Jalen Brunson: “They said I was too slow, not athletic enough, too small”

After four years in Dallas and a breakout season Jalen Brunson moved to New York after signing a contract with the Knicks as a free agent.

His father was on the team that reached the NBA Finals in 1995. Brunson admitted that the saw a few similar faces in the Knicks locker room that remembers from his childhood.

It wasn’t smooth sailing for Brunson as het got into basketball. According to the former second round draft pick, people always doubted and he had to constantly prove his value.

“Everywhere I’ve gone since highschool has started for me, it’s always been ‘Jalen Brunson’s good, but…’ It’s always that ‘but.’ They’re going to say something negative about it,” Brunson said during his introductory press conference.

“Wherever I’ve gone, you hear that in the first couple of years and then all of a sudden ‘Jalen’s this, he’s great, he’s this, he’s this.’ Then I go to college – same thing ‘Jalen’s good, but… and this, and this, and this…’

“They said I was too slow, not athletic enough, too small. All the things that don’t measure heart. And that’s what I have.”

This past season the 25-year-old point guard averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 31.9 minutes per game for the Mavericks.