Jalen Brunson lives by the saying, “don’t dwell on the past.”
The Knicks’ understated point guard is as likely to think about last year as he is to brag about any of his many personal accomplishments.
It’s how he has gotten this far — from a second-round pick to the Knicks’ undisputed leader and one of the top lead guards in the NBA.
Want proof?
“I don’t have any championship rings at the house from college, I don’t have my [high school] state rings. l don’t have anything, the National Player of the Year awards, all that stuff,” Brunson said after Thursday’s practice. “That stuff’s at my parents house because I don’t want to reflect on that. I don’t want to look at that stuff every day, because it’s not going to help me going forward. I’ve got to focus on how I can be better the next day.
“I’ve kind of always had that mindset. That’s just how I’ve been. I don’t want to be satisfied. I don’t want to be in a position where I’m comfortable because that’s when I’ll relax.”
The subject came up when Brunson was asked how he remains motivated following the best season of his professional career.
At this time last year, there were plenty of doubts, some suggesting he was overpaid.
That he had not proven to be worth the four-year, $104 million contract bestowed upon him.
Brunson, 27, answered those questions with a series of exclamation points, leading the Knicks to their best season in a decade.
He averaged 24.0 points and 6.2 assists per game and shot a career-best 41.6 percent from 3-point range during the regular season.
With any help, he could’ve had the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000, after posting 27.8 points and 5.6 assists in the postseason.
But Brunson doesn’t feel like he has accomplished anything.
He had the same mindset, although a different goal, after winning his first high school state championship.
Back then, he wanted to play in the NBA, so there was nothing to celebrate.
Now, his mission is to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy given to the last team standing.
“I want to win, and I haven’t done that,” he said. “I want to win a championship at some point in my career, and I want to keep building towards that. It’s all about taking steps to get there. That’s how I stay motivated.”
Brunson also knows this year may be even more difficult.
There’s a bull’s-eye on his back as the Knicks’ best player.
He will be the object of the opposition’s game plans. Teams will look to take him away, force someone else to beat them, and he knows it.
“My preparation, my focus, is going to have to turn another notch up,” he said. “Teams are going to try to do things to get me uncomfortable, but I’ve been able to adapt in any situation. How teams play me or whatever, it’s all about how I can be effective to help my team win. They are going to take things away, but how am I going to respond to make sure we’re in position to win.”
In his home, Brunson said he has his Villanova teammates’ jerseys hung up alongside his own.
But there is nothing about any of his accomplishments.
Any pictures of previous glory are in a photo book. It’s his way of not letting anything get to his head.
“Going back to previous accomplishments, I did that in high school, I did it in college, but then I was still hungry to do it again. It’s all about what can you do?” Brunson said.
He added: “You never want to be too into yourself and think too highly of yourself. You want to be able to keep growing as a player and that’s just how I’ve been.”
This approach has taken him pretty far already.
