Jalen Brunson Gets Candid on His Growth as a Star, Since Leaving Luka Doncic and Co.

In just two years of being with the New York Knicks, Jalen Brunson has risen as the superstar of NY. Earlier, he was a part of the Mavericks, where things didn’t go as planned in his initial years in the league. During a recent conversation with Taylor Rooks, for Bleacher Report, Brunson detailed what led to his departure from Dallas. He also unveiled why he felt threatened as a player while in the company of a star like Luka Doncic.

The Knicks guard said that he never understood his place in the organization. This was largely because the Mavs continued to bring in more players, especially point guards, which made him insecure about his place on the team. He said,

“I remember them bringing in Delon Wright, them bringing in Seth Curry and all these guys. So, I’m not…like what’s their plan for me.”

This made him prepare for the possibility of being sent away by the franchise. In addition, Brunson acknowledged that he wasn’t nearly as good a player as he is right now. When asked, “Is it that Dallas didn’t know what they had or is it that you weren’t that player yet?”, he replied, “Both. I definitely was not the player I am today in Dallas.”

However, Brunson was confident that he was starting to become the player that would be useful for the franchise. Unfortunately, he was never fully immersed in that role due to the lack of assurance regarding his place in the team. Despite how poorly his time unfolded in Dallas, Brunson has nothing against the franchise. He said,

“Sometimes you strike gold, sometimes you’re digging for nothing. You can’t hold them accountable. You can’t say you guys messed up.”

According to Brunson, back then, even he wasn’t sure he’d be recognized as one of the best young talents in the league, let alone the most important player for a franchise like the Knicks. Needless to say, the decision worked out perfectly for him as he plays along with his Villanova teammates and seems to be at home currently.