The New York Knicks have a homegrown hero in Jalen Brunson.
Jalen Brunson stands on the Madison Square Garden hardwood and throws up a peace sign to the camera as he walks toward the baseline. However, he’s not wearing his usual No. 11 – he’s wearing No. 8, a Latrell Sprewell jersey. And instead of basketball shorts and shoes, he’s wearing a pair of jeans and brown sneakers.
This picture was taken during Brunson’s childhood. As the son of a Knick, Rick Brunson, he was often at the Garden with his dad. From a young age, Brunson was introduced to the bright lights of the “world’s most famous arena”.
It seems like destiny that one day he would don the blue and orange not just only as a fan, but as a player on the court.
Brunson grew up and spent his early years in New Brunswick, New Jersey, just an hour outside New York City. As a young child, he was a fan of the hometown team, the New York Knicks. Pictures can be found online of a younger Brunson in blue and orange apparel. However, his dad bounced around the league, bringing his family with him. They ended up settling in Illinois, far away from the big city, the mecca of basketball.
Unsurprisingly Brunson’s love for the game never died, and by the end of his high school career, he was ranked as the number two point guard in his recruiting class. After committing to Villanova, Brunson would go on to have a decorated college career. In his junior season, he led Villanova to the College National Championship and won a plethora of awards, including the John R. Wooden Award and Naismith College Player of the Year.
In the 2018 NBA draft, although they could have used a point guard, with only a pitiful trio of Ron Baker, Trey Burke, and Jarrett Jack at their disposal, the Knicks did not draft Brunson. Instead, he went to the Mavericks, with the 33rd overall pick.
It seemed like Dallas got a steal with Brunson in the early second round. He seamlessly fit next to their new star, European phenomenon Luka Doncic, and could even take over when Doncic wasn’t around. Brunson took this to a new level in last year’s playoffs, where he exploded to the tune of 41 points and then followed it up by scoring 31 the next game. Brunson led the Mavericks to a 2-1 lead against the 10th-best defense in the NBA, all without Doncic.
After Dallas lost in the conference finals, it was time for contract talks for Brunson. While he was the second-best player on the team and served a crucial role, the Mavericks were hesitant to pay him what he wanted.
On June 2, 2022, another wrinkle in the contract drama entered the fold – Rick Brunson was hired to the coaching staff of the New York Knicks. Instantly, the rumor mill started churning. Although Brunson had been linked to New York, this hiring started even more theories. Were the Knicks really hiring Brunson’s father just to get him on the team?
Whatever it may be, whether it was because his father got hired as a coach or because he wanted to come back home and play for his childhood team, on July 12, 2022, Brunson signed a four-year $104 million contract with the Knicks.
After not being near New York City since he was in sixth grade, Brunson returns home. The 26-year-old brings something that the Knicks haven’t had in practically a decade -good play at the point guard position. Long gone are the days of Frank Ntilikina and Langston Galloway. There is a new, very talented floor general in town.
Through six games Brunson has been everything fans hoped and dreamed of, averaging around 18 points and 7 assists, while shooting around 42 percent from three. Before his third game, Brunson had yet to commit a turnover, dishing out 16 assists before making an error.
"“I’m not a savior in any way, shape or form,” Brunson said during media day earlier this fall. “I just want to be able to contribute to this team.”"
Brunson is right – he probably won’t singlehandedly save the Knicks franchise. However, if he can steer the team in the right direction, New York fans will happily adorn him as the savior of the Knicks – a homegrown hero.