Many NBA athletes like playing golf because it is the perfect avenue to blow off some steam during the offseason. But Jalen Brunson resorted to golf because his father Rick Brunson stopped playing basketball with him. Recently, both the Brunsons joined the father-son duo of Mark Jackson and Bluu Jackson on the Come And Talk 2 Me Show.
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During the show, Jalen hilariously narrated how his father shied away from playing one-on-one basketball against him after he was overwhelmed repeatedly. As a 16-year-old, JB started to dominate his father as the latter lost his step after entering his 40s. Things became even more lopsided when Jalen embarked on his college journey.
But it wasn’t a one-on-one scenario that made Rick Brunson walk away from basketball. During a four-a-side pick-up game, the former NBA player made five straight shots but then went ice cold. Jalen soon realized that his father had ran out of gas. And so did Rick.
Therefore, he decided to end things on a high note. After realizing his steep decline, Rick refused to go up against his son in 1v1 scenarios. Therefore, Jalen had to switch to golf to continue to play with his father.
“There’s like a King of the Court four versus four versus four, whatever. He[Rick Brunson] hits off five straight buckets. I was like there is no way he can continue this. That was very true, there was no way he continued it. It was like the biggest climb up to the mountain top and the steepest drop you’ll ever see,” Jalen told Mark and Bluu Jackson as both of them started laughing.
“I was like he might be putting it up after this. I think that’s when I started to pick up golf because he wouldn’t play one-on-one anymore,” he added.
Rick Brunson had nine seasons worth of NBA experience under his belt, but he still couldn’t compete against his son who was steadily developing into a pro-level athlete. His body couldn’t take the relentless action, especially against a much more energetic opponent.
Therefore, switching to golf was beneficial for both father and son to keep them at an even keel. But for Jalen Brunson, golfing has become more than just another sport.
Jalen Brunson uses golf as a way to help youngsters
The New York Knicks guard has utilized golf as a community-building exercise through his Second Round Foundation. In 2023, he hosted an eponymous charity event in the suburbs of Chicago, which aimed to empower aspiring athletes. The goal of the event was to inculcate leadership and accountability among the young generation, especially those who have been left behind.
The event was attended by Rick Brunson, close pal Josh Hart, and former Knicks teammate Obi Toppin. This is how Brunson described his vision behind the golf charity event to Forbes.com,
“It was about trying to help people become leaders and obviously helping the under-resourced as well. Just having the mindset of never quitting, not focusing on what other people think or say about them. But having that mindset of, ‘I’m going to outwork anyone and everyone to become the person I want to be.'”
These words prove that for Brunson golf is more than just a hobby. It is a way to give back to his community and nurture the upcoming generation of athletes.
