It takes a special type of player to walk into Madison Square Garden, handle the heat from the New York spotlight, and excel like Jalen Brunson.
We always think of kings as rulers who governed a vast land and oversaw a population of people. Kings were revered, and some were detested. Kings are a part of ancient and current history in some respects.
Maybe it’s a hyperbole to say Jalen Brunson is the king of New York because he doesn’t govern a group of people and initiate a set of rules that must be followed, but on the basketball court, there is no doubt he is king.
When Jalen Brunson was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the New York Knicks, the Knicks fans couldn’t have anticipated that he would become the player he has become. Winning this season’s NBA clutch player of the year award doesn’t really highlight what Jalen Brunson has done since he put on a Knicks jersey.
The Knicks fanbase was desperate for a return to prominence. For quite some time, the Knicks were considered a comedy of errors. Underwhelming. Embarrassing. To name a few words. Opposing players came to Madison Square Garden and had 50-point games. The seats weren’t complete. The historical aura of the world’s most fantastic arena had fizzled out. Knicks fans had almost become resigned that they would never return to the prominence of the 80s and 90s.
Then came Jalen Brunson. Maybe the Dallas Mavericks knew what he could do, or they didn’t. Perhaps they were so invested in Luka Doncic that they participated in a continual game of Tetris to assemble a great team around him. Whatever the case, Brunson left the Dallas Mavericks and went to New York City. What is sometimes forgotten is that Brunson was on the national championship teams in college, with Villanova. His dad, Rick Brunson, already had his feet into an NBA and post-NBA career. Jalen, in some ways, was already prepared for the moment.
Photo courtesy MSN
Fast forward to May 16, 2025, and the New York Knicks were headed to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. They had dismantled the Boston Celtics in game six of their semi-final series. The feeling of New York fans was probably elation. It had been twenty-five years since they won a home playoff series. Last season, they had gotten close, but a series of injuries had ravaged their team, including one to Jalen Brunson. Nothing can be taken away from the players’ impact on the court. Mitchell Robinson. Josh Hart. OG Anunoby. Deuce McBride. Karl Anthony Towns. Mikal Bridges. All players who had a supreme impact on the series against the Boston Celtics.
While the Knicks fans can look upon this team with high regard, and it would be justified, what cannot be taken for granted is what Jalen Brunson has done. Above all the accolades he received, his leadership and poise propelled this team to new heights.
The only way a player can be clutch besides continually coming up big in late-game moments is by being poised and balanced. There is never a doubt that when Brunson has the ball in his hands, he is sure of what he is doing. His confidence is apparent as soon as the ball leaves his hands. Even when he missed the last-second shot at the end of regulation in Game 2 against the Boston Celtics, his expression did not lack confidence. If anything, he had an impression of amusement and a sense that, given that shot again, he wouldn’t miss it. There isn’t a moment too big for him; there never will be.
While the Knicks fans were vaulting to the ceiling with excitement and the celebrity row was full of celebrities high-fiving each other, Jalen Brunson could not look calmer. He, presumably, knows that what the Knicks have accomplished is worthy of something to celebrate. He undoubtedly understands that it takes a level of commitment and discipline to reach the level that he is at.
His father, Rick Brunson, has instilled that in him since his youth. His coach, Tom Thibodeau, undoubtedly reminds him and his teammates of that every day, probably minutes before games. Jalen Brunson knows what it takes. They won the series, yes.
But that adage in sports remains true: there is more work to be done. Brunson knows they have another test in the Indiana Pacers, the team that bounced the Knicks from the playoffs last year. The historic rivalry between the Knicks and the Pacers could not be more stated. It is chock-full of competitiveness and somewhat bad blood. Cue Reggie Miller. Ask Spike Lee.
What awaits them in the Eastern Conference Finals is yet another challenge. But what anyone can be sure of is that the moment will not be too big for Jalen Brunson.
People often debate who the best player in the NBA is. Who is lost in a lot of those conversations is Jalen Brunson. It takes a special type of player to walk into Madison Square Garden, handle the heat from the New York spotlight, and excel like Brunson. Madison Square Garden is where players have found success or fallen devastatingly short.
But when Number 11 steps onto the hardwood, the court awaits its rightful king.
