Chris Brickley, a trainer, guides Kevin Love, a Miami Heat player, during a practice session. Love, who is 35 years old and has been playing in the NBA for 15 years, wants to keep his spot in the highly competitive Heat team. He is focused on finding any advantage he can to stay in the rotation.
Brickley has become a popular place for top basketball players wanting to get better at the game.
“Chris’ approach to the game and attention to detail make him different than other trainers,” Love said. “He is consistently wanting to get better. He works every single day on bringing guys from every level in here. I think he understands that he can learn from every player that he works with while continuing to evolve and have guys sharpen their games.
“He’s worked with most of the stars in the NBA,” Love said. “He goes hard with these guys and it’s a beautiful thing to see. He inspires you, teaches you new things, and gets you out of your comfort zone. We have continuous movement, less rest time, longer workouts and must make more shots. It is all about him understanding the grind we go through. The energy is always consistent with Chris.”
Brickley has trained many famous basketball players. Almost every elite player has sought out his services.
NBA’s top scorer LeBron James? ✔️
Kevin Durant, with guard-like shooting skills despite being 6-foot-10? ✔️
Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, dominant players from the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team? ✔️
Ian Jackson, a rising high school star committed to the University of North Carolina? ✔️
Why is Brickley so popular when there are many former Division I players marketing themselves as trainers?
Sure, he can sharpen your handles and make your jumper wet, but simply put, working out with Brickley is a vibe. During his session, Love knocked down 3-pointers while 50 Cent’s iconic album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” blared in the background.
“Although I didn’t select it, this was like the fifth time in a row that album was on while I trained,” Love said.
The interns are there to assist with the workout, along with a photographer/video person.
Brickley is more than just a skills coach. He represents the fusion of sports, music, and culture.
Tom Brady, an NFL star, recently worked out with Brickley. Many actors and rappers reach out to him for gym sessions.
He has more than two million followers on Instagram. His “Black Ops” open games are like the matchups in video games. He is also featured in the NBA 2K video game.
He will release his own Puma shoes soon, and he is a popular person who affects others through social media.
He started from a simple background and worked his way up. Initially a walk-on player at Louisville, he later trained J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony as an intern with the New York Knicks. The Knicks eventually promoted him to player development coordinator in 2013. Over time, he improved his skills and built connections with other famous basketball players.
Brickley, who is 37, didn’t reach the highest level as a player or coach. However, he is widely recognized as the most famous trainer in the United States.
“In college, I played for Rick Pitino and saw the way he taught the game,” Brickley said. “He would make so many basketball references to real life and so many real-life references to basketball. I thought that was so dope. I was like ‘Man, he’s the best teacher I ever had.’ Whether it’s basketball or actual school, he taught me life using the game of basketball. That was dope. At that moment I fell in love with that concept.
Brickley said he tries to teach without lecturing, helping upcoming players learn the lessons that “come with being a young professional.”
“I think it’s a lead-by-example thing,” Brickley said. “[The lessons apply to your] mindset after practice, attitude after bad games, film study, in-season work ethic, and a ton of off-court life decisions.”
He used to train at the Lifetime Athletic Club in New York, but now he trains at the Summit in New York because of the paparazzi and fans. The Summit is also where he lives.
Russell Westbrook, Jimmy Butler, Cole Anthony, LeBron and Love all visited the Summit recently. Does Brickley have a special remedy for fixing mistakes?
“There are no magic drills,” Brickley said. “It’s just about communication and building a relationship. For example, I just finished working out [Cleveland Cavaliers guard] Ty Jerome. We are communicating every single day. He’ll be like ‘I don’t like doing catch-and-shoot because I feel like it’s too easy. I get into a rhythm and if we’re shooting 20 from a spot, after 12 makes in a row I lose focus.’
“I go to sleep, wake up and I’m like how about this?” Brickley said. “No more catch and shoot. You shoot it, must take a step sideways and then back to the spot. I do stuff to get him out of rhythm. That’s a tiny example. Nothing I’m doing is that great. I’m building a strong relationship with the players, and they are communicating to me what they think they are good at. They tell me what they think they need to get better at, what their team thinks they need to be good at and I attack it from there.”
Brickley enjoys working with well-known people, but he finds the most joy in helping high school students and going through the journey with them.
“The most fun is when you start working out with a kid when they are young. That’s the most fulfilling,” Brickley said. “Being able to work out Cole Anthony when he was first starting out and then watching him get to the league. Working out Donovan (Mitchell) before he ever played a game at Louisville and watching him become Donovan. Those are the super cool stories.”
“Hoodie Melo” was born in one of Brickley’s open runs. Now he is training Anthony’s son, Kiyan. They have been working together since Kiyan was in fifth grade. He is currently a high school junior.
“He keeps getting better and taller every time I see him,” Brickley said. “My love for high school is why I started the Brickley Invitational this past year in Chicago. I had the top players in the country. From Cooper Flagg to Ian Jackson to Elliot Cadeau. It was fun and next year we are going to add the girls.”
Flagg is considered the top player in the class of 2024.
“It’s crazy the way NBA players talk about Cooper,” Brickley said. “One of the guys I work with on the court said Cooper gets the most engagement out of any player I posted this summer. Even more than NBA players. People want to see Cooper Flagg. He’s from Maine and I’m from New Hampshire so we are from the same neck of the woods. I have a good relationship with him and his mom. I’m going to see him play a lot and he’s going to come to New York a few weekends. I’m excited for that.”
Brickley believes in being great at your strengths and improving your weaknesses. He continues to learn and stay at the top of his training game by watching videos and talking to players.
“Two years ago, players started telling me that when they work out with me, they think about the super-skilled players who have worked out with me in the past,” Brickley said. “They think about the All-Star type players who have worked out with me. ‘He was passing this guy the ball’ and they gain confidence from that. A sense of confidence is more important than any drill I can do.”
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