PHOTO CREDIT | Jeff Bottari/Getty Images
ATHLEISURE MAG | #75 MAR 2022
In this month’s issue, our cover story is with 5 XUFC Welterweight Champion, stuntsman, actor and rapper, Tyron Woodley. We talk about he went from being a 2 X All American wrestler, to MMA, being in the UFC and taking on various interests as a free agent in the MMA. We catch up with BRAVO's Real Housewives of Potamac and entrepreneur Candiace Dillard-Bassett as she talks about her work in public service under the Obama administration, her focus on uplifting women and those in the pageant world and joining the cast to use the platform allowed her to share her music and work in TV/film to the world. We catch up with 9-1-1: Lone Star's Brian Michael Smith who talks about his career, how he approaches his craft, learning about the industry in front of and behind the camera, the show and how he uses his platform to speak out on trans rights. We catch up with Bear Grylls as he talks with us about how he got into being an adventurer, Running with Bear on National Geographic, the importance of supplementation and more. We also talk with Gorjana Reidel, co-founder of gorjana. She talks about how they built the brand, key items that we should have in our assortment and the importance of empowering women!
This month’s 9PLAYLIST is from EDM ALOK as well as Curb Your Enthusiasm, comedian, spokesperson and co-host of May I Elaborate? JB Smoove. Basketball influencer and trainer Chris Brickley and adventurer Bear Grylls shares their 63MIX ROUTIN3S of what they do Morning, Afternoon and Night with us. Our 9DRIP comes from our cover Tyron Woodley. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from Brian Michael Smith and Candiace Dillard-Bassett as they share their must-haves in grooming/beauty, style and fitness. This month’s 9LOOKS shares some of our favorite ensembles from Herve Leger.
Our monthly feature, The Art of the Snack focuses on Baazi in NY. This month’s Athleisure List comes from JAPAN HOUSE | Los Angeles and Loreley Beer Garden. As always, we have our monthly roundups of some of our favorite finds.
Read the MAR ISSUE #75 of Athleisure Mag.
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9LIST STORI3S | CHRIS BRICKLEY
MINDFUL DEDICATION WITH CHRIS BRICKLEY
As we head closer to the NBA Playoffs, we caught up with Chris Brickley, a Player Development Coach who played at the University of Louisville under Rick Pitino, worked with players at the NY Knicks and launched a successful training company, BlackOps Basketball. His training has been sought after by a number of basketball players, entertainers and more.
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 an 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?
CB: Being with the Knicks for 4 seasons, I believed that I had enough connections to branch out on my own. Even though leaving a guaranteed Knicks contract wasn’t easy, I’m glad I made the decision. BlackOps Basketball is something I am proud about.
AM: What are your days like with your clients during the season and off season?
CB: During the season, it’s a lot of text convos and dinners, taking about their games and what they can do better. The off-season is grind time - we make a plan and work extremely hard to attack that plan.
AM: When it comes to taking on clients as you have a number of NBA stars, those looking to hone their skills for college as well as those that are entertainers, what do you look for?
CB: I look for players and people that genuinely love the game and want to get better. You don’t need to be an NBA star or a celeb, you just need to be urgent about getting better. Simple as that.
AM: What kind of intake questions do you ask for those that have worked with you for the first time? Do you ask what they want to improve, athletes that they want to play like etc?
CB: We have many conversations before we start up. I ask them what they think they need to improve & work on. I tell the them what I think they need to improve and work on and we come to a common ground. Then we work.
AM: In working with your clients, how much interaction do you have with their teams’ coaches?
CB: I have a lot of interaction. In the off-season players coaches will come in the gym and watch the workouts. They will also give me stuff to focus on.
AM: You have also been working with J. Cole who will premiere this month playing for the Rwanda Patriots BBC for the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League. I know this was a dream for him to play at a pro level, what was it like working with him to get him to this dream?
CB: J. Cole was someone I looked up to way before working with him. So to work with him every night for 4-5 months was amazing. He got so much better and now he’s a pro!
AM: I know that Quavo has worked with you for a while and introduced you to Travis Scott, which brought you on tour with him, how do you schedule your time as your work can literally take you anywhere?
CB: So Quavo is one of my close friends so shout-out to him. When he introduced me to Travis, Travis asked me immediately to come on tour with him. His tour hit all the NBA cities and it was during the winter so it worked perfectly. I could work with Travis and also see my clients in their cities. Shoutout my guy Travis!
AM: We’ve enjoyed looking at your feed over the years where you’ve shared pick up games at Life Time Athletic with LeBron James, James Harden, Carmelo Anthony etc. – how did these come about and did you realize that this would be such a draw for others to want to participate in as well?
CB: One night Melo and I were hanging out in Puerto Rico and he said when we get back to NYC schedule a pickup game. He said he wanted to play some 5 on 5. The first one I scheduled had Kevin Durant, Kemba Walker, JR Smith along with 10 other NBA players, it went viral and the rest is history.
AM: How do you take time for yourself when you’re not watching games, prepping for your clients, working with them in person, etc.?
CB: I listen to music, hangout with friends and go on walks. Music and walks are my peace of mind.
AM: You’ve partnered with BODYARMOR. How did this partnership come about and what is it about your synergy that made sense for you to work with one another?
CB: I’m very excited about my new partnership with BODYARMOR. Seeing the growth they’ve had in the last few years and the potential they have to do more – along with the fact that they have incredible athlete investors who I regularly work with like Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Trae Young – it was a no-brainer for me. I know my brand and company is still on the rise too, so we’re both grinding to be the best out there and that makes it even more special.
AM: Why do you like including BODYARMOR within your routine?
CB: Now more than ever, athletes and trainers – like myself – are paying close attention to what we put in our bodies. To perform like the best, you need to prepare like the best – and hydration plays a major role in that. BODYARMOR is my go-to because it gives me exactly what I need – potassium-packed electrolytes, vitamins, and antioxidants – to ensure I’m feeling my best out on the court and can perform to my highest level.
AM: Tell me about Color Blind. What’s the ethos behind it and what is the product assortment that’s currently available?
CB: Color Blind is my baby! It means so much to me. I love fashion and I love the meaning. It represents the light in all of us Doesn’t matter your race, your gender, your religion, we are all humans. I have some amazing collabs coming soon! I can’t wait for you guys to see.
AM: What other projects are you working on that you’re able to share with us? Based on your IG, it seems like you’re working on some music?
CB: Yes BlackOps Presents ‘Welcome To The Grind’, it is going to be the soundtrack for all hoopers and athletes across the world. When athletes and people in general are working out I want them to play this album. The album has some of the biggest names in music. It’s going to be a classic!
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 56 - 61 Chris Brickley/Social | PG 64 BODYARMOR |
Read the May issue #65 of Athleisure Mag and see Mindful Dedication with Chris Brickley in mag.
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ATHLEISURE MAG | #65 MAY 2021
In this month’s issue, our cover shoot is STARZ’ Run the World (which premiered this month) actor, Nick Sagar. We talk about how important his creativity outside of his craft has been to him, how he got into the industry, his process for going about his projects, the power of family, his latest show Run the World as well as info on the third installment of Netflix’s The Princess Switch which is out later this year. We took some time to talk to noted basketball trainer, Chris Brickley who is known for working with James Harden, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony as well as J. Cole, who’s been on our playlists and is currently playing for the NBA Africa! We talk about how he got into the love of the game, how he transitioned to be a Development Coach for the Knicks, ultimately creating his own firm where he’s able to take on a myriad of clients and his partnership with BodyArmor. With the Olympics getting closer, we have interviews with Team USA Gymnast Medalist, Laurie Hernandez. We talk about how she got interested in the sport, what it was like being apart of the Final Five at the Summer Games in Rio, training these past few months during a pandemic, her upcoming Olympic goals for Tokyo and her latest collab with The Little Words Project. We also talk with Team USA Diving Medalist Steele Johnson as he talks about his journey to swimming and his passion for diving, joining Team USA for the Summer Games in Rio, working with his Synchro partner David Boudia, the remainder of his schedule on The Road to Tokyo and what he is looking forward to. We caught up with Gurwin Singh Ahuja who is known for his service in Civil Rights, held positions in the Obama Administration, is the Co-Founder of We Are Sikhs and also launched a sustainable marketplace, Salvos. We talk with him about his became politically interested and active, what he worked on while in the administration, the importance of bringing awareness about the Sikh community, talked about Climate Change and how he wants his legacy to be seen as. We also talk with noted artist, Jade Purple Brown who has had her work features in a number of campaigns with brands from Murad, Sephora and Drew Barrymore’s Flower to name a few. She talked about how she realized that she was interested in being an artist, how she selects her projects and being an entrepreneur.
This month, Olympic Team USA Skateboarding hopeful, Heimana Reynolds shares his favorite songs in 9PLAYLIST. Team USA Diving Medalist David Boudia shares his favorites and why in our 9LIST STORI3S. Celebrity Basketball Development Trainer, Chris Brickley shares his favorites and why in our 9LIST STORI3S. EDM artist, Anabel Englund shares her favorites and why in our 9LIST ROUTIN3S. In addition, Team USA Gymnast Medalist, Laurie Hernandez shares her 9LIST ROUTIN3S that she enjoys in the morning, afternoon and evening.
Our monthly feature, The Art of the Snack focuses on Balade Restaurant. This month’s Athleisure List comes from Opus and TRX Training Club. As always, we have our monthly roundups of some of our favorite finds.
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
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