Spurs Ex Kawhi Leonard Wanted to Model Game After Carmelo Anthony

Ever wondered what made Ex-San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard's 2019 title run so special?

Apart from the obvious — Toronto reaching the Finals for the first and only time in franchise history after adding the seventh-year veteran — Leonard's impact for the Raptors said more about his personal career than it did the team's.

Leonard has only been apart of one title-winning squad since leaving San Antonio in 2014, but despite playing at an elite-level when he wasn't injured, his ability to be the No. 1 option in Toronto spoke levels to his game.

And while his ending in San Antonio was all-but pretty, it was a skill he learned from NBA trainer Chris Brickley that helped him to develop into an All-Star and champion.

"In 2017, I worked with a few guys, but specifically with Kawhi Leonard," Brickley told Emily Austin on The Hoop Chat. "This was before he was an All-Star. He came up to me and was like 'I want to learn Melo's moves.'

Heard it on @thehoopchat first 💯 https://t.co/aku7OuE4DJ
— Emily Austin (@emilyraustin) August 24, 2023

At the time, Carmelo Anthony was just finishing his time with the Knicks — the last team he'd be consistently rostered with — but was still putting up solid shooting performances at the tail-end of his career.

Kawhi wanted to improve his shooting and keep playing at a high level, so modeling his game after one of the league's top talents seemed to be the way to go, and Brickley was the way for him to do that. So, Brickley asked Anthony if he could work with Leonard in San Antonio.

“[Carmelo] said sure,” Brickley said. “[Kawhi and I] worked and he had a breakout season. He won a championship, became an All-Star and won Finals MVP, and I was like, ‘Wow.’"

The move ended up leading Brickley to leave the Knicks full-time and move to a more individual role with individual players.

I was like, ‘If I could do this with other players, that’d be so dope," Brickley said.

Leonard's transition from a young prospect into a bona-fide All-Star was certainly stark, especially given how quickly he found postseason success after departing the Lone Star State.

Unfortunately for him, however, after leaving the Raptors, he hasn't been able to replicate that success. He'll look to do so again with the Clippers this season, but whether he does it or not, Leonard could be gearing up for quite a few more seasons with a game patented after Carmelo Anthony. And the only certainty about that?

Spurs fans will certainly not be rooting for him.

You can follow Matt Guzman on Twitter and Instagram.

Subscribe to The Mike Taylor Show on YouTube.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Spurs? Click Here.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Twitter.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Facebook.

Want even more San Antonio Spurs news? Check out the Si.com team page here.