Brooklyn Nets' Mikel Brown Jr. Shares His NBA Journey & Learning from Donovan Mitchell And Rajon Rondo | Cousins

Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady welcome Brooklyn Nets No. 6 overall pick Mikel Brown Jr. to Cousins to discuss his journey to the NBA, the mentors who helped shape his career, and the basketball IQ that's made him one of the game's brightest young stars. Mikel reflects on the moment he knew he could go pro, opens up about Donovan Mitchell believing in him from the beginning and Rajon Rondo's impact on his development, and shares why he studies players like Steve Nash, Chris Paul and Rondo instead of modeling his game after just one star. He also gives his rookie classmates their flowers, weighs in on how NIL has changed college basketball, and explains what separates great basketball minds from the rest. Plus, Vince and T-Mac share advice on navigating life in the NBA and invites Mikel's brother to the Adidas ABCD Camp! **00:00** Intro **01:30** Reacting to The Ringer's Top 100 Rankings **09:27** Mikel Brown Jr. Joins *The Cousins* **13:16** Adjusting to Life at Louisville **21:04** Breaking Down the 2026 NBA Draft Class **25:11** NBA Player Comparisons **29:09** Battling Through Injuries **35:05** Mikel's Message to Nets Fans **39:00** FanDuel "Pick A Side" **41:46** Life Away From Basketball **45:05** Why Jay-Z Is His GOAT **47:30** Michael Jackson's Lasting Influence **50:56** Why Preparation Beats Talent **56:01** Outro Follow Cousins on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinceandtmac/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vinceandtmac X: https://x.com/VinceAndTmac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VinceAndTMac/ Much love to our sponsors: **FanDuel**: From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://www.fanduel.com/cousins to get started now. **Xfinity:** With Xfinity, there’s no waiting for reliable WiFi. Get online in minutes with same- WiFi from Xfinity. Plus, lock in your price and get the nost reliable, fiber-powered WiFi for 5 years, guaranteed. No contracts or commitments. Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Use of fiber/coaxial cable. Learn more athttps://www.xfinity.com/learn/internet-service/same-day-wifi **NHTSA:** Speeding Catches up With You. Paid for by NHTSA. https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/speeding **ZipRecruiter:** Post jobs for free at http://ziprecruiter.com/COUSINS