Duke sophomore Kyle Filipowski may be an emotional leader for the Blue Devils, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he wants to be an emotional leader.
In a short story written by The Athletic’s Brendan Marks, published on Thursday morning, the 7-footer shared his journey to reigning in his emotions on the court over the last few years.
Filipowski described himself as impulsive in high school, a player who could be bothered and heated up easily.
“That was a point in my life where I was trying to get a lot more mental fortitude,” Filipowski said. “I was a very emotional player. I still am today, but I wasn’t able to control it as well, I think.”
Filipowski’s emotions have been the talk of social media this month after he looked like he tripped UNC’s Harrison Ingram during their season-ending showdown at Cameron Indoor.
The Duke star said he’s come to terms with the idea of expectations, understanding he can’t take away the noise. He can, however, choose not to pay attention to it.
“I just need to be more patient with myself, not let any negativity get to me,” Filipowski said. “That’s the biggest thing I’ve been working on.”