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LeBron James Makes Strong Villanova Statement While Talking About Jalen Brunson

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jeremy Beren | Last updated May 20, 2025 11:49 AM ET

For the first time since 2000, the New York Knicks have reached the Eastern Conference Finals. But the Knicks did not become an NBA powerhouse overnight; the first stone was laid back in July 2022, when New York signed point guard Jalen Brunson in free agency.

Brunson blossomed after signing a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knicks. The former Villanova Wildcat averaged a career-best 28.7 points per game in 2023-24 and has enjoyed an electrifying playoff run this season, averaging 32.7 points per game through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

"The New York Knicks have built around Jalen Brunson, and what his style is," Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James said on the newest episode of his "Mind the Game" podcast. "Gritty guys, tough guys, long (wingspan) guys, and that's allowed him to be special at what he does."

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James and his fellow MVP-winning co-host Steve Nash praised Brunson's ability to "score the ball" from all three levels, in addition to his elite free-throw rate. Brunson's footwork has long been cited as a key element to his ability as a scorer -- which comes as no surprise to James, given that Brunson is a product of Jay Wright's Villanova program.

"We always talk about guys who went to Villanova, that's one thing they're going to have is great footwork," James said. "They're never going to be off-balance."

Despite his relative lack of size at 6'2'', Brunson has been able to emerge as a star thanks to his focus on the fundamentals -- agility, balance, footwork and intelligence. These qualities are found in many players who leapt to the NBA after working with Wright at Villanova, where Brunson won a national championship in 2017.

It remains to be seen if Brunson this summer can add an NBA title to his trophy cabinet and join an elite group of 57 players to have won championships at the NBA and NCAA levels.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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