Mike Brown's Old Comments On Jalen Brunson Go Viral After Jonining Knicks

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 2:35 PM ET

The New York Knicks have found their new coach.

Weeks after shockingly parting ways with Tom Thibodeau, the team is expected to sign two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown to be his successor, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania.

Brown helped the Sacramento Kings end their league-worst 16-year playoff drought in 2023, but he was let go after a 13-18 start to this season.

Now, he'll get to pick up where Thibodeau left, and that means making the most of Jalen Brunson's scoring outbursts.

Fortunately, it seems like Brown has been a fan of his new point guard for quite a while now. Shortly after the news of his new position broke, some old comments about Brunson went viral:

"Man, he's a helluva player," Brown said after a Knicks 98-91 win in 2024. "I don't know if—Steph maybe—we blitzed anybody as much as we did Jalen, and he still scored 42. Jalen shot 50% from the 3 & over 50% from the field, & we sent the double team at him every single time he came off the pick & roll in the 2nd half."

Brunson is coming off an outstanding campaign, averaging 26.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and a career-high 7.3 assists per game en route to a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Brown has plenty of experience with high-end point guards, including Kyrie Irving, Tony Parker, Stephen Curry, and De'Aaron Fox.

The Knicks clearly believe they're a championship-caliber team, and it'll be interesting to see

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

More must-reads: