Jalen Brunson shares how nervous he was during his first NBA game: 'First shot was an air ball'

Making your professional debut is a milestone players celebrate. After all, it is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication to the sport and the first step of what many hope would be a long and meaningful career.

At the same time, these things can also be nerve-wracking. Between trying to remember all the plays and making sure to commit as few mistakes as possible, one can easily get lost in his thoughts and emotions.

This was exactly what happened to Jalen Brunson during his first NBA game as a rookie. The lefty point guard was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft after a successful college career at Villanova.

But being a highly-touted prospect and actually playing on the big stage are two entirely different things. And on the "Roommates Show," the 6'2" guard recalled how unprepared he was for his first professional game.

Brunson didn't think he was going to play

The Association is a fluid league where things change in the blink of an eye. Heading to his first pro game against the Phoenix Suns on October 17, 2018, Jalen had already established in his mind that he wasn't going to receive any minutes.

"I kind of knew the rotations. Like, the last preseason game, like, you play how, like, you're going to play, like, in a real game besides maybe the last, like, six minutes. And so, like, I don't think I was in the rotation," Brunson shared.

As previously mentioned, the NBA is a sporting realm where things can change in an instant. Despite not expecting to see any playing time, JB was thrown into the fire when veteran guard Devin Harris got hurt.

"One of our vets gets hurt—Devin Harris. He comes off the bench. So then Rick [Carlisle] calls my name. He's like, 'Jalen.' I'm like, 'Sh*t!' I'm thinking I'm not going to play," Jalen revealed.

Shot an airball

Like a student cramming for a test, Brunson had to quickly get himself in the right mindset, which, obviously, was easier said than done. And the moment he got into the game, JB's nerves were evident as he airballed his first shot attempt.

"Mentally, I'm like, 'All right, I'm just going to prepare myself, whatever,' but I'm thinking I'm not going to play. First shot was an air ball," the son of former pro Rick Brunson disclosed. "First shot was, like, over the rim. Yeah, you could say I was nervous. You could say I was nervous for sure, for sure. It was just—yeah, it's a whole different feeling."

Jalen finished that game with only three points, going 1-for-3 from beyond the arc. He also tacked on a rebound and an assist in 19 minutes as the Mavs lost by 21 to the Suns, 121-100.

Brunson eventually found his footing in the league. After spending the first few seasons as Luka Doncic's backup, he moved to the New York Knicks and became an All-Star, an All-NBA Team member, and a legitimate MVP candidate.