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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