The Dallas Mavericks drafted Jalen Brunson in the second round in 2018. He worked his way into the rotation as a rookie. Brunson parlayed that to an invite to Team USA camp in the summer of 2019. The 23-year-old took over as the Mavs backup point guard this season. He continues to improve daily.
Making it to the NBA was an accumulation of a ton of hard work. Brunson always had the talent and bloodlines. His father, Rick Brunson, was a nine-year NBA veteran. That did not guarantee Jalen would make it, though.