Chris Brickley was just like everyone else growing up – he aspired to make it in the sports world. He did just that, but it didn’t turn out the way he had imagined.
The 38-year-old basketball coach stepped on the University of Louisville In January 2008, Brickley decided to join the pros. But once he realized that playing wasn’t exactly in his long-term future, he decided to get into coaching, becoming a graduate assistant at Ole Miss (“It was tough,” the Manchester, New Hampshire, native said) and then an assistant at Fairleigh Dickinson.
After that, Brickley said he couldn’t even get a high school coaching job in New Jersey, but “all of a sudden” he landed an internship with the New York Knicks.
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Chris Brickley says LeBron James has been training with him for at least five years. (Chris Brickley)
But while working at MSG, he got the promotion of a lifetime – after ignoring the locker room he worked in.
Brickley said during the preseason, Carmelo Anthony He missed a game-winning shot and was told not to talk to him after the game.
But he went against the grain, which he says “changed my life.”
“I played basketball, I know what it’s like to miss a shot, so I just told him how I felt,” Brickley said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. “The next day, he came into the office and said, ‘I want him to be my coach.’”
“It happened so fast,” Brickley says, “but I guess that’s the power of being a franchise actor.”
Brickley says he owes Anthony “everything” – “without him… I don’t know what would have happened next.” He also owes a lot to Phil Jackson. When he came on board, Brickley says he was the only person who wasn’t fired. Jackson later named him the team’s director of player personnel.
Nearly a decade later, Brickley has over 3 million followers on Instagram and has formed friendships with some of the best in the game.
Lebron James and Kevin Durant are just a few of the All-Stars who have worked out at his gym this summer in Manhattan’s Summit building. The building also hosted a celebrity game that went viral a few years ago, featuring Justin Bieber, Drake and Quavo. So it’s not just NBA stars who are heading to Midtown to visit Brickley.
Kevin Durant works out at Chris Brickley’s gym. (Chris Brickley)
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Brickley is a partner of BODY ARMOR and says he shares similar values with the hydration beverage company, which has led to relationships with some of the greatest basketball players of all time.
“It’s all real. Real ingredients, real flavors, and that’s reflected in my brand. Just being myself, being authentic, being real, my brand aligns with BODY ARMOR,” Brickley said. “Ever since I’ve been in the fitness world, my goal has always been to be at the top, and I think BODY ARMOR’s goal is to be at the top. Our two brands align. They aligned when I first signed with them, and they still align.”
Over the weekend, his hometown celebrated “Chris Brickley Day” where new fields were built and gifts including Puma sneakers and headphones were plentiful.
That’s not exactly how Brickley envisioned his basketball future, but it’s a nice consolation prize.
“My goal was to be the LeBron James, the Michael Jordan, the Larry Bird, whatever. I didn’t get there, but never in my wildest dreams did I think it was going to happen,” he said. “But day in and day out, you just have to keep fighting and hope for the best.”
Brickley says he takes a step back and reflects on his journey “more often than you think.” But the work isn’t done yet.
LeBron James frequents Chris Brickley’s gym. (Chris Brickley)
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His social media presence is huge, but Brickley plans to one day return to where it all began.
“I’m really hungry and I’m really motivated. Later on, I’m going to get back into coaching, maybe even at the executive level to build an NBA team, I think that would be really cool…” Brickley says.
“I get offered jobs every summer, but right now, nothing beats having incredible partners like BODY ARMOR and being able to control my day, my narrative, and the people I work with. It’s the best feeling in the world.”
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