Jalen Brunson deserves to be crowned 'King of New York' after unforgettable night
Jalen Brunson couldn't help but take in the moment as he stood on the court, at a loss for words due to his surreal surroundings. As thousands of fans inside Madison Square Garden rained down "MVP" chants following a hard-fought 109-105 victory over the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks point guard struggled to fight back tears.
"No matter what, we're going to keep fighting. That's what we do," Brunson said. "Especially here. This place is unbelievable."
On the heels of being named to his first career All-Star game, Brunson turned in a signature performance that epitomized New York City's identity.
There was no shortage of adversity thrown Brunson's way, with the Knicks being down four rotation players and trailing by as much as 15 points in the second quarter. In the game's culminating moment, Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard inadvertently poked him in the eye, causing immediate swelling.
Thanks to Brunson's game-high 40 points, however, the Knicks were able to muscle out a win — their ninth straight victory and 15th in their last 17 games. At 32-17, New York sits only a half-game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Brunson is justifiably the talk of the town amidst his torrid stretch. New York's biggest star at the moment is playing far better than anybody could've imagined when he signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knicks in 2022. Per DraftKings, he now has the sixth-shortest odds to win MVP this season.
When looking at the plethora of star athletes currently playing for New York teams, none seem to boast a higher approval rating than Brunson nowadays.
Aaron Rodgers came to the Big Apple as the perceived savior of the downtrodden Jets franchise, only to suffer a season-ending Achilles injury four snaps into the season. Though slugger Aaron Judge and Cy Young pitcher Gerrit Cole are adored by Yankees fans, a disappointing 82-80 finish by the Bronx Bombers last season puts them in the temporary doghouse. Even Giants undrafted quarterback Tommy DeVito enjoyed several weeks in the spotlight, but the "Tommy Cutlets" era came to an abrupt end after six starts.
Playing in New York is incredibly difficult, with many current and former athletes citing the heightened expectations and greater attention from media and fans alike. Brunson, however, is thriving in his short time here, which is why he should be rightfully crowned the "King of New York."
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