We took some time in between his busy schedule to find out about how he built his career, how he became so influential in the sport as well as his personal projects. ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with the game of basketball?
CHRIS BRICKLEY: I fell in love with the game at 11 years old. I realized I could use the game to do some amazing things and I became obsessed with it.
AM: You played at the University of Louisville under Rick Pitino and went on to coaching at Ole Miss and being the youngest assistant coach at a NCAA Division I school at Fairleigh Dickinson University. What is it about coaching that you enjoy?
CB: Being in love with the game of basketball and learning from Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, I wanted to be just like him. I wanted to teach young men the game of basketball and the game of life.
AM: How did you transition from coaching there to being at the NY Knicks?
CB: When I was coaching at FDU, I would workout JR Smith at night at Manhattan College. That season JR was 6th man of the year. The Knicks heard about me and hired me.
AM: What is a Player Development Coach and what do you do in that role when it comes to interacting with your players?
CB: My role was to make development plans for all of the players and to make sure during the off-season and season they were constantly improving. I loved it.
AM: When did you realize that you wanted to start BlackOps Basketball and why was that important for you to do?
This story is from the May 2021 edition of Athleisure Mag.
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This story is from the May 2021 edition of Athleisure Mag.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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