Jalen Brunson made the first All-Star game of his career after a sensational season with the New York Knicks. He's emerged as their leader and is averaging career-highs to lead them to a top-three seed in the East. While many believe he was snubbed as an All-Star starter, Brunson revealed what was happening when he was officially named an All-Star reserve on Inside the NBA.
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"The TV was on in another room but I didn't watch it, I was trying to get my mind right for the game. We ran out on the court, I started hearing a couple of fans yelling some stuff and then I saw my dad walk out who looked at me and nodded. That's when I really knew, so it was a great moment for us."
Brunson is averaging 27.6 points and 6.5 assists this season as the Knicks have a 33-22 record. They've been bogged down with injuries recently but had a 14-2 record in January 2024. After acquiring Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from the Pistons at the deadline, there's a lot of excitement for what the Knicks could achieve in the final stretch of the season with a healthy roster.
The team was transformed by the arrival of Brunson in the summer of 2022, who's quickly gone from being a player many thought the Knicks overpaid to lure him away from the Mavericks to being a player on one of the best cost-controlled contracts in the NBA right now.
Kenny Smith Said Brunson Has Been A Winner His Entire Life
Brunson is an underdog story in the modern NBA, but he had a lot of tools at his disposal growing up. His father, Rick Brunson, is a former NBA player and currently an assistant coach with the Knicks. As a result, Brunson had some mentorship from Kenny Smith, who commented on Brunson's All-Star appearance with a moving speech about Jalen's tendency to win throughout his life.
"I've had the pleasure of watching him when he was in high school, and I used to sit next to your dad in the stands when you were like 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grade and he used to be praising of what you could become. I used to watch you and be like, 'How does this guy with his physical ability, every time I see him, he wins'. You got to college, Villanova, and won a national championship in 2016. I'm like, 'All this guy does is win'. When the draft comes and you went in the second round, I'm like, 'Maybe they see what I saw, that physically he isn't.' But then, all you do was win. This guy is the most remarkable winner since I've seen you in high school. Every year I've seen you, you've won... I predict New York and Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals."
Brunson can lead the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals this season, with the team emerging as one of the best teams in the East. He's been to the Conference Finals with a worse Mavs roster in 2022, but he was the No. 2 option behind Luka Doncic on that team.
The Knicks roster is loaded, though people keep questioning if Brunson can be a true No. 1 option on a title-winning team. We'll find out soon enough, but the 2024 playoffs will be arguably Brunson's most important run so far in his career.
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