RealGM Wiretap
Leading into the NBA Draft, Danté Exum went through a mental and physical evaluation with the Red Bull High Performance team. As part of the testing in the laboratory and on the basketball court, Exum was graded in the areas of aerobic capacity, blood pressure, core power, mental sharpness via brain mapping, mobility and reaction to on-court adversity.
During the assessment, Exum sat in a chair wearing a cap with brain-monitoring sensors. Exum’s brain activity was measured at rest; with minimal engagement; and then while playing a video game. This was all done to benchmark Exum at different states of activity. The next phase of testing put Exum on the basketball court, wearing specialized headphones equipped with brain monitoring technology. He was asked to shoot free throws with crowd noise pumped into his ears. There was screaming, booing and cheering, all at different volumes and intensities. Strobe lights pulsed at irregular rhythms and flashed from behind the backboard. Turns out, as the distractions built up, Exum grew more focused and his shot became more precise.
The assembled team for Exum included experts in sports psychology, nutrition, athletic training, and exercise physiology. The Red Bull High Performance Program launched in 2007 and it supports athletes through individually tailored fitness, nutritional, and mental training.
“Athletes sit down with us and tell us their goals and dreams, and we set up a program to support that in the best way possible,” says Andy Walshe, Director, Red Bull High Performance.
"They know me as an Australian," says Exum in the video. "When they see me, they just know me as a mystery. No one knew who I was a year and a half ago. I'm sure they'll know who I am."