Jalen Brunson tallied 22 points, six assists, and four rebounds as the Knicks swept the 76ers.
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PHILADELPHIA — Anyone who claims they foresaw Jalen Brunson reaching this level is simply not telling the truth.
The New York Knicks had long searched for a savior in basketball’s mecca. They craved a spectacle worthy of Broadway, a return to the days when Madison Square Garden was truly their fortress, not just a stage for visiting superstars. For decades, they pursued stardom, desperate to reclaim relevance.
They chased every marquee name imaginable—LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Giannis Antetokounmpo. At various points, each was rumored to become a Knick, until they weren’t. The stars went elsewhere, leaving New York’s big-game hunting empty-handed. A young, passionate fanbase, eager to experience the legends their parents and grandparents recounted—like Walt “Clyde” Frazier in his prime—wondered if they would ever have their own stories to pass down.
The star New York basketball desperately needed arrived in July 2022. A guard barely six feet tall did little to satisfy the Knicks’ craving for magnitude. He was Luka Dončić’s backup when he landed in Manhattan, viewed as a free-agent steal with nepotism whispers—joining his father, godfather, and longtime family friend within the organization. The former NCAA champion was expected to be a key piece, but not the cornerstone.
Brunson, however, has proven to be exactly the star the Knicks wanted. Almost everyone, except perhaps his father, was mistaken. Brunson is no nepo baby. He is not a sidekick waiting for a superstar. He is the real deal. One of the NBA’s elite players, with a playoff résumé that statistically places him alongside Michael Jordan and the silhouette that defines the league’s logo.
An undersized second-round pick from New Jersey has become the King of New York, an unlikely hero for one of the NBA’s most storied franchises. He has carried the Knicks back to the Eastern Conference finals.
You can’t judge a savior by his height. But you can judge him by his heart.
“He has absolutely proven himself,” said teammate Mitchell Robinson, the longest-tenured Knick, who experienced seasons with fewer than 20 wins. “I don’t think he gets enough credit for what he has done for this team over the last five years. They don’t give him his due.”
Since Brunson arrived in New York, the Knicks have won at least 45 games every season, including 50-plus victories each of the last three campaigns. Before his arrival, the team had managed 45 wins just once between 2002 and 2022. New York has reached the second round of the playoffs every year Brunson has worn the blue-and-orange. From 2001 to 2022, the Knicks advanced past the first round only once.
For nearly two decades before Brunson arrived with his cape, the Knicks were more famous for their city than their on-court product. Their location kept them relevant, but they always sought substance. Brunson has transformed the franchise, making it a household name during basketball’s most pressure-filled moments. Forget that he was last season’s Clutch Player of the Year, willing New York to wins night after night—Brunson ranks sixth in NBA history in playoff points scored in a player’s first 50 games with a franchise. He has scored 300 more points than Knicks legend Patrick Ewing over his first 50 playoff appearances with the team.
Brunson has always led by example. His work ethic is frequently praised by teammates and coaches. This season, however, some teammates have noticeably elevated their game alongside him.
