Tag: Jalen Wilson

Previewing Chiefs’ Week 16 game vs. Texans on Chiefs Wire Podcast

On the latest episode of @TheChiefsWire podcast: @EdEastonJr’s chats w/ Danan Hughes and Jalen Wilson #HOUvsKC

We’re back with an all-new episode of the Chiefs Wire podcast! This week, we’re previewing the Kansas City Chiefs Week 16 matchup with the Houston Texans.

Senior Writer Ed Easton Jr. spoke to former Chiefs wide receiver Danan Hughes, one of the unsung heroes of the special teams unit in the 1990s. Hughes discussed his role as an ambassador with the Chiefs and his reflections on his career as a player.

We check in with this past week’s press conferences, featuring comments from quarterback Patrick Mahomes and cornerback Trent McDuffie discussing the team’s Week 15 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Lastly, Easton Jr. spoke to Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson about his invite for a young Chiefs parade shooting victim to a Kansas Jayhawks basketball game earlier this year.

The latest episode of the Chiefs Wire Podcast will inform listeners about all developments in the team’s mindset ahead of their matchup against the Texans on a short week in Week 16. We also learn more about one of Hughes’ favorite memories with the Chiefs, reflecting on his touchdown reception from a pass by Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen. At the same time, Texas native Wilson shares his view on the community connection between the Jayhawks and the Chiefs.

Check out the link below to get your fill of Chiefs talk ahead of Saturday’s kickoff:

Nets’ Jalen Wilson, Trendon Watford react to Steph Curry’s Team USA heroics

Brooklyn Nets forwards Jalen Wilson and Trendon Watford reacted to Steph Curry’s heroics in Team USA’s 98-87 win over France on Saturday.

The Brooklyn Nets are on vacation as they await the start of training camp and eventually, the start of the 2024-25 season for a rebuilding franchise. Even though Nets guard Dennis Schroder was unable to lead Germany to the bronze medal, some of his Brooklyn teammates tuned in to watch Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and Team USA win the gold medal.

Team USA came into Saturday’s gold-medal game against France as double-double favorites and they met those expectations by beating Victor Wembanyama and company 98-87. The main reason that the United States was able to win the gold medal for the fifth consecutive Olympics was because of Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.

Curry went off for 24 points in the contest and while he did not make a shot inside the three-point line, he went 8-of-12 (66.7%) from deep, including some incredible shots to keep America in the game. As a testament of how well Curry played down the stretch of the game, he made eight three-pointers, the most for any player in the final of an Olympic tournament.

To be clear, Curry got plenty of help from his teammates as James put up 14 points and 10 assists while Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant dropped 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists. As many around the world were watching the gold medal game, so were some of the Nets and here are their reactions:

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Nets F Jalen Wilson on community support for Chiefs, Jayhawks

In a recent interview with Ed Easton Jr., Brooklyn Nets standout Jalen Wilson shared his thoughts on the #Chiefs and Jayhawks fanbases. | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs fan base is part of a larger community contingent that supports the area’s best talent. Chiefs Kingdom and fans of the University of Kansas share a similar bond when rooting for their championship-winning clubs.

Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to former Kansas Jayhawk and current Brooklyn Nets standout Jalen Wilson about his new business partnership with Barcode, Summer League performance, and thoughts on the Chiefs and Jayhawks fanbases.

“I was super excited to understand the background of everything, and once we got going, it was fun to be a part of something like that that you want to enjoy in the city,” Wilson said of his new deal with Barcode. “It’s just something that’s been part of my journey as far as playing basketball, Who doesn’t want to drink [something] that is to enhance me and help me play my game?”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C95VTLLPQOJ/

Wilson is entering his second NBA season and recently earned NBA 2K25 Summer League MVP honors for his elite performance in the offseason tournament. He averaged 21.8 points and 4.6 rebounds over a five-game span for the Brooklyn Nets.

“It was a blessing and an opportunity that I was given,” Wilson explained of his Summer League performance. “I think any athlete in any sport just wants an opportunity to play and showcase what they can do. I was very thankful for the moment and [I] just was able to put in all the hard work in the summer leading up to Summer League when it was time to play finally just came naturally because of all the hard work, so just putting in the work before everything is always important because it’s hard to replicate game reps. So, as much as you can get in the gym, repetition is important. That’s what I was able to do.”

Wilson won a National Championship and a Conference Player of the Year award during his four years at the University of Kansas. Later in his interview with Easton, Wilson described the unparalleled support from the community throughout his career in Lawrence and explained the parallels he sees in Chiefs Kingdom’s support of Kansas City’s players.

“I think it was just really cool for Kansas to have something to lean on, and basketball and football… there’s no NBA team, so it was really important for us to go out, and that was one thing Coach (Bill Self) always instilled in us as representing the name across the jersey,” said Wilson. “There are so many passionate people in Kansas who go out and support us. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing. They all come out and show their support for us, which was always cool to represent.”

Both teams’ fanbases have shown plenty of support over the years, and each team has won championships.

“I know the Chiefs felt the same way; their football field (Arrowhead Stadium) is probably known as one of the hardest places to play, and that’s due to the fans coming in,” Wilson continued. “[It doesn’t] matter if it’s negative 10 degrees out there, a lot of degrees like they’re showing up. They’re showing out every single time, which is just a testament to the people we have supporting.”

Check out the website for more information on Jalen and Brooklyn Nets’ partnership with Barcode.

Former Jayhawk Jalen Wilson invited parade shooting victim to Kansas basketball game

In an interview with Ed Easton Jr., Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson recalled inviting a #Chiefs parade shooting victim to a #Jayhawks game. | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs are months removed from the tragic events of their Super Bowl LVIII victory parade in February. Since that dreadful day, there have been more stories of triumph and perseverance from those who were affected.

Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to former Kansas Jayhawks and current Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson on behalf of Barcode about his goals for his second NBA season and his reflections on inviting a young Chiefs parade shooting victim to a Kansas Jayhawks basketball game earlier this year.

“I just want to go into the season… I want to put in even more work, understand that no job is ever finished, and achieve the goals I have,” said Wilson. “It starts, of course, with training camp and leaving a season; two is going for that not leaving anything behind is working and understanding that every day is just an opportunity to get better.”

Wilson’s determination is only matched by his heart and desire to help others. He spoke about reaching out to ten-year-old Samuel Arellano, one of the more than two dozen victims injured in the shooting at the Super Bowl celebrations, to invite him to a Kansas Jayhawks basketball game.

“That was a moment that was really important to me,” Wilson explained. “I was so thankful that my mom could find that. She was following on Twitter (X) and saw so many victims being impacted by this. It’s an unfortunate situation. We ran across a beautiful family going through the same type of problem, and I think we both have the same idea and want to come together. If we can just give them (at least) one percent of happiness, try to fill any void you have from that situation. We’re going to try our best, which was very important.”

Wilson couldn’t be with Arellano during that night but sent a touching video message that was played at Allen Fieldhouse during the game.

“I feel like Kansas does a great job, and it speaks of embracing people whenever they are in an unfortunate situation,” said Wilson. “We were able to accomplish that, and we signed the jersey for the family. It was a really cool moment to help someone and understand that you can bring peace of joy.”

Founded by Mubarak “Bar” Malik and Kyle Kuzma, Barcode is the first premium, natural performance and hydration drink on the market. As the proud fitness water of the Brooklyn Nets, Barcode is plant-based with added benefits and ingredients, including Vitamin D, B6, B12, and Magnesium. It offers a functional alternative to sugar-packed sports drinks and is perfectly designed to optimize overall health.

https://www.instagram.com/drinkbarcode/reel/C-JDVtbyIUw/

Check out the website for more information on Jalen and Brooklyn Nets’ partnership with Barcode.

Nets’ Jalen Wilson reacts to winning Las Vegas Summer League MVP

Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson reacted to winning MVP for the Las Vegas Summer League during Monday’s championship game on ESPN.

Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson has been one of the bright spots for a Nets franchise that is trying to find its footing following the end of the Big 3 era. After a 2023-24 season in which Wilson showed that his ceiling is higher than what many draft experts believed, he had quite the performance in the Las Vegas Summer League.

On Monday, the NBA announced that Wilson was the MVP of the entire summer league after averaging 21.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 47.3% from the field and 55.0% from three-point land. As expected, many Nets fans were happy that one of their players were awarded with such an accolade and understandably so, Wilson was happy about it as well.

Wilson’s performance was a huge reason for the Nets finishing with a 3-2 record in the summer league and even though Brooklyn was unable to get back to the semi-finals, he did his part. Wilson also had the opportunity to expand on his feelings regarding winning the award of the Most Valuable Player.

“It’s just a blessing to have the opportunity to come out and play,” Wilson said during Monday’s championship game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Miami Heat. “The game just slowed down. I think last year, all rookies are eager to play and get things going and now this year, I was able to know what was coming and was able to get better prepared.”

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Nets’ Jalen Wilson named Las Vegas Summer League MVP

The NBA announced on Monday that Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson is the MVP for the 2024 Las Vegas Summer League.

The Brooklyn Nets were unable to get back to the semifinals of the Las Vegas Summer League like they did last season as they finished with a 3-2 record. Even though Brooklyn did not enjoy the same level of success this summer as they did last year, one of their promising young players received the best accolade that any player could have been awarded.

The NBA announced on Monday that Nets forward Jalen Wilson was the most valuable player for the 2024 Las Vegas Summer League, also known as NBA 2K25 Summer League 2024. Seeing how Wilson played for the Nets this time around, it’s easy to see why he was awarded with the MVP award for this summer’s showcase.

In five games for Brooklyn, Wilson averaged 21.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 47.3% from the field and 55.0% from three-point land. Of the players who played in all five games for their team, Wilson was second in points per game (Los Angeles Clippers forward Jordan Miller averaged 25.4 points per contest).

Wilson, 23, is heading into his second season in the NBA and with the Nets heading into a rebuild following the trading of Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, Wilson will be one of the players that will be asked to step up. If this summer league is any indication, Wilson is ready for the task and was even named MVP amongst her peers in Las Vegas.

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Nets beat Knicks 92-85 in summer league; Jalen Wilson drops 27

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the New York Knicks in the Las Vegas Summer League on Tuesday 92-85 thanks to Jalen Wilson’s 27 points.

The Brooklyn Nets (2-1) came off a tough loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday thanks to how poorly they shot the ball as a team. To that point, Brooklyn had a good opportunity coming into Tuesday as they were reeling from a loss while facing their rival in the New York Knicks (0-2) on Tuesday.

The Nets beat the Knicks 92-85 despite trailing by as many as 21 points in their matchup in the Las Vegas Summer League thanks to a 27-point effort from forward Jalen Wilson. Wilson has been arguably Brooklyn’s best player over the past two summers as he has used his experience as a former Player of the Year in college to his advantage.

Wilson shot 8-of-16 from the field and 5-of-10 from three-point range to lead the team on the offensive end, but he had some help as well from some of his more experience teammates. Tyrese Martin came off the bench to help with the scoring by dropping 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from deep.

Jacob Gilyard also had a good outing for the Nets as he put up 13 points along with seven steals to hold down the point guard position for Brooklyn on both ends of the floor. Dariq Whitehead continued his immense struggles shooting the basketball as he finished with just one point on 0-of-10 shooting from the floor.

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Nets’ Jalen Wilson talks offseason, mindset heading into summer league

Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson spoke to the media after summer league practice on Tuesday about the offseason and his mindset right now.

NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson was one of the team’s bright spots in a 2023-24 season that ended in disappointing fashion with the Nets missing the playoffs. Following his rookie season in the NBA, Wilson is in a position for more playing time and he’s been preparing his the opportunity.

“It’s been good. We’ve been in the gym pretty much all summer,” Wilson said to the media on Tuesday following Brooklyn’s practice to get ready for the Las Vegas Summer League that begins on Friday. Last summer, the Nets made it to the summer league semi-finals in large part because of Wilson’s play and he’s looking to do that and more this time around.

“Getting reps in together, building that chemistry,” Wilson said when asked about anything specific that he’s been working on this offseason. “Looking forward to going to Summer League and doing good things.”

In the five games that Wilson played last summer, he averaged 17.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 43.6% from the field and 45.8% from three-point range. Wilson will be looked to as one of the main players for the Nets as the team looks to win the summer league championship and Wilson is ready to win.

“I definitely want to win. We were so close to winning last time, that’s definitely the main priority. Just being a leader. I feel like we all got to do it last year. So, growing from that, and showing that we’ve gotten better from last summer, and that we’re ready to play,” Wilson said.

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Nets’ Dennis Schroder gives Jalen Wilson credit for winning plays

Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Schroder recently gave rookie Jalen Wilson credit for always being able to make winning plays.

The Brooklyn Nets are at a point of their franchise where they have to carefully each move they make if they want to get back to being a title contender sometime soon. One of the players that Brooklyn will be depending on is Jalen Wilson, someone that has already drawn praise from a well-known veteran.

“I’m a big fan of not chasing stat lines and J Will does a lot of things what don’t show on the stat sheet,” Nets guard Dennis Schroder said of Wilson who just finished his rookie season. As part of the Nets’ “Year 1” series, Schroder was asked about what Wilson brings to the team when he steps on the floor and a noticeable part of his game is his intangibles.

“(Wilson) impacts winning and I like that most about him,” Schroder said of Wilson. Despite the fact that Wilson came into the 2023-24 season as the 51st overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and was eventually signed as a Two-Way player, he ended up playing 43 games and had some nice moments along the way.

Brooklyn came into the season hoping to make the playoffs following the breakup of the Big 3 and when things looked dire heading into the All-Star break, the team turned to Wilson for a spark. Wilson averaged 5.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 42.5% from the field and 32.4% from three-point land.

Wilson showed some promising traits as a player who could be a force on the glass for someone of his size and someone who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. If he can refine his offensive game to the point of being a threat, Wilson could be one of the players to make waves next season, assuming that he gets a bigger role on the Nets.

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Nets’ Jalen Wilson reacts to playing more games than he’s used to

As part of the Brooklyn Nets’ “Year 1” series, rookie Jalen Wilson reacted to playing in more games than he was used to in college.

Brooklyn Nets rookie Jalen Wilson came into the 2023-24 season as one of Brooklyn’s Two-Way players potentially destined to spend the rest of the season in the G League. One of the adjustments that Wilson had to make at the next level was how many more games he was playing in compared to his college days at Kansas University.

“I think when you say 82 games like you don’t really realize like 82 games,” Wilson said during a portion of the Nets’ “Year 1” series when talking about how much more basketball he was playing. Wilson, 23, played in 43 games for Brooklyn this season, but the most that he played in one season as a Kansas Jayhawk was 37 games during the 2021-22 season when Kansas won the National Championship.

“Like, (in) college, you’re lucky to play like 30, 35 games. Like, you’re lucky that (you’re) one of the teams that go on and play March Madness and stuff like that,” Wilson explained. “So being able to play like almost every single other day, it’s cool.”

While Wilson was the 51st overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, he played in his first game for the Nets in a 109-105 win at the Miami Heat. Wilson played just over five minutes and did not put much in the stat sheet, but he showed everyone who watched that he could do some of the little things to make an impact for Brooklyn.

Wilson started seeing more action for the Nets in the middle of December when the franchise was looking for a spark from someone amidst a bout of losing that was frustrating for everyone on the team. Wilson really showed the total package of what he could in April when he averaged 7.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 41.3% from the field and 28.6% from three-point range.

While Wilson played in more games than he probably expected coming into his rookie season as a late second-round pick, Wilson showed that he was ready to go from the moment that he stepped on the floor. He had the kind of rookie campaign that the franchise and the fanbase is hoping he can build upon for next season.

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