I’ve always been doubted. >> He has blossomed into a star built for the stage here in New York. >> And uh I’m obviously not the fastest, not strongest. I can’t jump the highest, all that stuff. >> Another 30 piece for the captain. >> But I’m relentless. >> Thanks. Drive gets inside, pull-up jumper, got it.
>> Trying to do whatever it takes. >> He’s a legitimate star. He’s >> type of leader and the type of player who makes those around him better. >> I think my mind is my biggest asset. >> Jalen Brunson has done what he’s done his whole life. Just win. >> I feel like basketball has always been part of my life ever since the day I was born.
The love of basketball was evident to me. I was always surrounded by it. >> The moment he could walk, he was holding a basketball and running with a basketball. >> I remember when Jalen was about two, three years old, we used to come and watch his dad play and he was always would bring a basketball.
You know, he would dribble, the ball would fall down, he would go get it. >> I asked. >> >> He always wanted to be on the court after every game. He would beg people to be on the court. >> I always wanted to play in the NBA, especially seeing my dad play. >> Blazers with a steal. Brunson controls.
>> Didn’t understand how hard my dad was working, why he was working so hard at such young age until I got older and I realized, wow, he really pushed himself to the limits. Being able to watch my dad and see the things that he was able to do, I think the older I got, >> >> uh the more I kind of had that drive to actually do it.
>> Brunson, a second-year player from Temple. All the way up and in, left-handed. >> When you get you how hard you really have to work. It’s not fast enough. No follow through, not fast enough. Tired is for the weak. Mentally strong. Go. You be head up. Everything you do have to be legit. Habits.
>> Rick is relentless and he’s so loyal. And if there’s anything that he could do to help Jaylen, he would do it. I know that Rick pushed him because he wanted him to be pushed. Rick just never gave up on him. >> No follow through, not fast enough. Better. When Rick comes up here, so here, spread.
Here, go up. >> Yeah, so he pushed me. He always wanted to see how far I can take my limits. Every day before and after workouts, he would say, “Is this what you want to do for a living?” >> Full speed. Here, jump. >> >> Take it to the shot. Go. >> [singing] >> Everything that his father said that he could do, he’s and that he was able to achieve, he’s been checking off the boxes ever since high school.
>> By the time Jaylen would reach Stevenson High School, he was already built for the moment. >> >> Jaylen, you’ve had a pretty hot start to 2014. What are the keys for you guys moving forward? >> Um, I think playing together as a team is really going to be a really good key. Also, the coaching staff, the position they put us in, the practices we have, you know, it’s really getting better and better as the year goes on.
That’s a good sign of a good team. >> And you’re only a junior and this week’s MVP, so you have lots more time in the Stevenson uniform. What are some goals for you as you move forward? >> Um I think just winning every game from this point on. Just looking at the next game. >> Despite not being the biggest or fastest guard, Brunson’s understanding of the game, as well as knowledge about how to get where he wanted on the floor, gave him a huge advantage over taller defenders his age. He understood pace.
He understood angles. And he understood how to use his body. In an era where young guards were often evaluated by their explosiveness and highlight plays, Brunson’s game was already operating with a different level of maturity. As a senior, he averaged 23.3 points, 5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.
6 steals, winning Illinois’s Mr. Basketball and becoming a McDonald’s All-American. He led Stevenson to the 2015 Illinois State Championship and also starred for USA Basketball, earning MVP of the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship. Before even stepping foot on a college floor, Brunson had proven that he was a born winner.
But the eye test compared to the other great players in his class led to some skepticism from top schools. This made him a perfect match for another underdog powerhouse, Villanova. Under coach Jay Wright, Villanova was built around a strong understanding of the game and elite guard play. A system that was tailor-made for Brunson.
As a freshman in 2015-16, he stepped into one of the best college basketball programs in the country and started 39 games for a team that would go on to win the national championship. He was not the star of that team. That wasn’t his role yet. But even at this point in his career, Brunson was trusted with the role of leading his team on the floor. He averaged 9.
6 points, finished second on the team in assists, and made the Big East All-Freshman team, all while proving he had what it took to win at yet another level. By his junior year, Jalen Brunson was no longer just fitting into Villanova’s system. Having now grown into a lead role, he was the system. >> They’re at the other end. Brunson.
>> We’ve had so many incredible players here, high-character guys, but you have to put Jalen Brunson up there as as close to uh the ultimate Villanova basketball player and student as possible. >> Ahead of the field for two and a foul. It’s a bad foul, too. >> In 2018, Brunson became the Big East Player of the Year, and eventually the National College Player of the Year.
After making a career as a floor general, Jalen was now the best guard in college basketball. In the 2018 NCAA Tournament, Brunson scored 27 points against Virginia, had 15 and six rebounds against Texas Tech, and then added 18 points and six assists against Kansas in the Final Four. >> Jalen’s been questioned at each level.
He was a dominant high school player, and a lot of people said, “Well, he’s not going to be able to dominate like that in college. He’ll be a good college player.” And then he goes on to be national player of the year. He’s proving that being an intelligent skilled craftsman of the game works at every level.
>> Villanova finished the job by winning its second national championship in three years, and Brunson left college with a resume that should have made him one of the easiest evaluations in the draft. Two national championships, national player of the year, but the business of basketball is that college success doesn’t always translate.
Brunson would have to prove himself all over again. >> 33rd pick in the 2018 NBA draft, the Dallas Mavericks select Jalen Brunson from Villanova University. >> Enter Jalen Brunson. No fireworks, no blockbuster headlines, just a point guard who knew how to win >> >> literally everywhere he’d ever been.
He wasn’t the fastest or the flashiest, but he always knew how to run the show. >> I’ve never seen anyone at Villanova graduate in three years. That was a little student athlete >> >> or a national player of the year caliber athlete. >> >> So, watching this process was amazing. There was a lot of difficult decisions he had to make loading up in the summer, >> >> uh declining going to the sneaker companies’ camps where you’re seen by NBA scouts to stay and make sure he was on time to graduate
in three years. So, there were a lot of sacrifices. It was incredible to watch the precision, the commitment, the work ethic, and really the the sacrifice. >> In the 2018 NBA draft, Jalen Brunson fell to the second round. 32 players were taken before him. He had spent years proving that he could win at every level, but the questions surrounding him in high school remained the same.
>> >> With shooters and point guards and rim protectors all over the board, to go all in on Jalen Brunson? >> >> This is another thing where I’ve been doubted and I’ve got to overcome it again. >> Now in Dallas, Brunson would be given another opportunity to prove himself, just like he had done everywhere else in his career so far.
The second-round pick carved his way into the rotation early on before becoming the team’s reliable ball handler. Quickly, Jalen’s role in Dallas would grow, and soon he was the Mavericks’ key secondary contributor next to Luka Dončić. Playing next to Luka meant that Brunson wasn’t always the center of attention, but it also gave him years to grow without being rushed into a star role.
>> I mean my time in Dallas was great. I learned a lot. I learned that confidence is everything. There are days you’re like, am I even supposed to be here? >> You want me to drop it or just read it? >> Read it. >> All right. I know, I know. I like hearing what you have to say. >> And there’s days where I like I I belong.
>> Hardaway looking for an option. Jaden Brunson, Brunson is there to help. >> [screaming] >> Can you believe that? >> Great teammates. They really helped me evolve and um to the player I am today. >> >> Having already built his game on craftiness from a young age, the NBA spacing was perfect for Jalen.
And after three seasons of growth, Brunson would shine in the 2022 Western Conference Finals. >> Oh, what a move. >> Nice move by the terrific developing play of Jalen Brunson. Attack the paint. Cork screw up and under. Brunson. >> Uh honestly at this point how I feel, I just I’m really happy that uh I got to play with these guys and >> >> um the things that we did this year and um that’s all I’m really focused on right now and thinking about.
>> In the summer of 2022, Brunson had proven he was more than a second round success story. He was a legitimate star in the NBA, and he deserved to sign with a team that would treat him like one. In the summer of 2022, the Knicks made their move, signing Brunson to a 4-year $104 million deal. >> Of course your dad was a Knick in the late ’90s, is now a Knicks assistant coach.
As a little boy, you were around the team a lot. What’s it like for you now given that background to be a New York Nick? >> Um it brings everything full circle. I remember seeing a couple of these guys in the locker room when I was a kid and I just it brings back a lot of memories and it makes me feel like I’m I’m supposed to be here. >> Some critics called it an overpay, but the Knicks weren’t just buying stats.
They were investing in a player they thought could shift the culture. Because Jalen Brunson wasn’t just coming to New York to play the game. He was coming to try and lead the Knicks back to relevancy. >> The Knicks from Villanova, number 11, Jalen Brunson! >> From the moment he stepped on the garden floor, it was clear.
Jalen Brunson wasn’t afraid of the garden lights. He belonged under them. >> The power of three-pointer. Kicks it out, hardly an offensive rebound, back out to Brunson, his three, BANG! JALEN BRUNSON FROM DOWNTOWN, A 10-POINT NICK LEAD. RJ BARRETT, back to Brunson. Brunson on the drive, kicks it out Reddish, a corner three, bang! Brunson drives, pulls up three-pointer, PUTS IT IN.
JALEN BRUNSON NAILS A THREE. >> In his first season as a Nick, Brunson brought order to chaos. He slowed the game down when needed, sped it up when it mattered, and his presence unlocked something in the team and in the city. >> Brunson continues to impress. He’s just always in control and playing at his speed.
>> Just gives the team a lot of confidence. >> The Knicks come out of this season knowing one thing, they got themselves a star. >> Did you have any idea Jalen Brunson would be this good? >> >> Yeah. >> You did? >> Yeah. >> Averaging over 24 points and six assists per game, Brunson brought the kind of consistent leadership the Knicks hadn’t seen at the point guard position in decades.
He controlled the tempo, made teammates better, and night after night when the game got tight, it was Brunson who had the ball in his hands. The Knicks finished with 47 wins, not the best record in the league, but a real team with real results. And in the postseason, Brunson and the rest of the roster would give a glimpse of their potential.
>> Brunson over Jared Allen DRILLS THE THREE. >> New York ball with a two-point lead. Brunson again working on Osman with a crossover dribble. Now takes THE LONG TWO AND CONNECTS AGAIN. Fresh 14 seconds. Brunson driving at Osman. FLOATER GOOD OFF GLASS FOR BRUNSON. >> Against Cleveland, a team many had favored, Brunson dismantled the Cavaliers with surgical precision.
>> >> He averaged 24 a game in the series, guiding the Knicks to their first playoff series win in a decade. And it wasn’t just about numbers. It was about presence. You could see it in the way his teammates rallied. You could feel the way the Garden came alive, celebrating a team worth cheering.
For the first time in years, Knicks fans weren’t just hoping, they were believing. Most players would be content after a breakout year. Not Jalen Brunson. In 2023-24, he came back sharper, faster, stronger, and more confident. [singing] >> Brunson on Brooks. STEPPING BACK, CONTESTED. TWO TIES THE GAME at 1:03. Time out, Houston.
Knicks will have time to get off another shot. Brunson trying to draw a foul, PUTS IT UP, AND PUTS IT IN AT THE BUZZER. 10 SECONDS TO GO, HE THROWS IT AWAY. BALL LOOSE, PICKED UP BY BRUNSON. BRUNSON INSIDE TO HART. HART BANKS IT IN AND A KNICKS TAKE THE LEAD. >> BRUNSON, THOUGH, he was that guy with the Mavericks at least his last year, and he’d always been like an important part of the culture.
He is a great locker room I’m not not not just leader, but connector and calmer. Really, the Mavericks massively missed that after he left. Massively missed that. >> With an efficient play style that separated him as one of the Eastern Conference’s best point guards. A nightmare for defenders one-on-one who picked apart the defense at all three levels of the floor.
But, what really made the leap undeniable was how he elevated everyone around him. Entering 2025, the team would add a new co-star to the mix, trading for star big man Karl-Anthony Towns in the off-season. Pairing KAT with Brunson and Josh Hart, as well as fellow former Villanova teammate Mikal Bridges, the roster would help lock in the Knicks’ winning identity of toughness and a refusal to give up.
When the game was on the line, Brunson took over. So much so that he would be named the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year in 2025. >> Seven to shoot. Brunson drives drives on Williams, pulls back, JUMP SHOT. PUTS IT IN. TWO ON THE SHOT CLOCK. BRUNSON FOR THREE, IT’S GOOD AND THE FOUL. BRUNSON step back, got it. Before they had Williams on him.
THE FORMER TEAMMATES, BRUNSON FIRES FOR THREE. >> [cheering] >> THE KNICKS LEAD BY TWO. FINAL SECONDS, SCHRODER BLOCKED BY BRIDGES. >> SO, JAYLEN, LET’S TALK >> about this. Are you born a clutch player? Do you have the clutch gene or can you develop into it? >> I think I think some people are born into it.
I think I think I had to learn about I learned back in high school kind of got better and better at at each stage and here we are. >> Go. Allowed sitting down on defense. Brunson still gets to the paint. >> Oh my god. >> Floater’s good. We’re tied at 119. >> I believe he reached with that right hand. >> The New York fans could feel the culture shift.
They packed the garden eager to watch Brunson and the Knicks carry New York basketball back to relevancy. Garden fans met him with MVP chants all season long. A sign that he had given them something much more than just some empty stats. He gave them a reason to believe. As we look ahead in 2025, one thing is for certain.
New York is ready to once again be a contender. Because of Jalen Brunson, the Knicks have a purpose. They have structure. They have a team who represents the identity of NYC playing the game in a way that resonates with the heartbeat of the city. They’re not just competing. They’re contending and they’re doing so on a nightly basis.
In New York, the expectations are always as high as the buildings that crafted skyline. That’s the price of a passionate fan base. But for the first time in a long time, those expectations feel [snorts] earned. Nobody knows when the Knicks will finally bring a ring back to the garden. But we do know one thing.
Knicks fans once again have a reason to believe. And it started with a second round pick who walked into the Mecca and brought the soul back to basketball’s greatest city. >> Knicks trying to wait till the end. Brunson puts UP A THREE. BANG! BANG! JALEN BRUNSON HITS THE THREE WITH 4.3 REMAINING AND THE PISTONS CALL TIMEOUT.
>> After proving he was a bonafide star in the 2025 NBA playoffs, where Brunson led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals while averaging nearly 30 points, >> >> Jalen entered 2026 with only one goal on his mind, winning. >> >> He had done it at every level of his career and now Brunson’s eyes were set on bringing a banner to Madison Square Garden.
The 2026 season would get off to a hot start as the Knicks gave NYC their first taste of success. During the NBA Cup, Brunson helped lead New York through the tournament and into the final against San Antonio. In the championship game, he finished with 25 points and eight assists as the Knicks beat the Spurs and Brunson earned the NBA Cup MVP.
The NBA Cup is not the championship the Knicks have been waiting more than five decades to win, but symbolically it meant something to the city. For a franchise that had spent so long living off of disappointment, the Knicks finally had a group that could fight through and come out on the other side holding a trophy.
Brunson had given them a star that could close the deal and for the rest of the regular season, he’d prove it. >> to go. Brunson drives, pulls back, three-pointer. BANG! BANG! JALEN BRUNSON KNOCKS IT DOWN. AND THE KNICKS take the lead with 4.4 remaining. >> But this to be doing this every night or now you expect 25 and 30 and 35 point, you know, games.
Um, man, has he been impressive. So, yes, I am surprised about the overall team success of the Knicks. He is by far the biggest reason and, you know, I I I just missed it on how good he could be and I I’m going to be singing his praises the rest of his career. >> Brunson turns, Brunson fires away AT THE BUZZER.
>> [screaming] >> OH, THAT’S GOOD. JALEN BRUNSON As the half ends, nails a three-pointer. >> Brunson averaged 26 points and 6.8 assists, leading the Knicks to 53 wins and earning All-NBA second team for the third straight season. He was impacting winning on a level that the Knicks hadn’t seen in decades and doing so as the centerpiece of one of the game’s iconic franchises.
So far in the 2026 playoffs, Jalen Brunson has once again been the leader New York has been missing for decades. After handling the Hawks in round one and beating out Philadelphia in round [singing] two, the Eastern Conference Finals would see Jalen elevate his game when the lights were brightest.
>> Brunson, good screen set by Hart. Clean look, Brunson. Jalen Brunson Way chasing Brunson. Brunson gets inside, his layup is good. >> >> Brunson fakes, drives, gets inside, layup, he banks it home and this is the largest lead of the game. >> I want you to understand something right now.
This man is on the verge and has the opportunity to become the greatest Knick ever. >> In game one, Brunson would score 38 points, >> >> add six assists, five rebounds and three steals, helping New York win in overtime to set the tone of the series. In game two, when the game asked for less scoring, he finished with 19 points and 14 assists.
And in game three on the road in Cleveland, he delivered yet another 30-point performance as the Knicks took a commanding 3-0 lead. In a closeout game four, Jalen would lead the Knicks to a franchise-defining victory, helping New York reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. >> Jalen, your teammates always talk about how you make them better.
Just how have they helped you become this Conference Finals MVP? >> They give me the confidence. Uh they let me be me. I think most importantly, we all believe in each other uh from top to bottom. It’s an honor to play with them, honestly. >> 2026 has been the year that Jalen Brunson shows the world what people paying attention have already known.
He has what it takes to not only lead a franchise, but lead them to victory. >> >> Averaging nearly 27 points per game over the course of the playoffs, Brunson was the third-leading scorer in the entire postseason, carrying the Knicks on his back in a way that few undersized guards ever have. For decades, basketball’s most iconic franchise searched for someone who could carry them back to basketball’s biggest stage, someone who could make the Garden once again feel like the center of the basketball world.
Like a true floor general, Jalen has mastered the art of doing whatever it takes to win. While most nights he’s called to be the leading scorer, others he’s the team’s organizer. But one thing never changes. When the New York Knicks step on the floor, Brunson is the captain at the helm of what used to be basketball’s sleeping giant.
And now, the sport’s greatest underdog story is looking to bring championship gold back to basketball’s Mecca.
Disclaimer : This content may be created by AI for entertainment purposes. Any resemblance to real persons, events, or places is coincidental.
