The New York Knicks officially named Jalen Brunson their new team captain. Brunson is only approaching his third season with the team and has already made a significant impact. This was especially true for the 2023-24 NBA season. Brunson finished fifth MVP voting, became an All-Star for the first time, and was named to the All-NBA second team. Given these accolades, he was undoubtedly the best player for the Knicks last season.

Brunson gave his honest thoughts on becoming the team captain. He said that it was a position he wasn't necessarily gunning for. He simply wanted to become the best player he could be. It just so happened that Brunson loves leading by example and is vocal with his teammates.

“It's really cool,” Brunson said. “I'm honored. It's something you don't necessarily work for. You work for to be the best player you can be and then it pushed me into a position to help the team win games. I like to lead, I like to lead by example, I'd use my voice, I like to obviously be a good teammate and then it turned into that. I'm really honored.”

Looking at Jalen Brunson's dramatic evolution with the Knicks

Jalen Brunson (11) reacts after making a three point basket
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Ever since moving to the New York Knicks in the 2022-23 season, Jalen Brunson evolved into one of the brightest stars in the league today. Looking back at his stint with the Dallas Mavericks, Brunson was already a solid player. However, he took on a smaller role considering how the team mainly revolved around Luka Doncic. This situation prevented Brunson from showing his true colors on the court. Nevertheless, as his parting gift to Dallas, he put up 16.3 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game.

Come the following season, Brunson was ready to suit up for the Knicks wherein it was mainly Julius Randle who ran the show. Similar to Brunson's evolution, Randle was able to shine bright when he played for New York. The only thing lacking was a decent duo that could help him bring the Knicks back to eliteness. True enough, the arrival of Brunson improved New York's placement in the Eastern Conference. They went from placing 11th in the 2021-22 season to securing the fifth seed the following year.

For the first time in his career, Brunson hit above 20 points per game and showed the potential of becoming a superstar in the NBA. He averaged 24.0 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in his first year with the Knicks. While arguably robbed of an All-Star selection that year, Brunson remained unbothered and continued to prove his greatness on the court.

Brunson's performance last season was an example of hard work paying off. He once again improved his scoring numbers and put up 28.7 points per game. His efforts turned into his first All-Star selection and was even brought up in multiple debates on how he should be named the league's MVP. Brunson carried the Knicks to the second seed while Randle was sidelined. This further proves that he has what it takes to carry his own team. Brunson being named their new team captain is undoubtedly a well-deserved honor.