Jalen Brunson, Victor Wembanyama talk influences on their success
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama are opening up about their support systems and what influences their success ahead of the biggest games of their lives.
The two star athletes are set to square off in the NBA Finals starting Wednesday night, marking the Knicks' first appearance in the championship stage since they played the same San Antonio opponent in 1999.
Brunson and Wembanyama sat down with "Good Morning America" ahead of the NBA Finals and shared how their respective sources of inspiration brought them to where they are today.
Brunson discussed working under the tutelage of his dad, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, who was on the Knicks' 1999 Finals team.
"More times than not, he's right, which is annoying," Brunson said of his father. "But, I know where he's coming from. He wants me to be the best player I can be."
He noted that "being able to decipher when he's being a coach and when he's being a dad" was key to the father and son's relationship.
The guard also addressed his team's upcoming matchup with the Spurs, saying the Finals would be a "tough task" and a "physical grind."
"I'm in a good space," he added. "I'm ready to go.
Wembanyama, who stands 7 feet, 4 inches tall, said he plans on practicing gratitude during his first Finals run.
He said being grateful "helps grounding me, and that helps realizing that this is a chance that is not guaranteed and is not forever."
Wembanyama also reflected on his youth, opening up about how he draws on "young Vic" in the present day.
"It feels like in the past 10 years, I've learned so much stuff and developed so many professional habits on the court that sometimes I forget to just play basketball," he said.
The Knicks will take on the Spurs in San Antonio on Wednesday night for Game 1 of the NBA Finals before Game 2 in the same location on Friday.
The series will head to New York for Games 3 and 4 after that.
