As of June 2026 when the Knicks were crowned NBA champions, Jalen Brunson knows what it feels like to achieve the dream. He also knows what it’s like to be told, in one way or another, that some folks didn’t believe he could do it.

That tension sits at the heart of this conversation with Jalen and his mom, Sandra. They talk about becoming a champion, staying the same person while everything around you changes, and the second-round draft experience that eventually inspired their family’s foundation. Sandra also shares the parenting side of success, from making sacrifices when Jalen was young to thinking now about how to protect his balance as a husband, father, son, and athlete.

What You’ll Discover

• What happens after the celebration everyone talks about (07:45)
• The pressure of balancing all the roles success brings (12:35)
• Jalen on Sandra’s sacrifices behind the scenes (15:49)
• Turning second-round disappointment into a larger purpose (17:27)
• Why your surroundings can matter as much as your decisions (21:38)

This is a conversation about winning and the importance of staying grounded once the dream becomes reality. It’s about knowing when to celebrate, when to turn the page, and how the people who helped you get there remain a crucial part of the story and the quest to add to the next chapter.

If this episode resonates, subscribe to Things No One Tells You to stay updated. If TNOTY has become part of your week, a rating or review helps more listeners and viewers find these conversations.

You can watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ierxoY8b_qk

For a full transcript and more, check out our blog post: https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/sandra-and-jalen-brunson-52

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[00:00:08] Jalen: I mean, no one tells you, I mean, truly, like, everyone talks about the emotion of winning it right when it happens, right when it, like, literally, as the buzzer goes off, the rest of the evening, the celebrations in the locker room, everything.

[00:00:38] to find your own way to flip the switch and to figure out what's next. You can't just, unless you're retiring, which I don't plan on retiring. But,

[00:00:50] Jalen: But no one tells you the time and day when to turn the switch and f- start focusing on the next one.

[00:01:00] Are you there?

[00:01:01] Lindsay: You’re?

[00:01:04] Lindsay: Since when? Hey, everybody. Welcome to Things No One Tells You. Oh, do we have a good one for you today? I'm so glad that you're here to be a part of this community. And this is like my perfect marriage of sports and life, with a little parenting sprinkled in, and championships.

[00:01:47] And here's the deal. I have really wanted to sit with Jalen Brunson for a Things No One Tells You conversation for a long time, before the Knicks won the championship and took us on that amazing ride. But the fact that this happened after they won it and before the next season started means there were so many awesome moments and so many things I'm so excited for you guys to hear about that I know you haven't heard before.

[00:02:27] I love it when I have an opportunity to talk to someone who has won a championship, just about reflecting on, like, okay, now that you've had some time, what is your takeaway of, like, the journey that leads to that, and what can we all take from that? Because there are so many things that are relatable to anyone out there who happens to be watching or listening to this.

[00:03:15] So I just thought that was so special, and I loved, like, watching it with my son and having him see that moment. That's why I did not appreciate or actually maybe it was educational, the thing that Jalen can't live without, because I ran right home and told my son all about that. But for context, guys, I had this conversation at a golf course in Rye, where Jalen was wrapping up his golf tournament.

[00:03:59] So it's a great cause. But also the second round. It was because Jalen was taken in the second round, and so there's meaning behind that. Like, don't count yourself out when others might, right? I thought that's super cool. So right before they walked in, I was really nervous. Like, people ask me if I get nervous before I do TV or host something, and the answer is like, yeah, you have to have a level of that- the butterflies.

[00:04:40] They couldn't have been better, and they were so kind. And what I noticed right away is they kind of finish each other's sentences, and I think that the way Sandra has raised Jalen, obviously from when he was a kid, but the way that she also influences and helps him navigate his career now is really pretty cool.

[00:05:17] Here you have it, Jalen Brunson and his mom, Sandra.

[00:05:42] Jalen: Life has been going pretty fast. It's been one thing after another. It's been a lot of memories that we've been able to enjoy, and understand the magnitude of it probably later in life. But we've been going 100 miles an hour since June 13th.

[00:06:09] Sandra: Totally. Everything has been amplified and accelerated, but it's a good problem to have. About two days after the championship game, I received a text from Andre Iguodala's mom, Linda. And she said, "October will be here before you know it.

[00:06:59] Nothing, there's no bad day. There's no bad day.

[00:07:14] Jalen: It's been a lot. It's been, like she said, great problems to have, but I think the best part about it is I still feel like I'm the same person.

[00:07:38] Lindsay: Just, it is a lot, I can't lie. So what is the thing no one tells you about realizing the dream?

[00:08:01] You hear about that, but no one tells you how long people could really celebrate for. As the entire city has, I feel, been celebrating since that day. And another thing people don't tell you is that you have to find your own way to flip the switch and to figure out what's next. You can't just...

[00:08:25] Lindsay: We'll be glad to hear that.

[00:08:35] Lindsay: Are you... You're not there yet. Are you there?

[00:08:38] Lindsay: You, re?

[00:08:40] Lindsay: Since when?

[00:08:49] Sandra: Like the parade?

[00:09:01] Lindsay: Why do you think so, that it was then?

[00:09:21] And so, yeah, it's, I mean, I don't think the celebration will ever end just because of where we are. We are in New York City, and how much this means to the city. But I think, for me, I had to kind of try to turn the page.

[00:09:48] Jalen: Yeah, it's part of the surgery, yeah, part of that is trying to come back in one piece and feel, feeling better. I mean, another reason is just you just- I've wanted to be a champion for a long time, but I didn't wanna let it define me and who I was. And so, this is everything I worked for, but I feel like I'm still working on a lot.

[00:10:19] Sandra: As a mom, no one has ever told me that you s- you stop worrying about your child in the greatest moments. Whether it's the pundits, the cr- criticisms, the moments where they're on the free throw line, the game is in the balance.

[00:10:58] Lindsay: Oh, man. ... wait.

[00:11:16] They don't disappear. They, I still worry, concern, have his best interest at heart. No one ever tells you that you stop having those feelings. No one ever says you finally graduate when you make it to the top of the top. '

[00:11:41] Sandra: Cause you don't. Yeah, exactly. And so, obviously there's only so many moms that felt, have- yeah.

[00:12:26] Lindsay: What are the new set of worries? And as a mom of a son- ... hearing you say that, I mean, mine's 12, so I'm like,

[00:13:20] And that's concerning; I'd be lying to you if I said that, "Oh, this is all hunky-dory." It is. It's great. It's great. But I also feel as though I want to ensure that we support him in the way that he needs to be supported. And the way Jalen is, he's not gonna demand much. Jalen is going to find his way.

[00:13:52] Lindsay: Do you, like, compartmentalize stuff? Are you... Is that how you are? Like, you kinda keep it in, and then how do you deal with stuff when it becomes a pressure cooker?

[00:14:05] But, I don't know, I feel like it's worked for me up to this point, so I guess I'll continue to do so. But I just, that's just how I am.

[00:14:23] Lindsay: As people and as athletes?

[00:14:26] Lindsay: Oh, no, okay,

[00:14:27] Lindsay: Nope.

[00:14:29] Sandra: As people, I think the athletic drive when I did play sports-

[00:14:37] Lindsay: Yeah.

[00:14:39] Lindsay: That doesn't know, volleyball at Temple.

[00:15:06] And, I think Jalen tends to lead by example, but it's not only through what he's able to produce on the court or physically, but mentally. And that's a very unique trait to have. I would like to say that I kinda influenced that and encouraged that along the way. But he is very guarded with his thoughts

[00:15:49] Jalen: Ooh, wow. Truly, no one sees how much she sacrifices to this day. Obviously, she sacrificed so much when I was younger, but I think even more now. There's a lot more on her plate, just because of the foundation stuff. Me being able to do what I'm doing on the court has helped the foundation as well, and so, I mean, with that comes a lot more things to do, more things to run.

[00:16:41] Like, she's gonna run through every scenario in her head to make sure that she gets everything right. And so, I'm really proud of her for the work that she's done with the foundation, with my sister and me, and now our granddaughter, my granddaughter. My daughter.

[00:17:04] Lindsay: My granddaughter, yes.

[00:17:07] Lindsay: What's that like, seeing your daughter with your mom?

[00:17:27] Lindsay: The Second Round Foundation, I was curious what you both collectively envisioned when it started. It started in 2022.

[00:17:36] Lindsay: Can you explain? I love the explanation behind it. But why?

[00:18:05] So fast-forward to the end of his collegiate career, all the accolades, you know, doing everything that he was told to do and work hard, be disciplined, be a leader, and so forth and so on, and achieve all of those accolades. And not intentionally. It was about team goals, and then winning those team goals; somehow, he was able to receive individual goals.

[00:19:06] It would've been a goal that was something that was on our radar as a family for him. And when he slipped to the second round, I think he was disappointed that the stock that he had garnered didn't resonate with some of the NBA front offices. But quickly, I challenged him to pivot.

[00:20:06] Just think about all the kids who don't have those opportunities, those resources. Maybe you should focus on them." And I said, "Don't wait until you're an all-star to make a difference." And I think he took that to heart. And our family, as he went through his rookie season, like, the second round was just in our head all the time.

[00:20:54] And we learned, and we grew together from, in, in Dallas about, Title I school districts and things like that. We just tried to learn about communities that were under-resourced, and how he could use his platform to make a difference. So while he was trying to amplify his career, it kind of challenged him to bring others up and lift them and provide them with a model and with a mindset to overcome the unthinkable.

[00:21:38] Jalen: I wouldn't say it was like the biggest adversity, but it was important for me, and it's still important now. I remember when my, my, it's not really adversity. It's more of a, it was more of like a choice that I thought was really important.

[00:22:09] Sandra: An option wasn't an option.

[00:22:17] And so every day came down to getting my schoolwork done, making sure I got my work done, with basketball, and then after that I could be a kid. And so, but-

[00:22:28] Jalen: I could do what, I could do what I want. I could do what I want. And that also ca- it wasn't just my decision; it was also about finding the right friends to be around.

[00:22:54] And so, so I wouldn't say that's adversity. There's other adversity that I've gone through, but I think it was really important for me to understand that my surroundings were just as important as my decisions.

[00:23:26] Sandra: Well, I can tell you that the strangest thing was, like, how could they have middle school basketball games at, like, 3:00 in the afternoon, right? That's hard. As a working mom- or parent- 9:00 to 5:00, I sacrificed, meaning I didn't take lunch so I could go to his game. r- Rick would bring his, like, sandwiches or a snack before practice. It was a collective effort. And the way high school basketball is now, it's pretty much like a precursor to what they're doing in the professional sports.

[00:24:23] Lindsay: Whoa.

[00:24:27] Sandra: We didn't work out together. We went to the gym together.

[00:24:31] Lindsay: In high school or

[00:24:34] Sandra: Yeah. Yes. We would go at- okay... like, we'd leave at, like, 5:00. I had to be home, showered, and dressed by 6:30. So he would play pickup basketball. I would work out. And we did this, I think, till he was a junior, his junior year, when pretty much he had to work out at school in the morning.

[00:24:51] Sandra: But whatever he was interested in, as a parent, I felt that I needed to somehow show up, whether it was ... And even for our daughter, I'll volunteer. I, if I have to be there, drive you there, wait, I might as well do something. So I always wanted to show up, and to just let them know that what they cared about mattered.

[00:25:31] Jalen: One, no, Connor, one of the kids.

[00:25:34] Jalen: had to drag Connor with me ...

[00:26:00] Sometimes I would run the bridge in Margate with him until he got way too advanced and I couldn't hang anymore. However, I could fit in to show him that I'm going to support him; I am there no matter what. And obviously his dad is, but as a mom, I try to show up in other ways. He doesn't need another coach.

[00:26:29] Lindsay: I had someone write in. I know that we're gonna wrap this, but someone wrote in with a question that I loved, and their question was, "How have you raised a boy that's a man... How have you raised a man that continues to stay as humble as he does after achieving success at every level?"

[00:26:51] Jalen: Well, I have a sister.

[00:26:57] Jalen: That's pretty much self-explanatory. I have a father who keeps me in check. I have a mother who keeps me in check. I have a wife who keeps me in check. All my friends keep me humble. I have a best friend on my team who treats me like shit. Excuse my language.

[00:27:17] Jalen: I'm not even gonna say his name, but he's number three. But I have a lot of people who've– not that I need it, but, like, it's always good having people who, like, you've known from when you were still working towards your goal. And now that you're at your goal, they're still around, and they're still the same person, so it gives me no right to change who I am as well.

[00:27:57] Jalen: Yeah, it means a lot just because of, I think, who we are as a family.

[00:28:28] And so just to see where this is now, to say that we would, it would be to this magnitude, we thought about it. To say we thought that this would be this magnitude, maybe eventually, but not this quickly. And so the fact that we see this like this is, how it is today, is pretty surreal.

[00:28:51] What is the one thing that you can't live without? It can be anything.

[00:29:00] Jalen: Sure, 'cause I have plenty of avenues to go down.

[00:30:11] I hope that some way, somehow, his success off the court, on the court, leads people to understand that the journey is a never-ending road, a never-ending winding road, and that somehow, some way, with perseverance and the mindset, you're able to overcome any and everything. People see Jalen where he is today, but I implore them, the younger people, to also look and to understand his journey, because there's a lot there that they can take from.

[00:31:12] Lindsay: Did he get into trouble, like, as a 12-year-old? Or was he like

[00:31:17] Lindsay: Really? Well, well- 'cause everyone was just keeping you in check

[00:31:22] He was a kid. Let's just leave it at that.

[00:31:25] Sandra: There were some learning curves, definitely, just like with any young man growing up. So, but they were; that's part of the journey. Nothing's ever perfect, but like, like Brian said, there are perfect moments.

[00:31:52] And to share that with all New Yorkers everywhere, it's a beautiful thing to see. And to have our son part of New York sports history is just icing on the cake.

[00:32:11] Lindsay: Wait, no, you can. Wait.

[00:32:18] Sandra: No, he can't.

[00:32:18] Sandra: He can't.

[00:32:20] Sandra: No.

[00:32:21] Sandra: You do, no.

[00:32:23] Jalen: Right now?

[00:32:24] Jalen: I'm playing FC 26 right now.

[00:32:27] Jalen: I'm waiting for 27.

[00:32:33] Sandra: See? That's, so- and how old is your son?

[00:32:37] Sandra: There's your 12-year-old.

[00:32:39] Sandra: Yes.

[00:32:41] Jalen: Weekends only.

[00:32:42] Lindsay: Really?

[00:32:43] Lindsay: This is actually amazing. Okay, so you only play video games on weekends.

[00:32:56] So that is limited, so if he only… I'm not gonna do two hours of reading, so-

[00:33:01] Sandra: You bring friends over...

[00:33:06] Sandra: If you have a play date- that is why my son keeps asking for the same friend to come over-

[00:33:11] Jalen: Cause that was pre, like, online. So now, like, I guess, like, no one really plays split-screen anymore.

[00:33:20] Jalen: So now all your friends, you can just be at home and play with them.

[00:33:28] Jalen: That's it.

[00:33:34] Jalen: Thank you.

[00:33:36] Jalen: Thank

[00:33:40] Jalen: Yep. I'm excited. I'm excited.

[00:33:45] Jalen: I'm excited just to kind of restart the journey.

[00:33:59] Lindsay: One day at a time. I hope you don't worry so much.

[00:34:04] Lindsay: Thank you, guys.

[00:34:05] Lindsay: Congratulations on this. It's amazing.

[00:34:10] Lindsay: Oh, my son was really excited to hear that he has someone who also understands the power of FC, playing the video game.

[00:34:41] They have so many people that are there showing up just for them and to be a part of this, that it was really great to be able to spend that amount of time with them. But also, just thanks for being so honest and so open, and I cannot wait to watch the Knicks this season. I can't wait to watch Jalen and his team facing LeBron more, now that he's with the 76ers.

[00:35:19] When there's something so great, just take the time to just soak it in, slow down, and just enjoy, and just be. So, thank you. As always, if you loved this episode, please like, subscribe, rate, review, and send us what you wanna hear. Thanks for watching. Thanks for listening. Thanks for being a part of this TNOTY community.