Washington Wizards star shooting guard Bradley Beal is having a tremendous 2017-18 season and was rewarded earlier this month with his first NBA All-Star Game appearance in Los Angeles. During an extensive interview with Jared Zwerling of Sports Illustrated that was published on Tuesday, Beal explained how he perfected his lethal step-back jumper over the years.

“My trainer, Drew Hanlen. We've been working on them,” Beal said of his step-back move. “It's crazy because we've been working on that since I was in high school and college, but I never used them in the game. And I used to always get frustrated and kind of irked with myself because I had so many moves in my arsenal. I just never put them into play until like the last couple years.”

Earlier this season, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft out of the University of Florida said that the game where he went off for a career-high 51 points against the Portland Trail Blazers was the highlight of his career so far.

For Beal to get to such a high level of play, confidence was the key in order for him to get over the hump and be the All-Star guard that NBA fans see today.

“I finally gained the confidence and the freedom to be able to do so on the court, and it's kind of a natural thing now,” Beal said. “If you want to be an elite person, you've got be able to show you can score in a variety of ways. So I just put a few go-to's in my arsenal and just use them to the best of my abilities.”

Once Beal is able to get to his step-back, he feels that there is not much the defender can do one-on-one.

“I feel like because honestly it's a tough shot and I feel like at the same time you create so much space. And it's kind of like a crossover without crossing over because you're creating space and your defender can still be going one way and you're going the other way,” Beal said of his favorite type of shot. “In a way, it's kind of like a no-dribble crossover when you think about it. So for me, it's just an easier way for me to get into my jumper. It catches the defenders off guard. You're going downhill and your defender can still be going downhill, and you're going backwards into your jumper. So that's why.”

Heading into Tuesday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Beal is currently averaging a team-high 23.7 points on 46.4 percent shooting, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game this season.