New York Knicks Stefan Bondy Knicks’ Jalen Brunson is creating the Donovan Mitchell doubts more than anyone By Stefan Bondy Published May 22, 2026, 8:04 p.m. ET Jalen Brunson #11, defended by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell #45, in the 4th quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post CLEVELAND — Much of the focus of Jalen Brunson’s early training, courtesy of his father, Rick, was developing a mental edge. And a big part of that was tapping into Jalen’s very fierce competitive spirit.
So if a rival high school player was earning national acclaim, Rick would tell Jalen, ‘He’s better than you. He works harder.’
Jalen, as Knicks fans understand well, doesn’t like to lose.
“It made me want to outwork them,” the point guard told The Post before this season. “They had all the God-given talent with how athletic they were and the stuff they can do that were eye-openers. And me, my God-given talent was to just outwork people. And it showed.”
