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MAKING IT TO to the NBA is hard enough. Only the best players wind up on one of the 30 rosters across the most elite basketball league in the world. But what happens after you’ve made the cut? If you ask New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, the next hurdle is developing the mental fortitude to go from a good to a great player.
“It’s almost like an irrational confidence in yourself to reach your dreams,” Murphy explains. “If you’re too realistic, you’ll never see yourself in that light where you can be super great and push through that door.”
Murphy credits this mental fortitude for the improvement he’s shown throughout his five-year career: he’s improved his scoring average consistently, going from 14 points per game in his second and third seasons to 21.2 points per game in the 2024-2025 season. This leap wasn’t a one-off. The 25-year-old forward is currently averaging 21.5 point per game with just two more contests for the 2025-2026 season, despite a tough year for the Pelicans and an ankle sprain that had Murphy missing several games.
In the latest Strong Talk episode, MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. and exercise physiologist and strength coach Dr. Pat Davidson sit down with Murphy to discuss the mental preparation—visualization, confidence-building, and goal-setting—needed for competitive sports. They also discuss the changes in Murphy’s training regimen and nutrition strategies.
Murphy credits his transformation from year three to year four to a new personal trainer who emphasized the importance of visualization. “When you go into the game, you need to believe that you're the best player on the floor,” explains Murphy. “If you believe you are then a lot of times you’re going to perform a lot better.”
This mental strategy has also helped Murphy convert negative feedback into motivation. A frequent example is when someone brings up a shortcoming Murphy experienced during a game or when they compare his skill level to another player. “I respond well to hate,” says Murphy.
Motivation has multiple psychological components, explains Davidson. Someone may feel defeated after being compared to another player. However, Davidson says that athletes proactively taking steps to improve and build their confidence are more equipped to recognize that they too can achieve a similar level of success.
“The ability to look at someone else and visualize yourself being in that position is a really big piece,” Davidson says. “As you gain confidence and momentum, it’s the realization of this and as you reach closer to it, the motivation increases. That’s really where you get a taste for it, like ‘I’m almost there.’”
Want more deep-dive fitness wisdom from Samuel and other celebs and experts who've been on our Strong Talk podcast? Check out all our episodes here.
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Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, MS is the associate health & fitness for Men's Health and has previously written for CNN, Scientific American, Popular Science, and National Geographic before joining the brand. When she's not working, she's doing circus arts or working towards the perfect pull-up.
