Tommy Fleetwood on the importance of giving back and making a difference
New York City (CNN) — There is an ever-growing love story between the game of and .
Maybe it鈥檚 the rhythm of a smooth swing mirroring the comfort of a polished jumper. Maybe it鈥檚 the chance to perform outside in front of chirping birds rather than chirping fans inside a booming arena.
For NBA champion and Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, it鈥檚 simpler than that 鈥� it鈥檚 competition.
鈥淢y dad stopped playing me one-on-one on the court, so I needed to find something else to beat him in,鈥� Brunson told . 鈥淵ou鈥檙e still being competitive.鈥�
Brunson鈥檚 dad, Rick Brunson, was also an NBA player and is currently an assistant coach for the .
鈥淭here are a lot of players around the league who bring clubs on the road when you鈥檙e going to warm cities,鈥� the younger Brunson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 become a thing.鈥�
The offseason especially has turned into showcase opportunities for players across social media and beyond, either casually or in form.
Brunson鈥檚 annual charity golf classic fits right in. It raises money for his Second Round Foundation, which pulls on his story as a second-round draft pick to provide opportunities to 鈥渢he overlooked鈥� and stresses 鈥渟uccess doesn鈥檛 always look like a first-round pick,鈥� the foundation鈥檚 mission statement reads.
鈥淵ou can go down so many different roads with that term,鈥� Brunson told CNN. 鈥淚 felt like I was overlooked in sport, but there are a lot of kids and people who overlooked this in life.鈥�
He co-founded the foundation with his mom, Sandra Brunson.
鈥淥verlooked is a term that I think many people can associate with,鈥� but for children 鈥渆veryone needs to start on the same playing field and we鈥檙e just happy to be able to help and to provide whatever resources we can,鈥� Sandra Brunson told CNN Sports.
For the golf fundraiser, Brunson said he typically sends invites out to other players, like teammate Josh Hart, but that people also sign up on their own before his mom cut him off.
鈥淚 send the invites, OK? So if anybody didn鈥檛 get one, it鈥檚 on me,鈥� Sandra said.
Jalen laughed and said, 鈥淚 mean, I was gonna throw her under the bus anyway.鈥�
The official game of the NBA offseason
, whom Brunson is scheduled to be facing on opening day of the coming NBA season, is among the basketball elite attempting to climb the golfing ladder.
Others, more notoriously prolific on the course, like Steph Curry, Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves, Michael Jordan, and even recently retired guard JR Smith have arguably climbed that ladder.
Curry the 2023 American Century Classic, a premier celebrity tournament that includes many pro athletes. Reaves has a fully dedicated golf social media Instagram , and right after retirement from the NBA, Smith the golf team at North Carolina A&T as a freshman walk-on.
Even and on the WNBA side have not been shy about their golf bug.
The NBA a video of Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey on the course as he jokingly admitted, 鈥淚 can do all this basketball with 20,000 people but golfing in front of cameras? Can鈥檛 do it.鈥�
The PGA an article citing specific basketball movements that 鈥渃losely relate to the golf swing and golf performance,鈥� including: free throws compared with putting, the crossover compared with the tempo change during a swing, and more.
For Brunson, though, it鈥檚 not that deep 鈥� yet.
鈥淚t can be,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 getting there.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot surrounding it that makes it like the perfect getaway for a lot of not just basketball players but pro athletes,鈥� Brunson said, correctly mentioning the golf phenomenon is nowhere near limited solely to basketball.
But on how prevalent it is in the NBA, he says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a good group 鈥� It鈥檚 a perfect getaway where you鈥檙e still being competitive.鈥�
One person in the Brunson orbit who hasn鈥檛 quite been able to break into the game of golf is Jalen鈥檚 mom.
鈥淣o one in my family has ever even attempted to invite me to a golf outing to participate,鈥� Sandra told CNN Sports.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 seen her even touch a club,鈥� Jalen joked. 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e trying to play, we鈥檙e not 鈥� this isn鈥檛 a lesson.鈥�
鈥淢y daughter has clubs. My granddaughter has clubs, I don鈥檛 even have clubs,鈥� Sandra said.
But it鈥檚 also the focal point of their annual charity event so she anticipates her competitiveness as a former collegiate athlete will get her there at some point.
This offseason for Jalen has meant less golf as he recovers from a wrist surgery, but it鈥檚 also meant more downtime, valuable moments with family, and even an upcoming children鈥檚 .
Still, the first offseason as an NBA champion has been a little 鈥渉ectic,鈥� he explained, but in the end 鈥渁ll great problems to have.鈥�
In about two short months, the NBA regular season will officially kick off, but if the volume of offseason golf is any indication, the competitiveness started well before that opening tip.
The-CNN-Wire
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