Jalen Brunson gave credit to his former teammate Luka Doncic for helping him become the player he is today.
The Dallas Mavericks added both Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA Draft, before losing both those All-NBA guards less than seven years later.
Brunson and Doncic are now the faces of the NBA's biggest media market teams, but Brunson owes Doncic a debt of thanks for helping him become the Finals MVP he is today.
In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Brunson spoke on his early-career partnership with Luka Doncic and how the Slovenian superstar helped him get better.
"Getting drafted with him was special because I learned a lot from him my rookie year, just by watching him… Even though he was a couple of years younger than me, he was already great at everything he did. He was a well-oiled machine already. It was something I had, but I had a lot to learn. Being with him as friends, teammates, and players, it made me better. That's my guy, I love him to death."
Brunson was a second-round pick while Doncic was the No. 3 pick, so they entered the NBA on different levels on the totem pole.
Doncic won Rookie of the Year, and as Brunson watched his star teammate be named to the All-NBA First Team for the next three seasons.
Brunson would leave Doncic's Mavericks in 2022 to lead the Knicks instead of being stuck behind him. Now, Brunson has arguably surpassed Doncic's career achievements as an NBA Champion and Finals MVP.
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Doncic has averaged 29.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.2 assists over his career, compared to Brunson's 19.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. In four head-to-head games since Brunson's 2022 departure, Doncic has a 3-1 record.
In those games, Doncic averaged 31.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.8 assists while Brunson averaged 22.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists.
Even if Doncic still has the on-court superiority through his numbers, Brunson has the ring and Finals MVP that cements legacies for superstars in the NBA.
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