Why did Sixers strength coach Ben Kenyon write a motivational book? ‘To see more people win.’

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ben Kenyon established a routine. Following his morning run in the Portland, Ore., suburb of Vancouver, Wash., he would sit in the sauna at his home for an hour.

And he would write.

Those words became the first draft of a motivational book that combined the 76ers’ head strength and conditioning coach’s personal experiences with research and actionable steps to succeed along life’s journey. Three years later, Climb: 14 Proven Steps for Emerging Leaders to Grow and Achieve was published this past fall. Kenyon hopes it can serve as a catalyst for his lofty mission to stretch beyond the Sixers players he works with daily, and eventually impact 15 million people from all walks of life.

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“I paid attention to the conversations I was having with people who didn’t work in sports,” Kenyon said recently. “People were just continuing to ask, ‘How did you get there? What steps did you take?’ and I kept going through the same process, even now, in organic conversation and relying on the [book’s] chapters.

“That’s pretty much what allowed me to say, you know what? This is going to be impactful outside of the group of people that I see every day, outside of basketball. … I’ve always wanted to make sure I left a legacy that spoke to performance, leadership, inspiration, but actually touched people across the world.”

Climb is a quick 86-page read by design, with Kenyon calling it a playbook or “pocket coach.” He initially wanted to target the demographic of his nieces and nephews, whose ages range from 13 to 30. But the themes are universal and applicable to virtually any person at any stage of life.

Kenyon modeled the book’s format after the works of author Ryan Holiday, which include Ego Is the Enemy and Stillness Is the Key. Climb is divided into three sections: foundation, growth, and achievement. Within those are chapters covering topics such as identifying core values and crafting a vision statement, or creating a winning routine and holistic lifestyle, or the importance of pausing and pacing oneself.

Each chapter begins with an applicable quote from sources ranging from Jay-Z and Nipsey Hussle to Oprah and Michelle Obama, to characters from the movies Kung Fu Panda and Moana. They end with action items, such as writing down careers that would allow one to practice strengths and passions, or how certain people add value to one’s life (or don’t), or healthy and toxic habits. Themes that resurface throughout the book are that obstacles are inevitable, that “dominating your lane” is important, and that “everyone can’t climb to the top with you.”

“I kept visualizing mountains,” Kenyon said, “and saying, ‘All right, I’m on top of a mountaintop right now and this is one heck of a place to be: working in the NBA. But there’s other mountains that I probably want to conquer at one point, so the climb probably continues on.’

“I have to understand that the steps I took to get here, I can probably use those again for the next level of my life.”

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That NBA life is peppered throughout the chapters. The foreword is written by former Sixer Danny Green, who credited Kenyon with keeping his spirits high when his minutes dwindled during the 2021-22 season. The chapter about leaning on one’s support system highlights how CJ McCollum, whom Kenyon coached when they both were with the Portland Trail Blazers, handled early-career injuries. All-NBA guard Damian Lillard, another former Trail Blazer, is a subject of the chapter about leadership because, in Kenyon’s words, “Dame’s worth ethic is unmatched.”

Kenyon also weaves in lessons from his playing career at Adelphi University in New York and his stint at George Washington University, where he became an assistant athletic director. He also includes more vulnerable personal experiences, such as sleeping on his apartment’s floor because he could not afford a bed during an unpaid internship with the University of Florida, and dealing with his father’s death. The final chapter’s quote is from his grandmother: “Enjoy yourself, go explore, and live life.”

Sixers Tyrese Maxey and Paul Reed are not surprised Kenyon pursued such an endeavor. They both praised Kenyon’s contagious energy and positivity during grueling weight-room sessions. Reed added that exchanging books — specifically, 10X Rule by Grant Cardone, which focuses on “massive actions” that mimic Reed’s high-effort playing style — helped him and Kenyon “connect on a deeper level.”

“Just talking to him every day during our lifts,” Reed said, “he always lets me put things in perspective and kind of tells me, ‘Just be consistent with the work, and everything will fall into place.’

“And that’s exactly what happens, and that’s why I continue to listen to him and let him be the mentor and coach for me.”

Still, this particular process was new for Kenyon. He initially wrote 30 chapters and, after handing that version to an editor, was told, “This isn’t a book.” So he hired a writing coach and sought help from friends with experience in journalism and in dissertations, and took about a year to retool Climb.

“I can tell a story,” Kenyon said. “I can have a conversation. But being able to actually write it out is a whole different craft, and I respect it. So I listened and I received. … I relate it to strength and conditioning. I want to go squat 225 [pounds], but I’ve never squatted a day in my life, you can’t just jump right to it.”

By September, Kenyon was ready for a book launch event featuring Maxey at the Fitler Club. In a room full of young adults with a variety of interests, Maxey recognized that Kenyon is “not just a basketball trainer.”

“He’s somebody that tries to motivate everybody,” Maxey said. “Not just people who are big-time athletes or people trying to get stronger, trying to get in [better] shape. He’s motivating people who are starting businesses, who are becoming doctors, becoming lawyers.”

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And motivating himself. Kenyon still occasionally flips through Climb when he feels physically and mentally off-track during the NBA season’s grind. Though his core values are tattooed on his arm, a specific moment might call for a new word or phrase. He chose the book’s title because life’s climb never truly ends.

So while Kenyon recognizes that 15 million people might not read Climb, the ripple effect can filter out from those who do.

“It’s going to happen one person at a time,” Kenyon said. “They get inspired by the book, and that means they’re going to step into their day and show up better as a leader, show up better as a human. That’s going to now impact the next person over.

“ … If there’s only 100 people that read this, please make sure that you guys take the energy and spread it out and share some of that love. That’s my whole thing, just making sure that people realize I’m really in it to empower people and put people in positions to succeed in life, because the coach in me wants to see more people win.”