New York Knicks rookie Tyler Kolek is about to embark on his first NBA season, and he’s welcoming the challenge that comes with playing at the highest level of the basketball world.
In order for Kolek to find success and stick around, he knows he cannot do it by himself, and he is willing to be a sponge and learn from his teammates.
“All the vets, just leaning on them, they’ve been there before. They know how this works,” Kolek said. “I’m kind of coming into this blind. Three years in college, each year I knew what to expect. Coming into this league I don’t really know what to expect, so just really leaning on those guys, leaning on my teammates to guide me through.”
The one player Kolek is playing closer attention to is Jalen Brunson, who had a very similar path coming into the league. Both were experienced Big East point guards drafted early in the second round without much expectations. Now, Brunson is considered to be one of the best players in the NBA, which is why Kolek is zoning in on how he handles himself.
“He plays at his own pace,” Kolek said of Brunson. “He’s never sped up and he tries to make the right decision every single time. And he’s efficient, too.”
On top of having Brunson in his corner, Kolek also has one of the brightest minds in the game coaching him in Tom Thibodeau. While Thibodeau is notorious for not giving much playing time to rookies, he still has trust and belief that Kolek will eventually shine for the Knicks, so he is keeping him ready for whenever his moment comes.
“He’s really sharp,” Kolek said of Thibodeau. “Everything we do in practice he’s on us. He wants to win. The team embodies that, the whole mindset. We all want to win. So if we’ve got to go harder, sharper, we kind of follow his lead.”
Kolek may have gotten more playing time had he ended up elsewhere, but the Knicks may have been one of the better landing spots for him to start his career. He’s learning from some of the best, and that could help him have a long and fruitful career in the NBA.
