Jalen Brunson was on the verge of tears in a viral video where his dad was coaching him up: 'I wanted to go home'

We often hear of the dad-son horror stories where the father's unfulfilled personal ambitions lead to trying to achieve them through their own children. Mostly, we're talking about sports, when dads are trying to push their kids towards something they don't really want to do in the end.

However, there are some good examples where kids respond well to it and make a great career for themselves. Jalen Brunson is the product of these tactics.

The current New York Knicks star was pushed hard as a child by his father, Rick Brunson, who is currently an assistant coach with the team. One of those moments was caught on a video where Rick was coaching young Jalen on a hot summer day. It's obvious he was getting frustrated by his father constantly correcting him.

Jalen was on the verge of tears

On the latest episode of the Roommates Show, younger Brunson was asked about that moment by the comedian and writer Hasan Minhaj, who was a guest on the show.

"Everyone is like, 'That video is so cool; it's crazy.' I'm like: 'I was on the verge of tears.' I wanted to go home. I was pissed. It was hot as hell. Also, behind the court, there was a bunch of hills. So my dad made me put on a weight vest and told me to run it backward. To improve my athleticism," Jalen said, but continued about how these moments prepared him to be mentally tough.

"All the stuff we did then tested my mind. Everything he taught me was the mindset. Whatever happens, you're going to be mentally tough. Whatever you choose to do in life," Brunson pointed out.

He did say he didn't realize that until he was a junior in high school.

"I realized I could do well in college. I started getting offers. So when people started saying s**t, I was like, 'I've heard way worse.'

Hard work paid off

Even though it took him a couple of years after being drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the NBA draft, Jalen's hard work paid off. In 2022, after shining with the Mavs in a backup role, the Knicks signed him to a four-year, $104 million contract, 10 days after they hired his father as an assistant coach.

Younger Brunson has developed into one of the best point guards in the league today and is leading a legit championship contender. It's a credit to his father, too, as he installed those hard work habits, even though Jalen wasn't happy on a particularly hot summer day.