The Kings are so deep that they have FOUR quality point guards. Of course, there aren't enough minutes to go around, so two invariably wind up sitting on the bench through most of the contests. But anything can happen, so Mateen Cleaves and Brent Price have to be ready to go in and play for an extended duration at any time, in case there's an injury or ejection or other situation. Cleaves knows how to compete -- he led his Michigan State squad to the 2000 NCAA national championship and is eager to contribute to the Kings in his second NBA season.


Mateen Cleaves works his upper body with a press.
Cleaves is also a natural athlete. He packs a bulky 205 pounds of muscle on his 6-2 frame and Kings strength and conditioning coach Al Biancani has no problem getting the young guard into the weight room.

"When I was in high school I was a pretty good football player, so I think it started in high school," Cleaves says. "Then when I went to Michigan State, we had a tough weight program there with our strength and conditioning guy – Mike Vorkapich, we called him Vork and Coach Mannie (Ken Mannie), the football weight lifting guy. It got crazy in that weight room."

"Just to maintain his conditioning and reduce his strength loss during the season," Biancani says. "We do extra conditioning to help maintain his condition so that if somehow he has to go in and play a lot of minutes, he's ready to go."

Cleaves lifts three times a week with an all-around regimen that includes exercises for both the upper and lower body. The following is Cleaves' workout.

NOTE: This workout is designed for a professional basketball player. Please consult your physician before embarking upon any fitness regimen.

Exercise Details Quotable
Bench Press 3 sets, 10 reps, 160 lbs. Biancani: "We use less weight and more repetitions to keep him from getting too bulky. If you want to get him bigger, then you go on heavier weights, lower reps."
Lat Raise 3 sets, 10 reps, 25 lbs.
Pec Deck 3 sets, 10 reps, 90 lbs.
Tricep Press 3 sets, 10 reps, 90 lbs. Cleaves: "Physically I think I can match up with anybody, you know, bumping and banging because I've always stayed nice and fit. There's always room for improvement, but physically I'm ready to play."
Lat Pull 3 sets, 10 reps, 140 lbs.
Seated Row 3 sets, 10 reps, 140 lbs.
Bent Fly 3 sets, 10 reps, 50 lbs. Biancani: "If he comes into the season in shape, then all you have to do is maintain. If he hasn't done the work during the offseason, then you have a lot of work to do."
Curls 3 sets, 10 reps, 35 lbs.
Leg Curl 3 sets, 10 reps, 100 lbs.
Hack Squat 3 sets, 10 reps, 315 lbs. Cleaves: "When I went to college, we really had to step it up. We had great weight programs at Michigan State. I think that's what helped me out."
Calf Raises 3 sets, 10 reps, 100 lbs.


Cleaves talks to teammate Mike Bibby in the Kings' weight room.

Cleaves performs a tricep press.


Cleaves works his lats with a pull down.

Cleaves finishes with leg curls.

Special thanks to Al Biancani and Devin Blankenship for flexing their muscles to help provide this workout.