For New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, continuing to grow as a leader is paramount to his success as an individual player and the franchise’s quest for a championship. He’s up to the task of doing so on and off the floor.
Knicks’ Brunson Holds Himself Accountable First
At media day, Brunson touched on a series of topics regarding his outlook on this upcoming season. When questioned by NBA TV’s Carolyn Manno about his approach to leading, his response extended beyond being vocal:
“A leader isn’t someone who just goes out and tells people what to do,” Brunson said. “They’ve got to do it by showing their actions and making sure those words mean something. I love to work hard, and I love to be a person who is able to take criticism, but also give it.”
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His self-assessment holds weight. Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle coached Brunson for his first three seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and helped nurture him into a productive role player off the bench.
Carlisle praised Brunson’s leadership off the floor during his first preseason with the Knicks, calling him a ‘connector’ who was able to mesh well with his teammates and use that to build chemistry on the floor. At that time, Brunson labeled himself as a ‘vocal leader’ who still had more room to improve.
He then went on to have a career season offensively and help the Knicks become one of the NBA’s best defenses.
One Day At a Time Will Help The Knicks Achieve Their Goals
Brunson followed up on his approach to leading his teammates by elaborating on where he thinks the franchise can go in 2023-24.
“I mean a lot’s possible. A lot’s possible. Obviously we want to make deep runs. But we can’t do that if we start overlooking things. I think for us, our mindset and our motto right now is take things one day at a time.”
The Knicks finished 47-35 last season and have their eyes on bettering that record in this upcoming 2023-24 campaign.