Jalen Brunson Reacts to Luka Doncic Criticism, Reggie Miller’s Knicks Comments | Taylor Rooks X

Jalen Brunson Reacts to Luka Doncic Criticism, Reggie Miller’s Knicks Comments | Taylor Rooks X

Jaylen I am so happy that we’re doing this it’s been a long time coming I’ve been pestering Jaylen about coming on my show for years now so I’m so happy that we got it done um but I also really do just generally mean a long time coming I always tell people like I was watching you when you were in high school so to see you now be the King of New York an all star one of the best guards in the league um has really been something fun for me um and so I hope that you have been able to embrace the moment in the same way absolutely it’s been a very long journey but I mean I’ve enjoyed every step of it it’s uh it’s made me who I am it’s I remember where I come from and how I started but um I just I try and never lose sight of like having that hunger of getting better every single day and all that stuff so it’s it’s been a long time coming but the journey is just beginning yeah do you remember not choosing my school absolutely I remember I I mean I would I could never forget I could never so just for some background I went to University of Illinois when I was there I was covering High School recruiting Jaylen of course was a huge recruit my school was in his top three right I think we were just in there for some fun but ultimately of course went to Villanova which was the right decision to be pretty good decision pretty good very good decision um I want to start with some tweet story time because the last time I saw you you and Josh are with your wives out to eat and when I looked at my phone I saw that something happened with Josh and a reservation yeah so please tell me the story I call Josh and I say hey Josh do you want to do dinner after the game say yeah we do dinner and I was okay make a reservation at Carbone for however I think we had like four or five yeah all right I got it I got it he says I got it like he legit said I got it and then we go back obviously we we play we win all right we’re going to dinner we’re all driving together no we’re meeting there and Josh calls me he’s said hey what’s the what’s the reservation under I said I said no way there’s no way I said I told you to make a reservation he said no I thought you said you made it for five I said no I asked you to make it for five and so yeah we went there somewhere else yeah then we ended up at zero Bond end zero Bond ended at zero Bond and I was I looked at him the whole night like what do you like what is wrong with you yeah how did you mess this up ever telling me you were going to get it done but it is actually very curious to me how your life has changed being like a star in New York City cuz I would think you could walk into Carbone and they’ll give you a table well he walked in I was still driving there so I don’t know how that worked out but actually now would think about it um we were going to the Rangers game after we after our season ended and we’re going to go to dinner before I said Josh make the reservation not even thinking about what happened last time and the reservation was made at the restaurant at a different location so like just Josh you’re 0 for two now okay I’m sorry at a certain point is on you because why do you keep like I said like I said that one was on me like I should have known yeah but I wasn’t thinking but I was just but we got the we got the down eath there at the when we were at so we we were good okay I love that but your your life I’m sure has changed a lot what is even comparable to being a star in New York City um it’s changed but I try and I try my best to stay grounded I have the people around me who keep me grounded mhm um I think just being in New York being in that City it’s it’s embraced me and I’ve got to experience a lot of great things but uh um the way the way I’ve been respected the way I’ve been um talked to and embraced it’s it’s been amazing for me so I don’t really try and think about the star aspect of it I just try and be like a normal person as much as I can obviously things happen that are out of your control but um I mean I’ve enjoyed it just because of how I’ve been I’ve been the same and it’s been a really interesting Journey because as I’m sure you very vividly remember when the news first broke the conversation was he’s overpaid why did you all do this there was other people available and now it has become is Jaylen Brunson the best free agent signing in Nick’s history what have those two opposites sort of shown you about how we determine value in this league I mean it’s all about opportunity it’s all about confidence it’s all about the situation so it’s a mixture of everything um confidence goes a long way uh the situation you’re in the teammates you’re around all that stuff and so my situation obviously has turned out for the the better as of now and so um I kind of contribute that to not just like how I’ve played with the people I’ve been around with the organization the coaches everyone’s just it’s been a group effort it hasn’t just been me and so um without their help I don’t think that none of this is possible so opportunity confidence and situation for you of those three categories what’s been the one you would say you struggled with the most I think the Situation’s great I think the opportunity is fantastic honestly I don’t say I struggle with but it’s probably the one that’s the least is confidence cuz there’s some nights where like you just you think you overthink and like you don’t play well you you do something that’s just like you’re not comfortable with like you played you didn’t play the way you want it to and so like you think all night you can’t go to sleep because you’re think about how that game went and how can you be better and stuff like that so I don’t I don’t say I struggle with confidence but if there’s something that wavers and you have to kind of to recalibrate it it is confidence yeah how do you work on that like how do you Flex the the confidence muscle the confidence for me comes like my work ethic so I my routine on game days my routine night before game I make sure I do that every single game if I can like if the Situation’s right um but knowing that how hard I work I just say I I can’t work this hard and not be confident so that’s how I kind of talk to myself in games that’s what I say to myself before games during situations and that kind of little little Mantra I say to myself it helps you know a lot of people were wrong about you I mean that’s really just the only way to put it a lot of people were really wrong about you when everyone found out you were going to be coming to New York is there like an incredibly egregious comment that was just almost comical to you now um not a comment but there is like there’s on Twitter or X whatever we call it now um there’s a there’s like compilation of like videos of like when I did sign and it was like a bunch of like it was like on ESPN it was like on u f Fox Sports or whatever and um just saying like how dumb or how bad it was for the Knicks or whatever the grading process of it every time I see it I just get kind of like I don’t watch it but I skim over like there it is again like but I didn’t I didn’t think of it at the time like when I saw it I was like all right it’s just another another stepping stone where people don’t believe in me and I believe in myself so how do those reminders serve you they serve a good purpose like they they’re always there it kind of keeps me humble hey these people don’t think you’re anything like and I’m not trying to go out there and prove to the world like yo I I belong here I’m proving to myself like hey I I work this hard to be in this position I have this opportunity I need to take full advantage of it so it’s more telling myself that I belong here versus telling the world like hey like see like watch me I’m in this position because I earned it like which is true but I’m trying to prove it to myself first and foremost if you didn’t have doubters right if they if this Underdog or overlooked mentality was not in your life what kind of player would you be I would say honestly I would be pretty similar to how I am really because there’s a lot of people who like you said doubt me or Overlook me or whatever but I don’t I try my best not to even think of him because I have the person who’s been with me every single day like my dad to push me and push me the way he has and have I’ve had other coaches in the past push me and push me like coach right my high school coach Middle School coach um coaches in the league like they’ve pushed me pushed me and um I’ve always had that mindset of okay like how can I get better how can I just extract the message from what they’re trying to say and put into my game to make sure I’m the better player um there’s always people going to say things about you that are positive or negative but uh if you’re not going to listen to the negative you can’t listen to the positive either so that I would be very similar so I would say you know I talk to a lot of athletes a lot and there is always this theme of oh I don’t care what people say or I don’t listen to what people say sometimes I’m like you know I don’t fully believe you I know that you’re watching the shows I know that you’re scrolling on the internet but I feel like when you say it you truly are not locked in on any sort of naysayer true I’m not locked in on on a naysayer but like you said I see it see like I you see all that stuff yeah um and it’s just like okay just another one another thing that’s happened to me it’d be different if it really happened and someone said something I like oh okay this is going to be my being my head for a while but I’ve it’s happened throughout my entire career yeah like it’s happened in high school and I proved every wrong it happened in college I proved every wrong happened in the league and it’s still happening it’s going to happen it’s just it’s just all about how you respond to it yeah there’s just there’s this really interesting element to me about it that that is your normal know like yeah that is your air right like this is what you know having people discuss you in this way so you now know what it’s like to be a six man and you know what it is like to be the leading man and the number one option on a team what do you have to tap into now that you never had to tap into at any other point in your career a lot of the things now are mental more than anything so it’s all about your mental approach the NBA season is a long season it’s um it can be grueling you could wake up in the morning just not feel great at all but once once your game time comes like you’re just me mentally ready to go so it’s all about how like my mental approach has changed because there’s so many more games and there’s so many more um just opportunities to go out there and compete I feel like like you’re in high school and college like you play every two three maybe four days and so um you have these long breaks in between games where you can sit on a good win a bad win or a bad loss or it’s it’s in your it’s in your mind for a while I think you have the you have every single night every other night to go out there and compete so it’s a new matchup it’s a new game it’s a way to kind of redeem yourself it’s a way to build on what you’re doing so it’s all about how you mentally prepare to go out there compete every single day I think that’s been like the biggest change it’s interesting you say that because something Channing fry and I will always talk about is when we watch you play you are always passionate but never emotional are you like intentional with that difference so you disagree I I’ve gotten more emotional okay I’ve gotten more emotional why do you think that is um I gu like with confidence you come like I don’t want to say you become arrogant but like there’s times where like you let your emotions get the best to you and that’s just how it is and I would say throughout the regular season sometimes I have moments I’m like highs and lows I do try and hide it pretty well yeah I do try and hide it your face doesn’t change much when I come to the bench I kind of I I say some stuff and I get I get angry or when the camera’s not looking I say some stuff I I just I try and do it where it’s not right there yeah it happens what gets you high what gets you low obviously playing well get you on gets you on Cloud9 but um and not playing well gets you low but uh it’s I would say one thing I’ve learned I’ve had Hales where like I go two for 10 two for like not good shooting halves but maybe do doing something else great or may not be playing well at all and um just that 15minute break and during halftime I get a a chance to refocus and then all of a sudden I’m back and playing great in the second half um so whenever something happens like that I’m not playing well I’m like all right it’s a time to refocus I I know I’ve done this before let’s go out there and just play as best you can it’s think about the little things I’m not thinking about what I’m doing wrong and then I end up playing well in the second half so um having moments like that with with myself knowing that I can be better knowing I’m not playing great just that always gives me confidence so I was talking to different people about how he’s doing this interview and something that kept popping up which has always popped up in your career is people saying well you know he’s he’s not the most athletic but he’s super smart yeah and he has great footwork and while you know I think that the the compliment aspect of that is true I’m curious if this assessment of your G game feels like it doesn’t give you enough credit yeah but that goes back to what we were saying before it’s always about being like overlooked like it it happens there’s always when I got um when we did the the introduction with the Knicks I kind of said something hey like everyone thinks I’m good but there’s always that hey like there’s something it’s like not like it’s not like a backhanded compliment but it’s like a yeah he’s got it but he’s not this or he’s not that it’s always been that way and so I mean like it is what it is at this point but I wonder if it’s actually more so a challenge to the consumers to expand our definition of what a star looks like because if they do believe you to be somebody who isn’t you know other worldly athletic or is undersized whatever the case may be but you’re still performing and excelling in these ways then why are those traits as necessary as we deem them to be it’s just how it is is yeah it’s just how it is it’s the The Narrative of a star it’s it’s the look of a star it’s what brings uh the most tickets what bring how can you monetize someone or something so um that’s just how it’s been it’s always been that way and so um I mean I’m not fighting it it is what it is I’m still going to try and do what I got to do but it’s just it’s how it’s been yeah cuz I mean just as I thought about it I’m like that’s actually a very lazy take because you aren’t allowing yourself to see what works for somebody like it would be different if you weren’t winning yeah but why are those other things necessary if the way that you are really works for you and so I I just think it’s it’s interesting that it continues to pop up yeah when how you play basketball is winning basketball I would say everyone like has agendas everyone has things that have to push it may not be them but it may be someone above them saying I need you to push this yeah or whatever so I mean whatever said or whatever is not said or I kind of just don’t it is what it is like you don’t like you don’t know what’s what why people are saying certain things or if they have to say certain things so I just I kind of back off of it I try not to get like emotional about it but yeah yeah well I want to just ask you something directly um that I know social media was in an uproar about with the 1A comments which we don’t need to dive into I just want to ask you if you believe that you can be the best player on a championship team I believe that I can help a team win do I have to be the best player no if that’s my role I mean of course I’m going to do the best of my ability but um I’m not I’m not dying to be the best player I’m not dying for that recognition to be a person who needs all that ention for just himself I’m a person who will gladly contribute to winning I’m a person who will gladly put the team in my back if I have to like I’m not I don’t need that title I I want the title Champion that’s all that matters to me and um so whatever is being said about that can he be the best player or not whatever whatever can can I help my team win and I haven’t done that yet but I want to and that’s all I care about yeah and you’re like it’s almost it’s almost the wrong question to be asking if you could be the best player is can we win exactly yeah I want to talk to you a littleit about tibs because I know you all have a very close relationship um what is it that people are misunderstanding about tibs how have three years in a row he has been voted the coach that players least likely want to play for a narrative a narrative that has stuck with him since probably Derek got hurt and it’s unfortunate that that whole sit situation happened but that narrative once the narrative hits you it’s kind of hard to shake it unless you do something drastic and so I feel like if we win that native could wipe from tibs like it’s it’s just it is how it is but one thing I’ve learned from him you will be prepared for a game right he would bring out the dog in you he’s going to make you play a certain style you’re going to buy into it you’re not going to buy into it because like it’s like uh it’s what for the team you’re going to like it because it’s going to make you a better competitor it’s going to make you want to be the best player you can be and um he’s just for a person who works as hard as he is it’s hard not to like sit there and be like oh tibs like you’re like nah I don’t think that’s right like no like this man has been in the gym since 6:00 a.m. this morning and when I come back for night shooting before a game which is around like s or8 he’s still in the gym so he’s there all day and he has a beautiful house which I would if I was him I would before practice over I’m in the car going home so if I was him like I would live there but this man is just dedicated to what he wants to do and it’s when he is a competitor that he loves to compete even as a coach like it’s just it’s amazing to see and so to have the relationship I had with him that my dad has with him and the players on our team had with him um yeah there’s times where like youro tibs like you got to relax like but like he’s always going to be on he’s always going to be pushing you and you’re going to enjoy it because because it’s going to help you win his favorite line is winning is more fun than fun is fun and while we all J with him a laughing I’m winning is fun yeah so and then winning know helps us keep our jobs yeah absolutely so it’s this real competitor dedicated element that he brings to the team that he brings to life because I really want you to take me into the mind of him because it’s he it seems just like almost santti in his dedication to the game and how it’s his life it’s his life it’s his life but since I’ve been there like from afar I’ve known tibs I’ve never obviously never played for him until now but uh getting to play for him and understand him as like a person there’s a lot more to that man than is basketball but he love like he loves his basketball he loves he loves just talking Sports he loves talking strategy um the amount of times I got calls like 8 in the morning hey what do you think about doing this and this and this tonight I’m like yeah we can talk about this [ __ ] around in two hours yeah we can but like he like he just he loves the game yeah and like for a person to dedicate his life to it an unhealthy amount of time to basketball like you can’t just like I would love to play for someone like that just because he’s he’s going to prepare you he’s going to be ready and you’re going he’s going to have every answer for the game right and you’re going to be prepared and like he’s he’s just he’s built the way he is just because of how much he loves the game yeah and I think you know it works for you both because you are likeminded whereas I think for you know the players that are voting on the poll the knock on him is okay he’s going to play you the entire game yeah you’re going to have heavy workload was there a period of you having to like adjust to that no because it’s kind of it’s kind of what I wanted I wanted the situation to obviously lead a team and he’s helping me do that and if I and we’ve gotten to the point where if there’s times where I’m like yo T be like we need to talk about something how I feel about like myself and how I’m playing we talk like he’s not a person who’s going to be like no this is what we’re doing like yeah like he’s going to he’s going to listen um he’s going to like talk to everyone about how they’re feeling he like we don’t our practices are intense mentally versus physically they’re intense mental practice to make sure we’re prepared mentally more than anything during the season what do you mean by that like beginning of the Season training camp obviously early in the season you have tough practices and the later in the season you go you physically aren’t doing as much like competing wise like you’re shooting like you’re walking through and stuff like that but um we’re not doing as much uh like grinding out and practice Yeah mentally we’re like talking about um plays and like walking through plays and kind of visualizing things that are going to happen in the game without like going like full speed and contact and stuff like that so the mental aspect for him is huge and it helps us because physically like we’re not going to do as much in practice but mentally we we’re doing enough to know that this is what we need to get better at this is what we need to do for tomorrow’s game or whatever so that’s just his mind and his mindset are definitely unique but I mean it’s been it’s been working was it unfair to say that you know how he does his rotations the workload led to fatigue down the stretch uh I think I think it’s unfair to say because there’s some things that you can’t fatigue doesn’t like control like um like me breaking my hand like I don’t that’s not really a fatigue thing I right physically hit something um it’s it’s always in question it’s always in question but one thing tibs is always harped on us is to make sure we’re coming into training camp ready to go in shape like there’s no getting ready in training camp and um him having and he calls everybody I know he does he’s like hey like making sure you’re doing what you got to do not saying it like that but basically saying it like that um I’ve never seen a man care for more care like this than then anything else this is what he does this is this is who he is no I love it because I mean the love that you have for him is so it’s so clear so I I enjoy talking to you about him um you mentioned the injury I was talking to you about it before we started rolling and you couldn’t even really find the words no that was yeah I was a little upset by it and it is what it is and just it’s unfortunate but we’ll be we’ll be all right when you think about the moment it happened what is it that comes to your mind initially I didn’t so when I hit Tyrese’s knee like I just like I start walking back to the time out like nothing happened I may have went like this a couple times but like I was just like okay and then like I in the timeout I think I just jammed it Q tape my thumb up or whatever tapes it up and then go out to the court the play was for me I catch the ball caught it weirdly couldn’t really like like grab the ball and I tried the dribble it felt uncomfortable so then I just got off of it and so then I come out the game I I said just just take the tape off take the tape off go back in the game and there was a play where um they score and then TJ McConnell Isaiah hardstein takes the ball out and he’s passing the ball to me on the Baseline and T.J McConnell comes does his like signature like steel out of bounds but you see me I don’t even put my left hand up to catch the ball I don’t like like mentally I just didn’t try to do it and then TJ steals it pass and one lay Isaiah looks at me like like what are you doing I’m just like I don’t know and then L to the sideline I was like I looked at my hand you you see like a little Dent I’m like I said there’s no there’s no way and then walk back and x-rays and boom were you angry were you scared were you mad were you what did you feel when you realized I was like I was like distraught I was just like there’s just no way there’s just no way we were we weren’t playing our best basketball like I wasn’t playing my best like shooting wise um but one thing I do know is that in the fourth comes we we y’all turn up we turn up and I’m not saying we would have won the game I’m saying like but we there was a shot like we cut up the single digits in the second half like there was a shot yeah and I’m not there’s always a chance with us something that we’ve prided ourselves on but um to walk to start walking back to the locker room I was just like I hear my dad in the background just like yeah like like just yelling just yelling I’m just he’s like what the [ __ ] blah I’m just like I’m walking back on my head down just like there’s just no way this thing’s broken right now yeah and then and then the X-ray where she wasn’t like working for the first like 5 minutes I’m just sitting there like I’m like oh God and then like rebooted the whole thing we did it and then um and then I saw it and I was just like this is [ __ ] [ __ ] how often have you thought about it like that moment a lot because you think like why did I swipe down I was so far out the play but like I don’t know I didn’t want to like give up on the play yeah but like it was just he was going to lay the ball up anyway or whatever I just I think about why did I swipe down that’s what I think about you know obviously every single postseason there’s this conversation about how injuries affect the playoffs we see it every year when things happen but I’m sure you have a completely different appreciation and understanding of it yeah now that you have been in the position does it feel different now yeah it feels different I think um once well one everyone going to the playoffs has something yeah there’s something going on everyone every single person every single person there’s something going on yeah um no one’s 100% no one um but as you play you start to realize like hey like yeah it goes down to like who’s who’s the most healthy like who is the most healthy and who’s playing the best and obviously I hated to use a narrative like hey like we didn’t win because we were hurt like we had a chance to still win that series being hurt yeah that’s what it was we won against Philly like being hurt like it it it’s very doable so I hate using that excuse but it’s um it’s just unfortunate like this is how bass is you can’t like it it is what it is but saying that out loud that like even hurt you could have won I I would think that maybe makes it sting a little more yeah definitely I mean it’s it’s stinks because no matter what you lost and you’re sitting here watching basketball still being played and it’s um it sucks like sometimes I can’t like I try and watch sometimes but sometimes I just turn it off or do something else or get my mind off of it MH and um I’ll get like a group chat text like yo like so and so is doing this I’m just like I’m not even you’re like I’m not logged in I’m not watching this right now you know I remember at some point you were talking about what you were thinking about in the off season after the Miami loss last last year you were you were talking about a turnover mhm that was not leaving your mind right this off season what’s the thing that’s not leaving your mind obviously without talking about this I would say the one thing that pops in my head is Andrew n hard in that three in game three yeah props to him like I’m just I’m not not my mad at him but just damn I actually played somewhat good defense right there he makes the ball from 30 ft or 35 F feet whatever it is and um that’s one thing pops my head and obviously just like the paces in general like you the team you lose to is something that you’re going to think about yeah like I’m um car and all and all the coaches that were in Dallas obviously respect them all Tai I respect um TJ n Smith all those all those guys you respect them all but like you want to go out there and compete like you want to you can’t wait to lace them up again that’s all your thinking about is like hey I want to get back to that point and just kind of redeem myself yeah yeah obviously as you mentioned all the guys on that side that you have such a deep respect for does that make a series like that much more personal I mean you were you were coached by Rick obviously you’re friends with Tyrese like there just seemed to be a lot of undercurrents to that series that weren’t always discussed uh does it make it more personal no I would say like there’s things in my mind that I keep my mind that’s for me like yeah like I don’t want I don’t need to go out there and tell the media like hey this is how I feel about certain situations like no that’s in the past and I’m cool with it I’m at peace with it but I mean I still remember it is what it is and um like having being friends with like Tai and like TJ like I didn’t talk to Ty the entire time we barely spoke um me and TJ got into it like game two or whatever but like afterwards it’s like respect them because they competed and they won you can’t just walk off the court and be like all right I feel I’m out of here like no like y’all be this and we’ll be back yeah so you didn’t talk to Tyrese for most of the series did you get at all during the series at all during the series me clarifi didn’t speak to Tyrese two sentences maybe maybe two sentences when the series is over did you get to have a conversation with Rick um the conversation no but the tunnel that that we come out of for some reason Rick walked back through a tunnel after game seven so I saw him I just shook his hand and said coach it’s all love congrats and he said love you too man congrats and that was it did it feel like you all needed that moment no no no the year before um uh what’s it called the the coaching staff and um that I had with in Dallas I think it’s like two or three coaches and Rick like we saw each other night before the game I got to see him and like it’s all respect like it’s Rick got me into this league no matter like whatever happened in like that Series where like he’d stopped playing me it’s that’s a coach’s decision it’s it’s their jobs on the line too they’re trying to win and so I mean it is it is what it is at that point but um I saw him night before a game like two years ago and know we talked about things we barely T we didn’t even talk about what happened in that series and we just start catching up and all this stuff but um we didn’t need that moment we were good but like as a competitor I’m always going to think about things that have made me to where I am absolutely Switching gears a little bit because I’m just very curious for you you scored 61 points against the Spurs wimy throws your ball in the air did you get it back do we have any token of this of this 61o game so there’s a the video that is showing like wheny throwing it and me like look looking at the ball I wasn’t looking at the ball I wasn’t looking at the ball I wasn’t looking at Wy I didn’t even know he did that at the time okay I saw like after the fact um somehow some way we got the ball you got the ball at least that’s what they said yeah you got a ball you got a ball aall okay how tell me the story when did you get it how did it go honestly I I don’t remember when we got it yeah but somehow I just remember being back home it’s like hey they’re like you know how you get the ball and like hey your career high on the ball and all that stuff and so they said yeah we got our equipment manager Kyle was like I think yeah we got the ball for you I was like huh I like like how like I didn’t I was like okay like cool like yeah I didn’t really care for it because we really we lost so I was I wasn’t particularly like oh yes we got the ball but I was just like all right yeah sure I’ll take it TBD if it’s the ball but I’ll take it yeah during games does Josh Hart ever come over like can y’all believe I got that rebound did y’all see that rebound does he ever to me no he I heard it miked up one game he says something like hey like you grab offense rebounds for such and such I grab rebounds that like like deflate teams or kill teams or whatever and I was like while that is true like just shut the hell up this like this dude is does not stop talking it’s not so talk he’ll probably say the same about me yeah but he like he’s a he’s a clown 100% clown he and he’s always a clown like it it never changes but he will get you a rebound he willum he will he will die for that rebound I almost there something I shouldn’t have but yeah he will he will he will find a way to get that ball he will find a way to get the ball he will find a way and it’ll be a big rebound I mezy he he’ll be on the bench and then a shot will go up and somehow he’s on the court and he has the ball I don’t like he’s always done it though it’s just from the moment I’ve seen him he’s always done that yeah he’s just I don’t I don’t know he just I love it I I know that at one point in the season there was a Nicks fan that said to you this is embarrassing MH you turned it up against Miami yeah you turned it up and you got the win you’re thinking something go ahead tell me oh it was crazy I for I forget like what he looks like but I’m sitting after timeouts I kind of sit on the scores table before I go back on the court so I’m sitting there it’s like I hear this kid this is embarrassing I was just like and I tried not to like like think or like interact with like fans as much as uh like they try to interact with me but I heard it I was just like I looked at I was like what do you want me to do I’m trying I’m trying I’m trying I’m trying and then somehow someway we we end up winning that game it was crazy like yeah like a ninepoint swing in like a minute yeah and then um so yeah when that asked the question like how’ you guys do it I was like well that fan over there told me that this was embarrassing and he maybe was a little right and I said I got to turn it up yeah and then somehow some way subconsciously it got me going it’s interesting though because it’s normally the inverse like I’ll hear a lot of players say that there was a an opposing fan that said something to them that made them want to lock in has that ever happened to you the opposite yeah okay yeah it’s happened a couple it’s happened a lot even high school college Pros has happened it’s happened more in high school and college than it has in the pros okay is there is there one in particular in the league that sticks out where like a fan really made you lock in I remember we were playing um Cleveland my first year in New York and so not this past season so two seasons ago um or whatever my first year in New York and it was my career high at the time it was 48 I had 48 that game and I remember this this fan she was she was definitely drunk MH like clearly drunk and she’s screaming me the entire game I I can hear her on the other side of the Court like she’s screaming at me you specifically yeah she was wearing a Caris LT Jersey I don’t know how and a hat and glasses I I barely remember this um and she’s like just yelling and yelling and like like she’s not she’s just talking I’m just like yo can you relax like it’s a regular season it’s like we’re chilling like low stakes yeah like come she’s just going in and in and then I endend up like they had like 33 in the first half I ended up like 48 and like I didn’t like say anything to her but I should I should have said something back I I should have said something but like she just kept barking and barking I’m like you shut the hell up or just a look that she knows like you’re fueling me right now I definitely looked at her like yo this like just chill chill she was she was barking man I love that I was having a conversation with Trey Murphy about this and he’s like oh most of My best performances or because of like a story that you just said just incessant and going and going like just oh man just relax just sit down and relax like it’s okay everything is going to be okay it’s it was alcohol though it was alcohol which I mean that’s kind of what happens that’s what happens um you right now are in a bit of a Topsy Turvy situation because we know that in 2021 with the Mavericks you’ve talked about how you wanted to sign an extension but you felt like it was a gamble like that you did not want to take you wanted to just have some Assurance now you’re in a situation where you can sign an extension of course in many ways it would not be financially advantageous to you but it’s the same circumstance but completely different personal positions right what player were you in Dallas where you felt as though you couldn’t bet on yourself and what player are you now hm well one it’s kind of hard I’ll say this it’s when someone there’s opportunity to help your family and help yourself it’s kind of hard to look at ah no I’m good I’m a wait so that’s the first thing um but the player was in Dallas you just I never knew what the situation was for me because there was always someone that they brought in it was like I remember they’re bringing like d Wright they bring in Seth Curry like all these guys so I’m not know like what what’s their plan like for me so I’m I don’t I’m just like I don’t say on edge but like you got to prepare for the worst you got like you got to just make sure you’re good like you’re good you don’t want to keep say I’m a b of myself I’m good like it may not turn out well for you like that’s just how life is and so um yeah there’re always like players they bring part in like guards and so um and obviously not playing as much as I did that that playoff series with Rick and that team and so the next year J K comes in he like yo like what do you what do you want this season like the our first interaction like he’s like Y what do you want of this season yeah I just want to help our team win y like saying all the politically correct things that I should say as a player with a new coach who wants to play more of course and he’s like no no no we we got to get you paid I was like [ __ ] okay that’s real yeah that’s real so he that was the first thing he said to me this is our first interaction and like and he did he helped me get paid so thank you J kid I appreciate it shout out to you um and um so we had that conversation so we knew before the season that I had a ex I was eligible to get like four years and 55 million that was like the max I can get at the time for an extension and so talking over with like my dad my agent me and my dad like my family like yo if it’s there be want to sign it my agent’s like if we play well you can do like as he should like if we play well you do this you can get so much more I’m like yeah but like I want to be safe and so before the season we said hey if we can do this now we want to do it otherwise we don’t want to talk about it during the season right and they were like who like we want to see where we are 20 25 games in that’s when like they brought in J kid they brought in Nico um they were kind of just kind of rearranging things and so we were like okay well we’re probably not going to want to talk about it so that was that and so 20 25 games go in like Luca goes out with like an injury and I start I started for a period of time and so right before I started playing a little bit more like playing starters minutes um you said hey like I’ve been doing well like what do we think we’re at like I kind of like jumped off what I said I would do to possibly sign an extension and they’re like ah like it was still a great area like we don’t know we want to see it was it was never like a definitive like no it was never a definitive like yes so it was like a great area and then I started playing well Luke comes back I’m still in the starting lineup I’m playing well playing playing well alongside of him and so one thing I understood like Luca is going to play a certain way um because he has that skill is just it’s unheard of yeah and so I knew things like that like weren’t going to change so how can I be effective in the role that’s that I’m given so that’s that’s all I was thinking about like how can I be effective I wasn’t think like hey like I think I should get the ball more I think I should do that I can do so much more like no like be effective in what’s being asked of you that was a mindset and I think I was doing a pretty decent job at it and so up to the trade deadline I didn’t hear anything about extension and so the trade deadline I’m think like I might possibly get traded like yeah you didn’t have any Assurance yeah and so obviously don’t get traded um after the fact they they say hey like would you want to sign an extension and we were like no I feel I’ve outplayed that to this point and I feel like I’m in a position where I’m good barring injuries and stuff like I feel like I’m good um obviously you play well in the playoffs I U when Luka was out I played well and we got to the Western Conference finals and um yeah so being that player back then um you just there’s so much unknown there’s there’s like about two players per team there’s like 30 players in the league that are like hey like I’m I can exhale I’m comfortable like financially and so um I think now obviously being to where I am I just I I don’t want say I can exhale but like I’m okay yeah I’m okay so it’s a little different person um financially and so uh it’s just it’s totally different situation but I you also you know shouldn’t sell yourself short in terms of just the many differences in this moment and what you’ve been able to show because you know I think when some people watch you now there’s this thought of how did this fall through the cracks in Dallas right how did they not figure it out how to make it work with Jaylen and when you really sit back and think and reflect for you is it that Dallas didn’t know what they had or is it that maybe you weren’t that player yet both okay I definitely was not the player I am today in Dallas I mean seriously um I feel like at the end of the end of my time in Dallas in the playoffs I was starting to get there mhm but um like you said there was there was conf there was never like Assurance from them there was never Assurance like for me like it just it you don’t know you’re playing a game you don’t know I feel like I’ve definitely established myself more now the past two years than I did my first four years for sure um but it’s not a knock on anybody you have to make decisions you have to make decisions in a timy manner it is it’s just how it goes sometimes you you strike gold sometimes you’re you’re digging for nothing like it it’s you can’t you can’t hold them account you can’t say hey like you guys messed up like you guys you can say it now in like hindsight but but no one knew then like no one knew and then it’s not on them like I have the utmost respect for that organization like I talk to I talk to Mark I talk to all of them like I just thank you for everything I’m not there’s no grudges like we all move on it is what it is they’re in a position right now where they’re in the finals yeah like so clearly they didn’t need me so I’m not why should I like hold any like animosity towards them and I I hope they don’t feel the same way towards me it’s just um and plus I still have friends on that roster so it’s there there’s there’s there’s nothing there’s no bad blood no nothing like um things get thrown around where like narrators are said that like hey jayen like this like that Mark said no to this like well we hash everything out like we’re good and we move on yeah yeah for sure do you like cuz I would assume like when you’re watching the Mavericks there’s so many people on that team that you’re happy for right like being in the finals yeah is that what goes through your mind as you watch those games it’s like first of then the finals that’s that’s crazy yeah it’s it’s great for them yeah um being able to like as a friend it’s great to see like friends be in positions to where they can be successful as a competitor like I wish I was there I wish I was playing I wish I was playing in the finals let me let me confirm I wish I Wasing not in Dallas I wish I was playing in the finals um but um it’s really cool to see I have I have I have a lot of love for guys over there and um yeah that’s great I know you and Luca always had a really really great relationship also I hear that of all the guys in the league Luka is the one who was most unlike his on court Persona like off the court he just yeah another child I hear it’s always jokes pranks yeah and that’s it like exclusively that’s Luca’s personality even when he’s trying to be serious you can’t tell with his accent probably uh probably now’s a little better um but he’s uh man he was a he’s a kid he he loves to play around loves to joke around um there have been a lot of times where like we’ve we all joke around and stuff like that but he’s he’s one of those guys that like when he’s on the court he’s all business when he’s off the court when he’s time to relax he’s just he’s just another dude likes to have fun and enjoy everyone else’s company yeah I mean right now I think he’s getting a a lot of heat for whether his his defense in the finals um complaining to the refs do you think that that criticism is unfair I would say a lot yes I think I think is unfair a lot goes on in a season in a series that um a lot of people don’t see obviously he’s I don’t use I don’t want to use the injury for him but like he’s banged up that’s one thing there’s certain times where like calls are made in the same situations that calls are not made like it’s just all like fouls can be subjective for a referee like hey I don’t think it’s a foul I think it’s a foul or I don’t think I don’t excuse me I don’t think there’s enough contact for that foul mhm so um like yeah like obviously you don’t want to comp complain for a ref for for what he did but um it’s it’s a tough situation to be in it’s emotional yeah it’s an emotional game and like you everyone’s expect hey like you’re you’re a grown man you need to you need to like act like one like no like no this is an emotional thing this is what everyone in this league has worked for an opportunity like that and sometimes like emtions get the best of you so I’m not it’s it’s people want people want players to be perfect they want you to be perfect they want you to average 40 they want you to win the finals MVP they have so many narratives for you like Jason they have so many narratives for him like he has this great team around him but he’s not doing this he’s not doing that well he’s helping his team win right they’re one away they’re one away like I just I I I understand people have the jobs to do and things to say or whatever but like a lot of players like just like at least me don’t care about how they do it is is do we win yeah I think in some ways and not to put words in your mouth but in some ways these narratives have hurt how we talk about basketball and it’s not just because they are narratives it’s because they’re narratives that become stuck right so you don’t give people any movement to change your mind or to change the perception and even things like winning aren’t even able to loosen the narrative that is sometimes suffocating a certain player and I wonder if it’s at all possible to get out of that I feel like in order to be successful in the media’s eyes whatever they place on your plate you have to do it before they say all right he’s done it like he can do whatever he wants now you know what I’m saying totally like everyone was saying like with Seth like oh he’s never one to fin his MVP whatever whatever he want to fin his MVP not everyone’s like oh he’s he could be top 10 all time he can do this he can do that like whatever the media puts on your plate and if you don’t a until you achieve it they’re not going to give you any type of leeway that’s what I’ve seen do you think that if Jason wins this year the entire conversation about him will change it depends I would say if they win yes because everyone was say hey the Celtics have a great team and they should win that’s been The Narrative of the Celtics they should win um The Narrative for Jason is like he has this great team around him he should be he should be an MVP talks he should be uh fin MVP he should be all this stuff and so I think like for him to escape that narrative from the media not from players from media um they’re not going to stop until he wins a Finals MVP yeah unfortunately which is unfair which is unfair because up to this point it’s been are y’all going to win the championship or not now it’s like are you going to win finals MVP yeah like the the goal poster sort of keeps keeps moving moving and keeps going backward until you until you exceed what they think of you like that’s it’s going to be and it’s also sort of the um it’s the negative aspect of having high expectations yeah and Performing well so quickly because in some ways that hurt Jason that shouldn’t hurt him but the fact that he was good quickly that they were you know going Eastern Conference Finals appearing in the finals quickly it hurt what people thought he was supposed to be doing because he made it look easy because it happened so early but you know and so I don’t I hope he is able to get out of that narrative because it’s unfair the way that he is discussed it’s a a lot of players are unfairly disgusted unfairly disgusted who’s on your mind right now who’s unfairly disgusted um I feel like Luca is unfairly disgusted that’s unbiased obviously um I feel like Joel is unfairly disgusted I obiously Jason um why Joel because the he’s he’s the one player where where I played against him I’m like damn this dude is like dominant when we first played him he when I first played him in Dallas that was like he just controlled the entire game from the center position I I haven’t seen that in person so I’m just like he controlled the game he controlled like the pace of the game he just controlled it so then me seeing now it’s like oh like Joel hasn’t got past like the second round or Joel hasn’t done this or whatever Joel hasn’t done some crazy things mhm like he MVP he the the numbers he puts up all that stuff he’s done crazy things but until they say hey you got to get past this round you got to do this be like you’re the only MVP to not do certain and so well like everyone like assumes like oh he just doesn’t care he just no he cares it’s just like this is not easy this is a hard thing to do yeah this is the hard thing to do I also want to say people we don’t talk enough about how Kawai shot altered a lot for everybody yeah like it was a a shot is what separated people talking about Jal embiid a specific way yeah that would like I said there’s some things are just like difficult that you just like it’s a difficult thing to do and sometimes you’re just unlucky yeah was there someone else you wanted to say unfairly disgusted um not in particular but I just think like sometimes like content is need to be made and so sometimes you got to sometimes you got to talk out of your ass really so genuinely asking how has doing the roommates pod maybe sort of changed how you think about content or conversation and talking now that I have a lot of time it’s made me think so I would say like um like bringing on people like I’m a I’m I don’t like putting things out in the media where it’s like Jaylen said this headlined like like when it comes like postgame when it comes to like certain things like that like I’m not going to say something is going to be like this is going to be a headline about it you’re going be talking about for a long time like no I’m going to keep it short and sweet and just move on and just keep it like that like there’s no reason for me to stir the pot yeah there’s just no reason for for me um but doing the like doing the show like I realized that sometimes like you want like you want to ask questions like you want to talk about certain things but like you also want like the respect of like hey like these dudes will yeah we want to know some stuff but like they’re we’re like we’re on your side like and I realize like sometimes it’s it’s not it’s it’s difficult to get someone to like open up and like they know this sh’s going to be out there yeah so it’s like being on that side of it is really cool I think we’re obviously a little like we just we chill and talk like we just talk about whatever like we have a script we we have things that we want to talk about but sometimes we just go left right it’s it is how it is but I do know that being being able to do the show it’s been it’s been really cool we’ve gotten a lot of like really good stories we’ve got to see how people tick we got to see like like what they’ve gone through and other stuff we did the show did not talk about basketball as much but we end up obviously talking about a lot of basketball cuz it’s cuz I mean of course yeah but being able to have that being able be able to talk about something like freely and not feel like someone’s like here question what do you have to what do you think about this yeah you wanted to be a conversation just a conversation so I I mean I love doing it I love talking to Josh I think the guest that we have is good and um I think we’re going to have a lot of good guests coming up after yeah I spoke to Reggie Miller yesterday he said that you all texted I spoke to Reggie Miller yesterday and I I was take me into that conversation oh my God for context of course Reggie Miller went on a show and gave his thoughts on what he thought about Josh Hart going over and telling him about the fu chance in the garden Reggie said maybe he shouldn’t have done that and that was a turning point Josh was that was not the turning point I’ll say that josh shouldn’t have done it though Josh is an idiot Josh Hart you’re an idiot I say that with the utmost confidence um um yeah he definitely should have done it but I don’t think that was a turning point okay don’t think that’s a turning point um damn now we’re gonna get into that I’ll say the conversation me and Reggie had I just say yo I didn’t let Josh tweet I said Josh don’t tweet let me let me if I want I’m trying to get him on the show just don’t say anything yeah um so I talked to him I said hey we would love to have you on the show like I feel like it’ll be great we can talk about whatever you want to talk about we we like we control it we got you and he’s like I’ll say I think we can get him on the show I don’t want to spoil anything but I think we can get him okay I think we can get him without without spoiling cuz I I spoken to him as well about it your initial reaction to that do you understand where he was coming from or you have a completely opposite do I understand on it Reggie when he what he said on Mark’s uh stuff um I understand where he’s com from hear my thoughts Reggie said hey like Josh should not have G over there and said that to him 100% Reggie said hey like why am I bringing being brought into this like like I’m it’s I’m just coming here to do my job you came in to do your job yes you did but Reggie you you started the chirping Reggie did start the chirping he said the boogeyman he said this he said the boogeyman’s coming back to New York he said that he did he said why why would I be scared to come back in New York he should be scared to come back to New York but he’s like he’s saying why would I be I own this place I own this place I’m like right so like while you were coming there to do your job and didn’t want to be brought into it you said some things that brought it into it people probably wouldn’t have said anything if you just came there and like just did it yeah so that’s my thought on it m but see this is like that’s the really fun cool aspect of having a podcast because when you all have this conversation that’s a really compelling conversation yeah like about the why and also what the etiquette maybe would be for you know somebody who’s in the thick of a playoff series going over there to talk to Reggie M when’s the last when’s the last player to ever walk over there I I can’t give you an answer I can’t give you an answer and Josh you know you my guy I however cannot give you an answer to that but in the moment did it feel like he shouldn’t have done it or did it feel fun I didn’t know he did it okay like no one like no one was like looking at Josh like I only saw it after the fact like no like I didn’t know what was going on I’m I’m not worried about who was commenting the game I’m worrying about the game yeah yes it’s the end of the game but like I don’t know man Josh is Josh is Josh yeah can’t make reservations but we love him um last little sections for you I know I only have you for about 10 more minutes um I want to talk Olympics MH you of course were a part of the 41 player pool but ultimately got left off of the roster right do you feel like you should have been on the roster um what Isaiah Thomas said Isaiah Thomas say I felt like I made the criteria is that what he said he did um I think yeah I’ll say this I would I I would have wanted to play you like the 41 players you can’t go wrong with who you choose all right 40 players I don’t think Josh should have been selected cuz Josh was on that list too so no um but like it it is what it is like I’m not there is if I get asked to do in the future like I’m not going to be like no you guys didn’t do it like M but um yeah it’s so they they couldn’t have gone wrong with any of the players I agree everyone agrees but do you think you should have been one of the players I would I feel like I should have been one I would have loved to play yeah but um obviously like last year like losing may have had something to do with it and like I would have loved the chance to redeem myself yeah um like losing the the World Championships or the World Cup um but yeah there was something I was planning and like looking forward to and um yeah I know that when you were asked about this you said oh I had even seen the list I saw the list was that true yeah um I saw the list yeah I just didn’t feel like talking about it then yeah cuz I mean you were in the middle of something fairly important but but I was like he seen that list like I said we see everything it’s just do I want to talk about right now or later yeah when you saw that you weren’t on the list though what did you feel like was it a let down was it like what was it wasn’t it wasn’t a let down I kind of once I knew like the guys everyone was talking about like yeah you got to give these guys like one last run something all right they’re going to bring like Steph like Braun like KD like they’re going to bring a lot of those guys and so I’m thinking like all right I would love to be a part of this team I love any role that I’m given um it wasn’t like a let down I was just like H okay like it’s just it’s just going to I’m put it in my pocket I’m not going to sit there and be like this is some BS and I’m I’m going to like be mad at the world about it like no I’m just going to be like all right just we move on and we see where life takes us yeah and I think it’s great that you’re saying I’m I’m open to doing this right I understand that maybe this year wasn’t my year but there’s going to be there’s going to be another Olympic so I think that’s great well I mean like I said like I would like I I don’t not the type of person to be like hey I’m going to wait on that like I’m going to push that until like next time around like you never know what situation is going to be in four years right there could be another person in my position who comes from the second round and now he’s playing great and then he’s puts himself in a position to be on Olympic team like I always want to do something like at that moment like I always want to be able to put myself in a position where I don’t want to push things to later I want to achieve everything I can now cuz you like plans don’t go according to plan they never do yeah I like that I might take that uh you have been in the league long enough to know this which two players bring out the best in you like who I play against m BR the best in me that’s tough it’s tough because I have there isn’t two players and plus I’m not trying to I’m not trying to give these guys anything like I’m trying I’ll say this the one player I’ll say the one player who I was like damn I got to guard this dude Kemba used to make me look dumb as hell Kemba really kmo Walker used to make me look dumb like with Steph like Steph is going to make tough shots like there possessions where like you can I don’t say stay in front of him but you can be there he’s going take side step shoot make a tough shot like you’re just like all right tip your hat um like like LeBron like he’s just going to like basically like just run through you lay the ball up or dunk on you or do his little hand to the ball or eye to the ball shoot it um and there’s certain players who are just going to do things that they do like Cambo used to just make me look stupid like he would like stop and I would still keep going like like he had the best like breaks in the league the way he was able to come to a complete stop and so for sure like I was just like damn I can say that I can say that now yeah hopefully he doesn’t come back to the league but i’ also say as much as I like that answer that sounds to me like who’s hard to guard yeah I’m saying I know what you’re saying and I’m not giving those players a satisfaction who are like no do you but I will say this do you think that they already know no really okay now it’s even more compelling no because I’ve had games where I played well and I’ve had games where I’ve played poorly so you know in your head who it is I know who yeah do you want to tell me one instead of two I’ll say one there’s one dude who I’ve played well against and who I haven’t played well against Drew Dre holiday I mean a lot a lot of players can say that too oh yeah a lot of players can say that too so I mean I have the utmost respect for him he there are times where I’ve gotten the best of him he’s gotten the best of me for sure but yeah and I so I assume you are on the side of how has Drew holiday not won defensive player of the year yeah how has he not won multiple he shouldn’t he shouldn’t have just won no especially we we were talking about that player poll every year consistently the players say this is the best defender in the league he’s the best defender in the league how many he’s made a lot of game winning stops yeah game winning stop not just stops and game winning stops mhm that’s unheard of yeah that that’s a good pick for a player who brings up the best in you so I like that answer um I sort of want to wrap by talking about your dad because when I spoke to you at Allstar you said something that is stuck out to me because I thought it was just like so honest and beautiful when you go he actually told me the other day that he wishes he could be me and you had the biggest smile on your face when you said it yeah I was so he actually said it at my wedding so big softy got a little emotional he didn’t cry he was definitely just talking from the heart um but yeah he was just like the way he is as a player as a person like the way he’s just so like he’s he’s comfortable within himself like that’s just how who he is like I don’t I envy that and he’s like he’s he’s saying this not just to me to F the whole room of people I’m just like holy [ __ ] he’s never like he’s he’s some he’s proud of me yeah he’s been an amazing father like yeah but like the way when he when he said that and and like how he said it and everything like I was just like like I’ve never heard you spoke so well before first and foremost and the way you did it how comfortable you were and just how like how from the heart it was it was just like damn yeah how did it like how did it hit you um well during that speech he also say something about how he had a couple more accolades than me so the first thing I did was I ran up there and got the mic and I said uh well before I say thank you I have more career points in the league in less years uh career I have higher career high more points in col I should have more points in college more points in high school I was just like yeah but like I was like damn like my father has never done that before and a lot of people who were close to me my family like I had a lot of like like friends there and all that stuff but the people who like understand like who my dad is and like how he is like I’ve never seen Rick do that before like a lot of people came with me and said that I was like yeah i’ I haven’t seen that before either oh my goodness you know he did an article with William rhen it was a great article and he said this he said at 27 we had the same passion the same grit the same work ethic we just didn’t have the same Talent yeah what emotions sort of come up for you when you think about this very beautiful yet complicated idea that you were able to become this thing that your dad wanted to become but didn’t I would say without him and watching what he did so he had me they had me when they were 24 or whatever growing me up until he retired and watching him play and seeing how hard he worked out in the summer like I remember being on a bike with him while he’s like running on the side of the street and like one of those like like like those sweat jackets like those trash bad like type of jackets to like in in the hot summer I remember ride my bike with him and then after that like we’re going to the gym to go shoot like watching him shoot and I’m on the other end just like playing and doing whatever and then him going and playing like in a league like getting some like run or get like playing pick up and watch him do that F six or at least six days out of the week maybe okay at least five days at least five days out the week still a lot sounds it’s a lot it’s a lot um but like at a young age I’m oh that’s just my dad just like just going out there doing what he has to do as I got older to realize how hard I had to work I’m like I go back to those memories of me and my dad like me riding the bike while he was running then going to the gym then going to go play like this is what he did to be on eight unguaranteed contracts play for nine years with like eight different teams like so seeing that and then understanding how hard I had to work just to like get there it like clicked at that moment I knew that’s when I had the decipher between him being a dad and him being a coach inside those lines he’s my coach outside lines he’s my dad right and um yeah we like obviously like get into like not arguments but like we get into disagreements but like we all we all know like what we want is for me to be the best player I can be so with with him being there for me every single day him retiring to say hey like it’s time for me to be here because we lived in New Jersey while he was playing on yeah all those other teams like and then once he retired started coaching we started to move around with him we were in Virginia and then um mov to Chicago and um and then obviously after Chicago be I moved back to New Jersey and I went to Villanova and so um him just being around since that moment kind of saying all right now my time is for you to push you to be the I had a plan for you I thought it was a joke like he’s I had a plan but he did parent my parents parents had a plan my parents 100% had a plan and um I would say it worked yeah it definitely worked it worked you know I I asked Jason Tatum this question about his son and I just loved his answer so I just want to ask you the same thing what should your dad know about the way you love him what should my dad know about the way I love him I love him unconditionally I love him more than we show like we don’t have to tell each other how we feel like we know how we feel like we have a connection where there’s I don’t need to be like yo dad like you know I love you right like no like he’s going to yell at me and say [ __ ] during the game and I’m just like I’m like this guy like I just don’t feel like hearing it right now but like he knows it like one I’m going to listen and two like it’s it’s it’s love you’re Coach man right now you’re talking to me because you care he could not give a [ __ ] excuse me I’m saying he could not care and just not talk to me at all and so um like I said once I learned from when he’s being a coach versus when he being a dad life just became a lot easier and then like our relationship is unlike anyone like we always joke around with each other I say in the media oh I’m better than my dad ever was like well it’s true um it’s like we all like that’s how we go with each other and everyone’s like oh like your son’s like killing you in the media is like like no one understands how we are with each other yeah and I’m okay with that because they could never understand everything that yeah it’s your relationship yeah I love that I love that well okay before we go I have to ask this because of course many Nicks fans are going are going to be wondering where you at in terms of the extension what are you thinking about taking me into into the world I have no idea what you’re talking about I have no I’ve I have no idea you’re just clueless I just I’m just out here living here day by day living day by day just oblivious to all the inner workings of Jaylen Brunson absolutely okay well there’s there’s your answer all right the the last question that we ask every single person on this show is who has given you the biggest assist off the court you can’t say your dad so I’m assuming you’re saying anything but family anything but family okay cuz that would have been easy yeah although I’m obsessed with your mom I’ve been reading so much about her while I was prepping for you and I’m like you get a lot of this really from her it seems like Sandra is her name right like this right here like how I’m talking how I’m speaking that’s Sandra yeah the Court’s my dad yeah this right here how I act how I try and compose himself is Sandra for sure we can give some your mom can be your assist shout out to her no she’s she’s she’s going to love that but no one in my family no one in my family um the biggest assist off the court every single coach that I’ve had I’ve stayed in touch with every single coach I’ve had I stay in touch with um Jay kid reach every once in a while obviously tibs Jay kid um Rick um Coach Wright uh my high school coach Pat Ambrose my middle school coach Coach Brown like all those coaches I still talk to they’ve all had a um a role in my life and um it has it’s always because like when my dad play in NBA was like oh like his dad plays in the league or coaches nilly like give him special treatment my dad’s always been no you coach him I’m not going to step in your way you coach him and so I’ve to have that respect between my my parent my dad and the coaches and to them not to give me any social treatment and the way they’ve coached me and the way we’ve had a relationship of it’s helped me and I still talk to all of them and I love it I love that that’s such a good answer and my parting question is from Mel Bridges he said I I had something I had to ask you here we go he said Taylor please ask Jaylen why his name is DOI and Lillard I think it has something to do with the size of your head yeah Mel’s favorite player’s Dame Mel’s favorite player’s Dame and so he call he he had a really good joke he called me domian Lillard and it was I can’t believe that’s going to to go out now but it was really funny so I I give him a lot I mean what are they always clowning your head like what’s going on Mel’s built like a string brain he looks like ET so you know what he said he said he is going to be resisting the urge to roast me back but you did it anyway I did y Mel’s built like a toothpick I love that no this was so much fun I know I said it in the beginning but I mean it like I I feel like I was able to watch you grow in a lot of ways I’m super proud of you and I’m very thankful that you took the time to do this show I appreciate it thank you and and Mel’s still on the net so yeah that’s that’s enough roasting that that we need anyway sorry Mel thank you Jay thank you

New York Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson joins Taylor Rooks for an exclusive interview to discuss whether he pays attention to his critics, why he doesn’t care how people label him, why he loves playing for Tom Thibodeaux, and his immediate reaction to finding out he broke his hand in Game 7 of the Knicks series vs. Pacers. He also breaks down why he left the Mavericks, how he’s changed as a player in New York, why criticisms of Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum are unfair, how he felt about not making the Olympics roster, and responds to Reggie Miller’s comments about Josh Hart and Knicks fans.

@statefarm

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/user/BleacherReport?sub_confirmation=1
Follow on IG: https://www.instagram.com/f/bleacherreport
Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bleacherreport
Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bleacherreport
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bleacherreport

#nba #jalenbrunson #taylorrooks #knicks

0:00 Intro
1:30 Funny Josh Hart story
3:20 Going from “overpaid” free agent signing to a star in NY
8:09 Not worrying about doubters or critics
10:27 Biggest difference between his role now vs. previous years
13:38 Not getting enough credit for his game & ‘star’ definition
16:26 Can he be the best player on a championship team?
17:32 Tom Thibodeau
23:50 Injury against Pacers in Game 7
30:05 Knicks series vs. Pacers
32:38 Wemby throwing Jalen’s 60-point game ball
33:53 Josh Hart
35:03 Interactions with fans
38:18 Not signing extension with the Mavs
46:05 Relationship with Luka Doncic & Luka’s ‘unfair’ criticism
49:45 The effect of media narratives of players
54:40 How his podcast has changed how he talks basketball
57:00 Reggie Miller’s Knicks comments
1:00:16 Not making Paris Olympics roster
1:03:45 Players who bring out the best in him
1:06:50 Relationship with his dad, Rick
1:13:35 Contract talks with Knicks
1:14:10 Biggest assist off the court
1:15:55 Question from Mikal Bridges