Former Knicks Trainer Reveals Kawhi Leonard-Carmelo Anthony Story

Former New York Knicks trainer Chris Brickley helped Kawhi Leonard learn Carmelo Anthony's game
Former Knicks Trainer Reveals Kawhi Leonard-Carmelo Anthony Story
Former Knicks Trainer Reveals Kawhi Leonard-Carmelo Anthony Story /

The development of LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is very impressive. Once a defensive-minded role player, Leonard has now evolved into a two-time Finals MVP and a perennial All-Star. This transition took a lot of hard work, but Leonard also had some very high-level coaches around him early in his career.

During a recent appearance on The Hoop Chat podcast, Former New York Knicks trainer Chris Brickley revealed an interesting story about the time Leonard asked him about learning Carmelo Anthony's moves.

"I worked with Kawhi," Brickley said. "This was before he was an All-Star. He came up to me and was like, 'I want to learn Melo's moves.' So I was like okay, I asked Melo, he said sure. We worked, and [Kawhi] had a breakout season. Won a championship, was an All-Star, was [Finals MVP], and I was like wow."

While Leonard was not an All-Star in 2014 when he won his first Finals MVP award, he did have breakout moments that postseason, and made his first All-Star team in 2016. Helping Leonard learn how to emulate Anthony's game, Brickley contributed to the offensive dominance that Leonard has now mastered. A consistent 25 PPG scorer now, Leonard is one of the most efficient offensive players in the entire NBA.

Always raising his game in the playoffs, Leonard's offensive approach perfectly translates to postseason basketball. Not afraid to take contested mid-range shots, Leonard is a master in that area, just like Carmelo Anthony was.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.