Going to the dark side: Former Brooks and Merrimack star gets gig with Lakers

Jul. 14—Life can bring you in different, unexpected directions.

Just ask former Brooks School and Merrimack College basketball star Anthony Barry.

A month ago he was training some Detroit Pistons players while rooting hard for the Boston Celtics, his life-long favorite team, to beat the Golden State Warrions in the NBA Finals.

Today he's employed as assistant strength & conditioning and sports performance coach for the ... well ... Los Angeles Lakers.

"Crazy, isn't it?" said Barry, who is in Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League with his new gig, with a laugh. "I'm a Laker guy now. I going to the dark side, I guess. You gotta go where it takes you."

Barry's story, though, started just over 50 miles down the road on Route 495, where he played three years at Milford High before transferring to Brooks.

"It was a time period that guys were making the transition from public high schools to prep schools," said Barry. "I visited a couple of schools and fell in love with Brooks and Coach [John] McVeigh. They were very competitive playing in a great league."

That choice led to his next move, Merrimack College, where he could not only play a high brand of Div. 2 basketball (now Div. 1), but the school was among the best that offered his desired major, exercise physiology.

"I knew when I was done playing I wanted to stay in the game and I was intrigued with the physical training," said Barry. "Coach McVeigh went to Merrimack. He was a big help. And it ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made."

Barry not only put in five years — he got a red-shirt year after breaking his foot as a junior — thus earning a graduate degree while becoming the 14th Warrior to make the 1,000-point, 500-rebound club, but an internship at Body By Boyle's solidified his future.

"It was eye-opening working at Boyles and seeing the effect you have on athletes," said Barry, who also was able to split time with Boston University and Tufts. "I was able to work with high college, college and pro athletes. I knew then it was for me."

Last year Barry was with the Pistons G-League team, the Motor City Cruise (a shared team with Denver Broncos) as a performance coach.

They worked at the same facility as the Pistons did, which led him to the joining the Pistons earlier this summer.

That was until the Lakers came looking.

"It's a great opportunity," said Barry. "We have three of our (Lakers) guys on this summer team and a few other G-League guys. It's been great so far."

Has he been invited to LeBron James mansion yet?

"No, not yet," said Barry, while laughing. "I'm just trying to get through today."