Jalen Brunson reveals how replicating JJ Barea helped him become a star player originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
For the first few seasons of his career, Jalen Brunson was a backup on the Dallas Mavericks. Given that he played behind Luka Doncic, it was understandable that he had to play that role. While many players would struggle with that kind of role, Brunson took it as a challenge.
He knew he had to learn to play his role because that would make him a better player in the long-term future. That development also helped him develop traits that have helped him become a star player when he joined the New York Knicks in 2022.
The Mavericks have had plenty of good guards over the years. Of course, Doncic is the pinnacle of that position in Dallas, but there were plenty of good backup guards as well. One of them was JJ Barea, the longtime Mavericks guard who shone the most during the 2011 NBA Finals win against the Miami Heat.
Since Barea was considered a Mavs legend by a lot of people, he was seen as the prime example of a backup guard in Dallas. Brunson used him as the foundation of his development, which led to him getting much better as the years went on in Dallas.
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Brunson never asked for a bigger role in Dallas, as he focused on helping the team like Barea. It was only when he joined the Knicks that he became the go-to guy, which was a bit surprising to him because it was an unfamiliar role for him during his NBA career at the time.
"My mindset was, I'm filling JJ Barea's role. He came off the bench for Dallas. He did all these great things for Dallas. That's where I see myself. I'm gonna work to be better, but that's where I see myself. That's where I feel like I can help this team," Brunson said on the Road Trippin' Show about his role when he was in Dallas.
"The more you show in your role, the longer your leash gets, the more you're able to do. People just want to say, 'Hey, I can do this, I can do that.' Well, do what's asked of you first. Perfect it. Master it."
For Brunson, it was about starring in his role. He did just that in Dallas behind Doncic's stardom, but with the Knicks, he finally got the big break he wanted. Now, he is considered among the very best the NBA has to offer because he has lived up to the hype of being the Knicks' superstar.
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