Norman Powell is a basketball player to be reckoned with both on and off the court. So far this 2024-2025 season, he averages nearly 24 points per game for the LA Clippers, and in this exclusive interview with M&F, explains why being considered a leader is something to be taken seriously. See how this athlete takes care of his body before, during and after competitions.
Powell played for the UCLA Bruins before joining the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. The 6’4″ shooting guard was then traded to the Toronto Raptors, where he made a huge impact in helping the team win an NBA championship in 2019. After one year with the Portland Trail Blazers, Powell joined the Los Angeles Clippers in 2022, and at 31 it proves to be a constant threat to competition.
As we speak, Powell is tired but extremely positive after a stunning 29-point performance against the Dallas Mavericks. As for the body parts that hurt him the most after the fight, Powell says it’s his shoulders. “You just run and get hit by these 7-footers and stuff,” explains the passionate player with obstacles in his path. “They try to get their guys open and be vertical against guys who run and drive.”
Basketball is undeniably a contact sport, and it’s an attrition game that requires these elite athletes to be firing on all cylinders.
Norman Powell is a leader on and off the basketball court
Powell explains that hydration is key, and the player works with the Clippers’ nutritionist to make sure he’s well-fed. The San Diego dancer drinks water throughout the day and also consumes electrolytes to combat cramps. He also drinks milk before the game, during halftime, and after the game. Perhaps because of his due diligence, Powell says cramps haven’t been a major problem for him.
“I’ve seen it really bad, especially with some of my teammates,” he says. “Especially when I was in college.” His development as a player is not only in the game itself, but also in the way he conducts himself with coaches and peers during practice. “It’s very important,” he says of his ethos. “You know, for me it was just figuring out the best way to be a leader, and that’s changed throughout my career. Before, I wasn’t the type to be like (voice) in conversations.”
Instead, Powell first became a leader by example, and coaches pointed him to other players, telling them to be more like him, especially when it came to working and training harder. Now, however, the elite athlete is taking a more hands-on approach. It was during his senior year at UCLA that Powell says he truly found his voice.
“I [became] more vocally, pulling kids aside individually, talking to them and making that connection,” she explains. “I find something we have common ground with, build a relationship and friendship that way, and then I talk.”
Despite his individual prowess, Powell understands that winning in basketball requires a full team commitment. “Getting the guys focused and locking down what we need to do, because you know, we need everybody. I want to win,” he said excitedly. “This year we have a little margin for error, especially with Kawhi (Leonard) being out, and we don’t know when he’s going to be back, so we’ve got to be a team that’s more focused, detail-oriented, less mistakes.”
Powell says the Clippers have one of the longest average player ages this season (they are the third oldest group with an average age of 27.38 years), but with age comes the advantage of wisdom. To that end, his coaches were smart to put a lot of emphasis on recovery rather than overtraining.
But Powell leaves no stone unturned to keep his body in good shape. He has a hyperbaric chamber to breathe pure oxygen and also likes to take both hot and cold dips. “I have a red light bed and then I go into the cryotherapy chamber probably 2 to 3 times a week,” she shares.
Powell also has a love-hate relationship with the foam roller. “I hate the foam roller,” he jokes. “But it’s really good, especially for keeping my muscles relaxed. I’ve had a soft tissue injury this year with my hamstring, so I really emphasize sitting on a foam roller or tennis ball. I get these knots out just to give the muscles more elasticity.” While Powell has suffered from injuries in the past, he says he’s in great shape right now. “Recovery is huge,” he shares, explaining that he’s determined to cover all the bases, and that includes focusing on getting good quality sleep.
Norman Powell has both style and substance
With the apt fashion brand UTG—Understand the Grind— growing popularity, Powell has become one of the NBA’s style icons. But while his threads have changed, he’s still very much in touch with his roots. Powell wants to raise awareness about the plight of Boys and Girls Clubs.
“I wouldn’t know where I’d be without the Boys and Girls Club,” Powell says. “Because my mom, she was a single parent, and this was a place you could drop us off and we could be there all day. For me the boys and girls club had such an impact on my life because my first basketball coach on that team ended up being my big brother, pretty much, and he got me to play AAU basketball for the San Diego program. Without these programs, I don’t know where I would be either.”
From boy to man, Norman Powell has gone from mentor to finding his place as a leader in his sport.
Follow Norman Powell Instagram.
