The question is what to do with them.
Five of the athletes here have played in NBA, WNBA, NFL, or Paralympic games, and all six describe dealing with nerves. None of them tries to make it go away.
Their answers cover breathing, routines, and how to think about nerves. If anxiety affects your daily life, talk to a doctor or mental health professional too.
None of them tries to get rid of the nerves. They treat anxiety as a sign they're ready, then lean on something repeatable: a breath, a cue word, the same routine before every game, and trust in the work they've already done.
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Six athletes, from a 2022 NBA champion to a Paralympic gold medalist. Val Whiting now works with athletes on the mental side of sport.
Val Whiting · Former WNBA player and Stanford All-American
Listen for: A simple reset to use in the middle of a game.
Jon Dorenbos · NFL Pro Bowl long snapper and magician
Listen for: Treating nerves as a sign you're ready.
Wim Hof · Extreme athlete, creator of the Wim Hof Method
Listen for: A breathing technique for taking back control.
Moses Moody · Golden State Warriors guard, 2022 NBA champion
Listen for: Leaning on preparation when the moment is big.
Elijah Bryant · Hapoel Tel Aviv guard, formerly Milwaukee Bucks
Listen for: Pre-game routines that make nerves manageable.
Abby Dunkin · Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball
Listen for: Keeping perspective when you play for your country.
Former WNBA player and Stanford All-American
Why themPlayed in the WNBA and for USA Basketball after winning multiple Pac-12 titles at Stanford.
Val’s advice: Pressure is activation; train a reset you can repeat: one breath, one cue word, next play.
I used to think nerves meant I wasn’t ready, but at the highest level I learned pressure is just activation. I deal with it by training a reset I can repeat: one breath, one cue word, next play.
NFL Pro Bowl long snapper and magician
Why themPro Bowl long snapper for the Philadelphia Eagles who also performs magic on the big stage.
Jon’s advice: See anxiety as fuel: it means you're ready.
I used to lay down in the tunnel before games, legs up the wall, and just love the nerves. I trained myself to see anxiety as fuel, not fear: it meant I was ready.
Extreme athlete, creator of the Wim Hof Method
Why themCreated the Wim Hof Method and holds dozens of world records for cold exposure, including marathons run in sub-zero conditions.
Wim’s advice: Breathe through it: thirty deep breaths and a hold.
I don't fight anxiety, I breathe through it. Thirty deep breaths, a hold, and I take back control of my chemistry. In sports, the breath keeps me connected to my heart, not my nerves.
Golden State Warriors guard, 2022 NBA champion
Why themWon a title in his rookie season with the Warriors and runs the Motivate One Foundation for young people in Little Rock.
Moses’s advice: You fall to the level of your preparation, so lean on the work and live with the result.
I treat those nerves like fuel and lean on my work, because you don’t rise to the moment, you fall to the level of your preparation. Then I remind myself of The Four Agreements, do my best, take the shot, and live with the result.
Hapoel Tel Aviv guard, formerly Milwaukee Bucks
Why themPlays for Hapoel Tel Aviv after time with the Milwaukee Bucks, and shares his drills on YouTube.
Elijah’s advice: Lock into routines before tipoff; preparation lets you play assertive.
I deal with it by trusting my preparation and locking into routines: same playlist, same scriptures, same journal entries before tipoff. The anxiety never fully goes away, even Kobe and Steph felt it, but preparation lets me play assertive instead of passive.
Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball
Why themWent from two feet to two wheels and won Paralympic gold in wheelchair basketball at Rio 2016.
Abby’s advice: Nerves mean you care; let them ride along without letting them drive.
I breathe through my chair, feel the rims, and remind myself the game is just basketball, even when the jersey says USA. Nerves mean I care; I let them sit in the passenger seat, not drive.
| Who | Their advice |
|---|---|
| Val WhitingFormer WNBA player and Stanford All-American | Pressure is activation; train a reset you can repeat: one breath, one cue word, next play. |
| Jon DorenbosNFL Pro Bowl long snapper and magician | See anxiety as fuel: it means you're ready. |
| Wim HofExtreme athlete, creator of the Wim Hof Method | Breathe through it: thirty deep breaths and a hold. |
| Moses MoodyGolden State Warriors guard, 2022 NBA champion | You fall to the level of your preparation, so lean on the work and live with the result. |
| Elijah BryantHapoel Tel Aviv guard, formerly Milwaukee Bucks | Lock into routines before tipoff; preparation lets you play assertive. |
| Abby DunkinParalympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball | Nerves mean you care; let them ride along without letting them drive. |
Expect the nerves. Jon Dorenbos and Abby Dunkin both treat nerves as a sign they care and are ready.
Use your breath. Wim Hof breathes through anxiety, and Val Whiting's reset starts with one breath.
Build a routine. Elijah Bryant uses the same playlist, scriptures, and journal before every game.
Trust your preparation. Moses Moody says you fall to the level of your preparation, so the work is what holds you up.
They mostly agree. The difference is method: Wim Hof and Val Whiting work through the body with breath, while Moses Moody and Elijah Bryant rely on preparation and routine.
Yes. Every athlete here describes dealing with nerves, and Elijah Bryant says even Kobe and Steph felt it.
Val Whiting uses one breath, one cue word, and the next play. Wim Hof uses deep breathing.
If anxiety stops you from playing or affects daily life, talk to a doctor or mental health professional.
Don't try to get rid of the nerves. Pick a reset, a breath or a routine, and practise it until it holds up under pressure.
We asked this question to athletes and coaches on Delphi. Each quote is that person's Delphi answering in their own words, built from their own interviews, podcasts, and posts, and shown as given. Delphi wrote the introduction, the summary, and the steps from their answers. Last checked .