Jalen Brunson Shows Respect to 'Mentor' Chris Paul
Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul has been in the league for a fairly long time, leaving room for plenty of players to follow in his footsteps.
The future Hall of Fame floor general has paved the way for other great facilitators of the game, as there's no doubting the impact Paul has had on a few players in the new generation of hoopers, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson being one of them.
Brunson/Paul aren't strangers to each other, as the two met in the postseason last year when the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Suns in seven games to move on to the Western Conference Finals.
Prior to the series, Paul offered some words of praise: "I think it's just funny … what everybody's seeing now, we've done known for a long time,” said Paul of Brunson’s breakout performance in the postseason.
Brunson was handsomely paid in the offseason to the tune of a four-year, $104 million deal from New York.
Since, Brunson has helped the Knicks to a 20-18 record thus far, recently defeating the Suns 102-83 on Monday.
Brunson tallied 24 points, four rebounds and six assists in the win. Following the game, he spoke on what it was like to battle Paul once more:
“Chris Paul’s been a mentor for me for a long time, since high school. I’ve had a connection with him since then and always admired his game and he’s clearly a Hall of Famer," Brunson said.
"It’s nothing against him, but when you play against your idols, you want to play well. I have a lot of respect for Chris and I hope he has the same respect for me, but watching him, the career he’s had, the things he’s done, and the things he’s still doing, when you’re playing against him, you always want to bring your A-game.”
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