(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Although Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers has undeniable natural talent, he also models his game after players who have come before him.
No matter how good an NBA star is, they are influenced by their own personal heroes.
NBA trainer Chris Brickley told The Hoop Chat, via Legion Hoops, that Leonard asked him for help learning Carmelo Anthony’s moves back in 2017.
Anthony gave Brickey the go-ahead to teach Leonard and then Leonard went on to win an NBA championship and Finals MVP.
NBA trainer Chris Brickley says Kawhi Leonard asked him for help learning Carmelo Anthony’s moves in 2017, per @thehoopchat.
Melo approved the training and Kawhi went on to win a NBA championship and Finals MVP pic.twitter.com/4Zm4kuFCeL
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 23, 2023
This is a testament to Leonard’s knowledge of the NBA but also his ability to focus and tweak his game in order to get better.
It’s not surprising that he wanted to learn some things from Anthony.
Anthony is one of the most competitive and smartest players in the history of the league.
He can shoot from just about anywhere on the court and has a high basketball IQ as well.
At the time, Leonard was just about to start his first – and only – season with the Toronto Raptors.
He was moving on from the San Antonio Spurs and it was the ideal time for him to change his game for the better.
Brickley’s lessons obviously paid off because Leonard had perhaps the best season of his career.
He averaged 26.6 points and 7.3 rebounds a game.
And during the playoffs, he stepped that up to 30.5 points and 9.1 rebounds a game.
Leonard led his team and took them all the way to the Finals.
He took all the information that Brickley gave him, perfected his skills even more, and then gave the Raptors the Finals victory they had wanted for so long.
Although he has experienced plenty of injuries since that season, Leonard has also retained the knowledge he gained back in 2017.
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