Jalen Brunson participated in a live question and answer session on the NBA Twitter account on Monday afternoon.
NBA Twitter has more than 30 million followers worldwide, and the Dallas Mavericks’ second-year guard touched on a few topics, including the just-concluded popular documentary, The Last Dance. Here are the highlights from the Q&A.
Question: How are you using your platform as an NBA player to inspire the next generation?
Jalen Brunson: One way I’m trying to inspire the younger generation is just by telling them that hard work is everything. Being able to work hard in the classroom and on the court will get you great results. And the harder you work the more confidence you’ll have in yourself. I think that goes a long way, and the more confident you are in yourself, the better you’ll be.
Question: What has been your favorite moment in the NBA competing against a former Villanova teammate?
Brunson: My favorite moment competing against former teammates from Villanova was when me and Donte (DiVincenzo) got to start against each other in Milwaukee this past season. It was a pretty cool experience. I remember talking to him after the game like, ‘Wow brother, we’re in NBA.’ I remember our freshman year being roommates together we always used to talk about getting to this point, and how hard we had to work. And just to be here in this moment it was pretty special and something that we’ll never forget.
Question: What was your favorite part of The Last Dance documentary?
Brunson: My favorite part of The Last Dance documentary was watching Michael Jordan evolve from being the NBA scoring champion and MVP to being an NBA champion. Now watching him take that next step and be a better leader and make his teammates better, to win six championships is pretty special, because he didn’t have to do that. He could have kept doing whatever he wanted and no one would have said anything to him. But he did whatever it took to win, and watching his progression and his growth through that was pretty special.
Question: How has your second year differed from your rookie year on the court?
Brunson: Going into my rookie year you don’t know what to expect, but it was pretty interesting being a part of Dirk (Nowitzki’s) last season. That was pretty iconic of a year. Going to the different arenas and seeing the love he got, it was a very good experience. For me I learned a lot. And the experience I learned from my rookie year turned into wins my second year, and being able to contribute on a winning team that was going to make the playoffs, it was pretty fun. And it was something that I want to continue to learn and continue to do and continue to be part of a winning team.
Question: How did your time at Villanova shape you into the basketball player and person that you are today?
Brunson: I was able to learn a lot from Coach (Jay) Wright, I was able to learn a lot from my teammates and the leaders that I had when I was a freshman, and I was able to lead a lot of younger guys when I was a junior. So that three-year run that we had was pretty special and something I’ll never forget, and it really did help me become the player I am today.
Question: If you were stranded on a deserted island with two other NBA players, who would you choose and why?
Brunson: If I had to choose two players to be on a desert island with, I would probably choose Donte DiVincenzo from the (Milwaukee) Bucks and Josh Hart from the (New Orleans) Pelicans. Those two were roommates at one point and time at Villanova, so I’m pretty sure that this wouldn’t be any different.
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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