TriniPrincess

Jalen Brunson’s work ethic is unmatched: “I was lucky to grow up around the league and see how pro hoopers trained. I was never the biggest freak athlete, so I became a hustle player. I was always gonna fight for the loose ball and take charges, do whatever it takes to get it done. I still remember grinding in the gym late at night after games where I played terribly. Early in the morning, I’d be in there by myself getting in my work — getting my lifts in and working on my shot — all before the first bell. And I was lucky to have the friend group I did, that understood my goals and understood what I was trying to achieve. They never pushed me in a direction like, ‘Yo, just come hang with us and then do work after.’ They were like, ‘No, no, make sure you get your stuff done and then come see us.’ They pushed me in the right direction. And that made life a lot easier for me as a kid. But the real difference maker is what I learned back then about how that kind of preparation feeds your mindset. Self-doubt is just a natural part of life, especially as a young player. If I’m being honest, I still go through that now. Even when you’re working as hard as you think you can, you’re going to have a little sliver of doubt. But it’s all about your concentration, your preparation and making sure that you’re putting yourself in a position to know that you did everything you could. That’s how you erase that sense of doubt.” playerstribu.ne/JalenBrunson @jalenbrunson1 | @nyknicks | @NovaMBB