Jalen Brunson reveals comical hypothetical approach to defending legendary Kobe Bryant - "I know my limitations"
New York Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson never got the opportunity to play against late LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. However, according to Brunson, he wouldn't take his chances defending the five-time NBA champion in a hypothetical matchup.
Over the past two seasons, Brunson has established himself as New York's franchise player, leading the organization to consecutive second-round playoff appearances. He is coming off his first All-Star and All-NBA selections, earning All-NBA second team honors.
Despite being relatively undersized, Brunson has proven the ability to hold his own against many of the league's premier stars. Nevertheless, it appears the thought of matching up against Bryant still intimidates him.
On Thursday, the NBA's X/Twitter account posted a clip of Brunson watching Bryant's career-best scoring performance. On Jan. 22, 2006, the 18-time All-Star famously scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. That marked the second-highest point total in league history behind NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain's iconic 100-point outing from 1962.
During the segment, Brunson was asked how he would "stop Kobe" if he played today. The Knicks star quipped that he wouldn't even attempt to take on the daunting defensive assignment.
"How would I stop Kobe? Me, personally, I would call timeout and tell the coach to put someone else on him," Brunson said. "I know my limitations, for sure."
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Brunson is 6-foot-2, while Bryant was 6-foot-6, giving the latter a four-inch height advantage. Meanwhile, Brunson is known more for his offense than his defense. Thus, if his squad faced Bryant's Lakers today, most would probably agree he'd be better off letting one of New York's defensive-minded wings handle the assignment.
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Jalen Brunson on how players get "in the zone" like Kobe Bryant did during his legendary 81-point game
Before comically dismissing the idea of defending Kobe Bryant, Jalen Brunson touched on how NBA stars get "in the zone" offensively.
The one-time All-Star noted that it's a gradual process, which occurs without players making conscious decisions to heat up.
"It's crazy, 'cause you don't really think about it," Brunson said. "You're just going out there and you're playing. There's never a moment where it's like, 'Alright, I'm gonna flip a switch, I'm in the zone now.' Like, you gradually get to it, and then all of a sudden, you're so locked in that nothing else matters. It's scary once you get in the zone."
Brunson hasn't come close to threatening Bryant's legendary 81-point performance. However, he scored a career-high 61 points against the San Antonio Spurs on March 29. Unfortunately for Brunson, his career-best night came in vain, as the Knicks fell 130-126 in overtime.
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