Jalen Brunson has come a long way from being a second-round pick of the Dallas Mavericks to becoming an All-Star and bona fide leader of the resurgent New York Knicks.
Although the lefty guard is only playing in his sixth season in the league, he’s been around the NBA since he was a little boy, tagging along with his father, former NBA guard Rick Brunson.
The elder Brunson was a career backup point guard who played for eight NBA teams. Jalen often accompanied his father to his games, and it was during one game against the Washington Wizards he got to meet the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) Michael Jordan.
Didn’t let MJ sign his jersey
Speaking from “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” the All-Star guard relayed his meeting with the Chicago Bulls’ legend, who was then playing for the Wizards. After the game, his father took him to meet Jordan.
His Airness, upon seeing that Jalen had his Wizards jersey on, offered to sign the jersey. But much to MJ’s surprise—and the entire locker room for that matter—Jalen refused.
“He said, ‘Hey, you have my jersey, do you want me to sign it?’ I said, ‘Nah, you’ll mess it up,’” Brunson shared.
“The whole locker was going crazy, laughing.”
Legit All-Star
After spending several seasons playing the role of backup playmaker on the Mavericks, Brunson stepped out of the shadow of Luka Doncic and made his star shine in New York City—one of the most challenging places to play.
He averaged over 24 points and six assists per game last season, and this season, he’s been more spectacular, averaging 27.5 points and 6.5 assists per game for a Knicks squad that ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference.
More must-reads: