"Nothing is overnight" - Taylor Rooks digs up decade-old comment to Jalen Brunson following her recent interview with Knicks star
Bleacher Report journalist Taylor Rooks brought up a decade-old comment she left under one of Jalen Brunson's posts on Instagram. On Thursday, Rooks had a chance to interview the New York Knicks star guard and they talked about his recent playoff run.
In her young career, Rooks covered stories about Brunson, Jayson Tatum and more. After her interview with the Knicks guard, she reflected on her journey to becoming a staple in sports media.
"I’ve been doing this a minute," Rooks wrote. "Jalen gave me a lot of stories. So did Jayson. Nothing is overnight. You don’t pop up one day able to build connections and conduct lasting interviews. My old tapes were SO BAD. But I kept working. It’s a grind. So to everyone out there in this early position - keep going! It’s coming."
Rooks is one of the few journalists who have covered Brunson's career since high school. In a recent post on X, she showed how hard work has allowed her to follow one of the most intriguing basketball careers.
"As you can see! I’ve had the pleasure of covering Jalen in high school, college, and now in the pros. Every step of the way he’s been hard working, humble and self assured. The journey has been the prize."
Rooks now works for Bleacher Report, TNT and Thursday Night Football.
Former Villanova star made a request to Taylor Rooks in her interview with Brunson
The relationship that the Villanova alums have with each other is something that fans find entertaining. Mikal Bridges, who went to the same college as Brunson, requested Taylor Rooks to ask the Knicks star about his specific nickname.
"My parting question is from Mikal Bridges, he said I had something I had to ask you," Rooks said. "Ask Jalen why his name's Dome-ian Lillard.' I think it has something to do w/ the size of your head?"
Brunson had a good laugh with the question but didn't back down and also had a few comebacks for Bridges. The one-time All-Star compared the body of the Brooklyn Nets forward to a string bean and called him E.T., the extra-terrestrial creature from the movie of the same name.
For Brunson's last comeback on Bridges, he recognized that the forward is still with the Nets, and according to him, "that's enough roasting."
Rooks and Brunson had a good laugh during the interview, thanks to Bridges' question.