Familiar Face Returning to Knicks in New Role

The New York Knicks are keeping it in the family—albeit in a reduced capacity.

Stefan Bondy of the New York Post confirmed reports that assistant coach Rick Brunson, the father of Knicks franchise face Jalen, will return to the bench set to be led by newly-installed boss Mike Brown. The elder Brunson, however, will not reprise the role of associate head coach, as Brown will seek a new name in the role.

"It’s viewed as a gesture by the organization to give Brown more control while simultaneously addressing the distractions or perceptions of conflicts of interest that arose last season by having the star player’s father as the top assistant," Bondy's report reads in part. "Rick Brunson is said to be on board with the demotion."

Bondy further reports that Brunson's fellow assistants Mark Bryant, Maurice Cheeks and Darren Erman will also return to the Knick bench after their time working under Brown's predecessor Tom Thibodeau.

The fates of fellow assistants Daniel Brady, Andy Greer and Dice Yoshimoto are still up in the air, though it's noteworthy that Yoshimoto is no longer in charge of the Knicks' Summer League team, with such duties being passed onto Jordan Brink.

Brunson, 53, was added to Thibodeau's bench shortly before his son signed his original New York contract in the summer of 2022. His hiring and other factors led the NBA to launch a tampering investigation into the Knicks, one that eventually cost them their second-round pick in last month's draft.

Rick Brunson was promoted to associate head coach last season after Johnnie Bryant left to take the same post in Cleveland. That also caused controversy, as the league looked into whether Rick's promotion was part of Jalen's decision to sign a discounted contract extension last summer. MSG Sports labeled the investigation "offensive" in a statement.

Despite the success under Brunson's watch, reports emerged that players somewhat resented Brunson's presence on the Knicks' bench. Moving Rick to a reduced role in what's sure to stand as one of the most realistic championship chances the Knicks have had in quite sometime seems to stand as a fair compromise as the team keeps the Brunson family racket rolling.