Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks are currently in the midst of what has been a busy offseason for the franchise, one that figures to put the team in legitimate NBA championship contention for years to come. Brunson had an outstanding individual season in 2024 but ultimately was asked to bit too much for a heavily injured Knicks squad, but now the team has brought in reinforcements by resigning OG Anunoby and swinging a trade for former Brooklyn Nets guard/forward Mikal Bridges.
Recently, Brunson's name was involved in a hilarious mix up involving Boston Celtics star and recently crowned NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. It all started when Brown lost his NBA Finals ring and put out a call for it on social media to be returned. Ultimately, two fans ended up locating the ring and getting in contact with Brown.
Earlier this week, Brown met up with the fans and thanked them, giving them a signed basketball, a jersey, courtside tickets to the Celtics' ring ceremony game next season, as well as an envelope that appeared to be stuffed with cash.
During the exchange, which took place on a Boston street, a person in the background could be heard asking if it was Jalen Brunson who was standing in front of him.
Now, Brunson himself is responding to the hilarity, recently commenting on an Instagram post from Bleacher Report of the video, writing, “Nah that wasn't me sir.”
What is the Knicks' ceiling?
While apparently not every single person on the planet may know his name yet, Jalen Brunson has quickly risen into NBA stardom since joining the Knicks in the 2022 offseason.
Last season, Brunson established himself as a fringe MVP candidate, leading a Knicks team that consistently battled through injuries and ultimately ended up netting themselves the number two seed in the Eastern Conference despite Julius Randle missing about half of the year and Anunoby also missing several games after joining the team at the trade deadline.
While he may not be the tallest or most athletic player, Brunson has some of the best footwork in the NBA and knows how to get to his spots and draw fouls to keep the defense honest, something he infuriated Philadelphia 76ers fans everywhere with during the first round playoff matchup between the two teams this spring.
Over the course of the year, some called into question whether Brunson truly fits the profile of a “number one” option on a championship team. While he may not be the transcendent talent of a Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, or Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brown's Celtics just proved that you don't necessarily need a once in a lifetime player in order to win NBA glory. Instead, a team full of lengthy two-way players, bolstered by of course at least one or two stars who can get their own basket when needed, is a winning recipe, and is something that the Knicks have certainly been trying to follow so far this offseason.
In any case, the NBA schedule will be announced in August.
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