The Breakfast Club – Chris Brickley Interview
Air Date: September 1, 2025
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Guest: Chris Brickley (NBA Trainer, Entrepreneur)
Episode Overview
The Breakfast Club hosts sit down with Chris Brickley—renowned NBA trainer, coach, and entrepreneur—for his third appearance on the show. The conversation spans his journey training NBA superstars, the importance of mental toughness in player development, his relationships with celebrity athletes and artists, and the launch of his new sneaker with Puma. The episode offers candid insights into the pressures and rewards of Brickley's unique career, the evolution of basketball culture, and tales about working with the best in sports and music.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Personal Journey & Staying Motivated
- Reflecting on Growth:
- Brickley shares how he celebrated his third guest spot by revisiting his old apartments to reflect on where he started, driving to places in New York and Cliffside Park to rekindle motivation.
"Sometimes when I feel like I might be losing motivation just to get that back. And then also sometimes in celebration mode type thing." — Chris Brickley [03:27]
- Brickley shares how he celebrated his third guest spot by revisiting his old apartments to reflect on where he started, driving to places in New York and Cliffside Park to rekindle motivation.
2. Path to NBA Training & Philosophy
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Why Top Players Trust Him:
- Brickley attributes his success to character, dedication, and luck.
"At the end of the day, I'm a good person. I study my craft, and the players know I care. ... I'd be dumb not to say luck comes with anything. Anyone really successful, some type of luck needs to come along the way." — Chris Brickley [04:12]
- Brickley attributes his success to character, dedication, and luck.
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Mental vs. Physical Development:
- Emphasizes the massive role of mentality in basketball; many skilled players falter mentally rather than physically.
"So many players that if you watch the workout, they wouldn't miss a shot ... but when the game comes, they just become like a mental midget. ... The mental aspect is huge." — Chris Brickley [04:21]
- Emphasizes the massive role of mentality in basketball; many skilled players falter mentally rather than physically.
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Player Development Approach:
- Distinguishes between training established stars (addressing specific weaknesses) and nurturing young talent (e.g., Donovan Mitchell, Kiyan Anthony, Sierra Future Jr.).
"To like to do that and see that is super dope." — Chris Brickley [05:26]
- Distinguishes between training established stars (addressing specific weaknesses) and nurturing young talent (e.g., Donovan Mitchell, Kiyan Anthony, Sierra Future Jr.).
3. Training the GOATs & Controversies
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Working With LeBron James:
- Brickley recalls LeBron asking him to identify weaknesses—highlighting even legends have room to improve.
"LeBron was like, all right, I want you to watch film tonight, come over to the workout tomorrow, and tell me two things that I need to get better at ... there's always weaknesses, even in the greats." — Chris Brickley [06:11–06:37]
- Brickley recalls LeBron asking him to identify weaknesses—highlighting even legends have room to improve.
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LeBron vs. Jordan GOAT Debate:
- Brickley bases his stance on LeBron's all-time scoring, impact across teams, and handling of modern media pressures.
"He's scored the most points in NBA history. ... I'm Team LeBron all day." — Chris Brickley [06:44]
- Brickley bases his stance on LeBron's all-time scoring, impact across teams, and handling of modern media pressures.
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On Bronny James:
- Defends LeBron's son from social media scrutiny, hinting at unfair family pressures and expressing confidence in Bronny’s future.
"That's fucked up. ... He's a great kid. ... I think he's just gonna peak, like, in a year or two." — Chris Brickley [07:01–07:27]
- Defends LeBron's son from social media scrutiny, hinting at unfair family pressures and expressing confidence in Bronny’s future.
4. From Player to Trainer
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Career Pivot:
- Brickley pivots from playing at Louisville to observing mentorship under Rick Pitino and Phil Jackson, then finally finds his passion for training over coaching.
"If I have the opportunity to know these guys, let's attack this coaching thing. So I did the coaching thing. I'm like, nah, it's not for me. So then I started the training thing." — Chris Brickley [08:10]
- Brickley pivots from playing at Louisville to observing mentorship under Rick Pitino and Phil Jackson, then finally finds his passion for training over coaching.
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First Player Believer—J.R. Smith:
- Shoutout to J.R. Smith for early support, including housing Brickley while he worked with the Knicks for $300/week.
"He let me stay in his crib, in his couch ... I stayed on JR's couch for the whole year. Shout out to JR for that." — Chris Brickley [08:47]
- Shoutout to J.R. Smith for early support, including housing Brickley while he worked with the Knicks for $300/week.
5. The Training Business & Fame
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Who Pays the Trainer:
- Players pay Brickley; for superstars he defers the amount to them, but resists those just seeking social media clout.
"Everyone I train pays, but I let it ... I like, leave it up to them. Especially, like, the superstar players. ... Some guys come to me because they just want an Instagram post. ... I’m not doing the one workout, one Instagram post." — Chris Brickley [20:23]
- Players pay Brickley; for superstars he defers the amount to them, but resists those just seeking social media clout.
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Fame and Privacy:
- Brickley finds his rising profile gratifying but challenging, especially when fans wait outside his gym or disrupt personal life.
"It's amazing ... but just sometimes like, where I live, it's an issue. ... I want some privacy." — Chris Brickley [19:19]
- Brickley finds his rising profile gratifying but challenging, especially when fans wait outside his gym or disrupt personal life.
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Payment Peaks:
- Charity session went for $15,000. Standard rate for a superstar training session can hit $2500 for 30 minutes.
"So I got 24, 2500, like a 30 minute workout. That was the most for sure." — Chris Brickley [20:55]
- Charity session went for $15,000. Standard rate for a superstar training session can hit $2500 for 30 minutes.
6. Celebrity and Rapper Athletes
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Rapper Runs & Celebrity Ballers:
- Brickley hosts exclusive "rapper runs" with the likes of Drake, Quavo, and Bieber. Discusses celebrities taking basketball seriously.
"I do these rapper runs and it'll be a Drake Quavo Bieber ..." — Chris Brickley [10:37]
- Brickley hosts exclusive "rapper runs" with the likes of Drake, Quavo, and Bieber. Discusses celebrities taking basketball seriously.
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Best Celebrity Athlete:
- Female: Singer (likely Teyana Taylor), trained for potential WNBA tryout.
"She is. So, yes. You know, she wanted to try and make the WNBA ... she was making 15 threes in a row." — Chris Brickley [22:51–23:36]
- Male: J. Cole, who trained for and played pro ball in Africa.
"He came to me and he's like, yo, I know I'm 10 years too late ... can you get me to become a pro basketball player. ... He made NBA Africa." — Chris Brickley [23:46]
- Female: Singer (likely Teyana Taylor), trained for potential WNBA tryout.
7. Endurance and Longevity in the NBA
- Older Players Still Excelling:
- Attributes LeBron and Chris Paul's longevity to extreme preparation, sacrifice, and discipline.
"LeBron will do an 8:00am workout. He shows up at 6:00am every single time ... You gotta sacrifice sometimes family time. You gotta sacrifice a lot." — Chris Brickley [11:19]
- Attributes LeBron and Chris Paul's longevity to extreme preparation, sacrifice, and discipline.
8. Sneaker Partnership with Puma
- Origin and Inspiration:
- First NBA trainer with a sneaker deal; took perseverance (first two sneaker launches sold out instantly).
- Sneaker design nods to New York—features brown street sign (signifying historic landmarks), references 1948 (Puma’s founding), and unique materials inspired by Rihanna’s suede/leather releases.
"I want them to be basketball shoes that you could wear off the court ... The whole thing's like a ode to New York City." — Chris Brickley [12:14–13:03]
- Release info:
"Foot Locker, Dick's Sporting Goods, puma.com ... they're gonna sell out quick. ... All pro nitro twos." — Chris Brickley [27:34]
9. Notable Anecdotes and Personal Insights
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Superstar Politics:
- Balancing "gym politics" when two superstar clients may not like sharing a trainer.
"One superstar player might not like it if I'm working another superstar player out. So keeping the politics and all that." — Chris Brickley [18:53]
- Balancing "gym politics" when two superstar clients may not like sharing a trainer.
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Struggles of Giving Too Much:
- Candid about burnout and not giving enough energy to family/loved ones.
"I feel like I'm giving all my energy ... 7pm comes and my brain is done ... sometimes that affects my personal life." — Chris Brickley [17:23]
- Candid about burnout and not giving enough energy to family/loved ones.
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On Being an Introvert:
- Confides that despite being confident training stars, he's naturally introverted and cringes watching earlier interviews.
"I'm like super introvert ... But when I'm speaking to LeBron or ... Bieber or Drake in a workout, I'm super confident. That's your passion. ... I take pride in that. I've learned though, as life is living, people take advantage of that." — Chris Brickley [21:41]
- Confides that despite being confident training stars, he's naturally introverted and cringes watching earlier interviews.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 03:27 | Chris | "Sometimes when I feel like I might be losing motivation just to get that back. And then also sometimes in celebration mode type thing." | | 04:12 | Chris | "At the end of the day, I'm a good person. I study my craft, and the players know I care." | | 06:28 | Chris | "LeBron was like, all right, I want you to watch film tonight, come over to the workout tomorrow, and tell me two things that I need to get better at." | | 06:44 | Chris | "He's scored the most points in NBA history. ... I'm Team LeBron all day." | | 07:27 | Chris | "That's fucked up. ... He's a great kid. ... I think he's just gonna peak, like, in a year or two." (About Bronny James) | | 08:47 | Chris | "He let me stay in his crib, in his couch ... I stayed on JR's couch for the whole year." | | 11:19 | Chris | "LeBron will do an 8:00am workout. He shows up at 6:00am every single time ... You gotta sacrifice sometimes family time. You gotta sacrifice a lot." | | 12:14 | Chris | "I want them to be basketball shoes that you could wear off the court ... The whole thing's like a ode to New York City." | | 19:19 | Chris | "It's amazing ... but just sometimes like, where I live, it's an issue. ... I want some privacy." | | 21:41 | Chris | "I'm like super introvert ... But when I'm speaking to LeBron or ... Bieber or Drake in a workout, I'm super confident. That's your passion." | | 22:51 | Chris | "She is. So, yes. You know she wanted to try and make the WNBA ... she was making 15 threes in a row." | | 23:46 | Chris | "He came to me and he's like, yo, I know I'm 10 years too late ... can you get me to become a pro basketball player. ... He made NBA Africa." | | 27:34 | Chris | "Foot Locker, Dick's Sporting Goods, puma.com ... they're gonna sell out quick." |
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [02:52] – Chris Brickley introduced; gratitude and reflecting on progress
- [03:56] – Why NBA stars choose Brickley (training philosophy)
- [04:21] – Mental vs. physical aspect of player development
- [05:56] – Working with All-Stars vs. young talent
- [06:11] – Training LeBron James, identifying weaknesses
- [06:44] – The LeBron vs. Jordan "Greatest Of All Time" debate
- [07:27] – On Bronny James and dealing with public criticism
- [08:10] – Brickley's journey from player to trainer
- [08:47] – Early support from J.R. Smith
- [10:37] – Celebrity and rapper basketball culture
- [11:19] – Longevity in the NBA (LeBron, Chris Paul)
- [12:14] – New sneaker, New York inspiration, design notes
- [17:23] – Emotional and mental toll of the job
- [19:19] – Fame, privacy, and car show episode
- [20:23] – Payment from superstar clients and influencer culture
- [22:51] – Best celebrity hoopers (singer, J. Cole)
- [27:34] – Sneaker release details (where to buy)
Final Thoughts
This episode offers an open look at what it means to be the NBA's top trainer, with Brickley blending humility, hustle, and heartfelt stories—from NBA gyms to celebrity artist runs, and his unique foray into sneaker culture. Listeners get practical industry wisdom, human anecdotes, and a sense of what it takes to lead quietly at the intersection of sports, hip-hop, and business.