Image Source: X
[Saba Sports News] Tyrese Haliburton may owe some of his trash-talk skills to his trainer, Drew Hanlen.
The well-known NBA skills coach went viral this week after The Athletic detailed some of his more unconventional motivational tactics. Hanlen reportedly has a habit of pitting his clients against each other — sometimes by putting them on speakerphone to talk trash, or creating group texts to stir the pot before they face off on the court.
That approach becomes even more interesting considering Hanlen’s star-studded client list, which includes Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Tyler Herro, Chet Holmgren, and most recently, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Not everyone is a fan, though. Former Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings ripped Hanlen after the article’s release, calling him a “groupie a– trainer” who’s too friendly with players. When Hanlen initially didn’t respond, Jennings doubled down on social media Tuesday with another shot.
Hanlen didn’t hold back this time. The 35-year-old fired back with a brutal clapback referencing Jennings’ underwhelming playoff record:
“I’m getting two of my clients (Haliburton & Holmgren) ready for the Finals so don’t have time to waste on your dumba– takes.
Side note: Maybe if your trainer would’ve talked s— to you, you wouldn’t have shot 37% from the field & 23% from 3 in the playoffs while never winning s—.”
Ironically, Jennings may have proved Hanlen’s method works — if he were still in the league, he might have been fired up enough to take it personally. Jennings, who averaged 16.5 points over five seasons in Milwaukee, made just one playoff run past the first round — as a bench player for the 2016-17 Wizards.
Adding another twist: Hanlen’s first major client? None other than Jennings’ teammate on that Wizards squad — Bradley Beal.