Tom Thibodeau discusses Jalen Brunson's 'surreal' rise after Knicks' ninth straight win
For another night, the crowd at Madison Square Garden showered star Jalen Brunson with chants of "MVP" after he helped lead the New York Knicks to a ninth straight win, 109-105 over the Indiana Pacers.
Reflecting on the moment and others from the year after the game, head coach Tom Thibodeau explained why Brunson's rise is so "surreal."
"I think back to when he was a kid coming here in the '90s, you never knew. You knew he was a great kid, he's always had that," Thibodeau said, via the NBA. "But he was so serious, even then. Whether he was doing an imitation of Latrell Sprewell or, Allan Houston, or Larry Johnson, or Patrick [Ewing], he had it spot on. He was like six, and he had all their moves down."
Thibodeau continued, saying he watched Brunson prove "naysayers" wrong at every level, from high school to college and now the NBA.
An assistant with the Knicks in the '90s while Brunson's father Rick played for the team, Thibodeau practically watched him grow up. Now, he's in a unique position to see it all come full circle.
On Thursday, Brunson was again spectacular, helping the Knicks erase a 15-point deficit to win while finishing with a game-high 40 points. According to Stathead, he's now tied for third in the NBA with five games of 40 or more points. He trails only Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo (6), Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic (9) and Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid (9).
Following the game, the 27-year-old fought back tears when asked to react to being named an All-Star for the first time in his six-year career. However, when given the chance to talk about himself, Brunson instead praised his teammate's effort and gave love to the home crowd.
"No matter what, we're going to keep fighting. That's what we do," Brunson said, via the MSG Network. "Especially here. This place is unbelievable."
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