First-year New York Knicks player Jalen Brunson hosted a charity golf tournament near his hometown in Illinois. The event showcased and benefitted his organization, Second Round Foundation. He started the foundation to support youths’ dreams through academics, sports, and outreach.
In a recent interview, he discussed his organization and the importance of being a role model. He shared the reason behind the foundation’s name, saying that Second Round’s name comes from “being drafted in the second round and always kind of being overlooked.”
“I just wanted to give people, preferably the younger kids and younger adults, that mindset of no matter what people think or say about you, it’s all about your mindset and how you attack every situation.”
He does know that younger people are looking at him simply because he has made it to the NBA. Some share the same dream, and he wants to show them they can get there.
“Obviously, I play in the NBA, and it’s a lot of younger kids’ dreams to play in the NBA, but for me, my job here is to help you get that mindset. I think the biggest takeaway from this camp should be that your mindset going forward is to attack anything that you do with 110%.”
Outside of being a role model, he stresses the importance of keeping relationships.
“Just keeping relationships and seeing how people have helped you and where you came from is so important. I want to be able to help people know that keeping relationships is important. You can do all this stuff for people you don’t know, but if you get to know these people, it’s a totally different story.”
Brunson is currently getting game-ready for the upcoming FIBA World Cup, which is taking place in Asia. The tournament starts on Aug. 25, 2023, and will go through Sept. 10, 2023.