Failure is no option. In order to reach your dreams you’ve got to put in the work. That’s exactly what Jalen Hood-Schifino did as he went from a playmaker at Indiana to a first round pick in the NBA draft. Inspired by Kobe Bryant, since 7th grade Jalen had always known he was destined to be a basketball player. Watch how this young star went from a dreamer to a Los Angeles Laker.
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POWERED BY @GATORADE. #thewaytobegreat #JalenHoodSchifino #lakers #nbadraft #rookieoftheyear #nbasummerleague
Make sure to subscribe and follow HoopDiamonds everywhere so you don't miss out on any of the action!
IG: http://www.instagram.com/hoopdiamonds
Playmaker Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@playmakr
HoopDiamonds is a grassroots & high school basketball content creation platform based out of South Florida, dedicated to bringing you the best and highest quality basketball video content on the internet. Powered by @Playmaker.
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SportsTranscript
00:00 When it's all said and done, I want to play basketball for a long time.
00:03 I want to be one of the best players, one of the best point guards to play the game.
00:06 I really just leave my mark, try to be the best Jalen I can be.
00:10 He shot 40% from three-point range, the only guy, the only freshman in Indiana since Eric Gordon in 2007-08 that had multiple 30-point games.
00:19 Number four in Indiana history as a freshman, accumulating 117 assists. That playmaking style of Jalen.
00:26 I always knew he would be special, honestly, because of the pedigree.
00:31 His father played sports, I played sports, and he was just always better than his peers.
00:37 Number one, Jalen!
00:41 There you go.
00:48 Good shot, I promise, man.
00:50 Today I'm working out at Embody Sports. It's right outside of Charlotte. I'm working out with Ron Weathers.
01:02 Honestly, just a lot of injury prevention stuff, a lot of core activation, a lot of movement stuff, and just some treatment.
01:10 I think now it's more so about trying to get the rest while also staying on top of your work.
01:15 Coming off a long college season and then getting right into pre-draft, then team workouts and things like that in the summer league.
01:22 This is pretty much the only time I really have the rest.
01:25 Right now it's nothing too crazy, just a lot of working with Ron every day in the mornings, trying to get in the pool when I can, and then I'll get shots up.
01:34 Jalen is a really explosive athlete. Really, with him, his explosivity, his ability to be able to change direction, start and stop.
01:44 He's naturally a fantastic defender and a really talented offensive player. A guy that can play on both sides of the ball.
01:52 College was fun because I think it prepared me for this level, but it's kind of overwhelming and it's pounding your body.
01:58 You're working out for a crazy amount of hours a day. I think in the pro level it's more so about getting in and getting what you need.
02:05 It's more catered to you and what your game is.
02:08 Even being with the Lakers for the short time that I've been so far during summer league, it's get in, whether it's for 30 to 50 minutes, getting your vitamins, getting what you need.
02:18 Then you'll go through a practice or going over some things, some schemes and things like that.
02:23 Then you get physical therapy and lifting. It's nothing too crazy. Really schedule-oriented, but it's nothing long or something that's overwhelming.
02:32 I'm pretty laid back. Today's a perfect example. I love being around my family, my friends, my close ones.
02:38 I'm real laid back and chill. I just love the vibe.
02:41 The pre-draft process is long and you're doing the same things every day, but at the end of the day you have a goal and it's all worth it.
02:49 I was out in LA working out every single day. I was working on my game, my body, nutrition, things like that.
02:56 Towards the end, close to the drive time, that's when I started my team workouts. I had five workouts.
03:02 Went to the team workouts. They're really good. You do interviews and things like that.
03:06 It's a long process, but at the end of the day, like you said, we're four days away from the drive.
03:13 Everything that I went through these last couple weeks, it's all going to be worth it.
03:17 Everything is just mindset. Everyone's different. You've got to find what you want to do and go about it.
03:23 Everybody has different goals. For me, when I was younger, I've always been a total vision.
03:28 I always knew I wanted to be an NBA player and be one of the best players.
03:31 I sacrificed a lot of things, which necessarily wasn't even sacrificing because it was things I wanted to do.
03:36 I always wanted to stay in the gym, work hard. It's easy to say that, but you've just got to do it if you want to be the best.
03:45 Whether that's getting sleep, eating a certain way, doing extra work, obviously on the court, yoga.
03:53 You've just got to have habits and build good habits.
03:55 If you do that, you stay with it for years and years and years, it piles up and eventually it will lead you to maybe be in the position I'm in now.
04:01 [Music]
04:18 My favorite color is green, so I definitely had to do a green suit.
04:22 I really never seen anyone do green velvet, so I was like, "Let's stand out a little bit."
04:26 I got the Fino piece, last name is Shapino, last four letters Fino, players no option.
04:31 Piece right there, I mean the watch with the green in it.
04:36 Then probably my favorite part of it, this too, Fino right here.
04:41 Little side of the sword.
04:42 Then you know we got the meaningful pictures.
04:46 Through the hard way, me and my mom and sis, favorite scripture Jeremiah 2911, Fino, players no option.
04:55 Go to high school, Malverde, national champion.
04:58 Me and my guy coach Woody right there.
05:01 That's pretty much it though, nothing crazy, but we're popping a little bit.
05:05 You pretty much said it, when you're younger your goal is to make it to the NBA, but as you get older you realize that's not the goal anymore.
05:14 You want to get to the NBA and stick, so for me I just want to get there, day one make an impact, and just try to strive to be the best Jalen I can be.
05:22 When it's all said and done, I want to play basketball for a long time.
05:25 I want to be one of the best players, one of the best point guards to play the game.
05:28 Really just leave my mark, try to be the best Jalen I can be.
05:32 I always knew he would be special, honestly, because of the pedigree.
05:36 His father played sports, I played sports, and he was just always better than his peers.
05:43 He just stood out, so I knew he would be special.
05:47 I'm looking forward to it all, it's a new experience, something I've never experienced before.
05:52 I finally reached my goal of getting to the NBA, so now it's about developing, learning, building, and just trying to get out on the floor.
06:02 I'm coming in as a young guy, we have an established team already, so trying to come in and just make my mark, figure out what my role is going to be.
06:10 I'm excited, thankful to be drafted and to play for the Lakers.
06:15 I definitely talked to some of the guys, we're in summer league right now, so I'm playing with some of the guys who were on the roster last year.
06:22 Everything's been good.
06:24 I'm proud, I'm just happy for him, and I'm just happy that I was able to experience with him.
06:31 It's a great opportunity for him, it's just a big thing, and not everybody can do that.
06:40 [music]
06:53 I feel like that's where all the success happens.
06:57 People see what you do on the court, they see the success you have on the court, but for me, I think all the work behind the scenes is what is helping me do that on the court.
07:05 I think just the work I put in and everything I've done this far is starting to all pay off and kind of starting to see the success, even this past season in college and even now through summer league.
07:18 I just turned 20 years old, so I'm far from playing my best basketball yet.
07:22 I think just sharpening up everything, going back to me just learning, learning from the guys, learning from the coaching staff, getting as much knowledge as possible.
07:31 Learning about the NBA game, I think the faster I can do that, the faster my game will develop and I'll be able to take off.
07:39 I have a lot, I mean most people will run a name like the obvious ones like Rookie of the Year and things like that.
07:44 Obviously, since a kid, that's what goes, I always wanted to be Rookie of the Year, you want to win and do things like that.
07:50 I think it's small things, like starting off small, like I want to go in.
07:54 Thankfully, I'm playing for the Lakers, so I get to learn from LeBron and guys like AD.
07:59 I think just picking their brains and learning from them, day in and day out is going to help me.
08:04 Once you learn from them and you earn your spot and get minutes like that, that's when everything else falls into place.
08:11 It was enjoyable, I'd say for me it was like a roller coaster because most people don't really know where they're going.
08:18 I didn't know where I was going, where I would land, I was getting anxious. I know I don't get too high or too low, but I was kind of a little bit everywhere that night.
08:27 I remember just sitting at the table and all the teams going by and once the 16th pick came around, my agent told me that he shook his head and was like, "The Lakers are going to take you."
08:38 Then I talked to Rob, it was like a big relief and I was thankful to be a Laker.
08:43 Like I said, me being a big Kobe fan, once I got the call, it was kind of full circle, so everything was pretty much meant to be.
08:51 Me, my mom, and my sister, it's always been us through the hard way.
08:57 My last name is Shafino, the last four letters is Fino, which is failure is no option.
09:04 My mom created the Fino Project when I was in 9th grade.
09:08 I went to a USA camp and they told us to wear something that's meaningful to you.
09:13 We didn't want to do anything that was generic or something that everyone would do.
09:17 It probably took a couple days and my mom came up with Fino, failure is no option.
09:22 I didn't really think of that, I thought it was cool.
09:25 She ended up putting it on the shirt, I wore it, people liked it.
09:28 My mom is real creative, so she ended up really creating it and getting an LLC for it.
09:33 That's kind of what we've been doing ever since.
09:35 Number one, he's going to stay disciplined and he knows there's a lot more work to do.
09:40 This is just the beginning for him.
09:43 He's still a rookie in the league, he's got a lot of learning he has to do,
09:47 but as long as he stays disciplined and continues to work, the sky's the limit for him.
09:52 It was pretty much like within, since I was a little kid, if you ask my mom, dad, grandparents, whoever,
09:59 I've always been the kid that had the ball in my hand, football, basketball,
10:03 always trying to play catch, shoot in the backyard.
10:06 I think it was something that's always been natural in me.
10:09 I've always wanted to work and get to the highest level.
10:13 [music]
10:29 [no dialogue]