Boardroom chops it up with the Knicks All-NBA point guard to discuss navigating being an unexpected superstar with endless endorsement opportunities.
It’s been decades since there was more excitement or greater expectations going into a season of New York Knicks basketball. And the main driver of that success is someone very few expected to lead a team to new heights.
Six-foot-two point guard Jalen Brunson has emerged as the Knicks’ brightest star who most embodies the team’s championship-starved fan base. He possesses the swagger and determination to put his team and the entire city on his back if that’s what it takes to win. Brunson evolved into a bonafide superstar last season, averaging nearly 29 points and seven assists during the regular season and more than 32 points and 7.5 assists during the playoffs, earning his first All-NBA and All-Star nods while finishing fifth in the NBA MVP voting.
Subscribe for the biggest stories in the business of sports and entertainment, daily.
The 28-year-old’s greatness on the court combined with his everyman appeal has made Brunson a hero at Madison Square Garden, unlike we’ve seen in quite some time, with the crowd chanting his name and “MVP” as his 3-pointers, driving, twisting buckets, and momentum-building passes sent faithful fans into a frenzy. As with any New York City superstar athlete or entertainer, the off-court opportunities quickly developed, becoming a hot ticket commodity that every brand wanted a piece of.
“It’s pretty cool. I can’t lie,” Brunson told Boardroom late last month regarding his burgeoning off-court success. “It’s brought a lot of opportunities to my doorstep and I’m really thankful for it. The team I have around me keeps me humble and down to earth, but I do realize the opportunities have come about because of how the team has been the electricity from being in the Garden. Being in New York has really helped me, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Brunson has inked endorsement deals with Bose, Catalina Crunch, Delta, Dunkin’, and Macy’s, and a new agreement this week with Bodyarmor highlights how seriously he takes what he puts into his body. Earlier this year, he was a ubiquitous presence during March Madness after starring in an AT&T commercial where strangers follow around his jacket of screens while he confidently proclaims, “I am a vibe.”
Vibes have never been stronger for a Knicks team going into a season as they ride a wave of rare momentum. Offseason trades for All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns and versatile 3-and-D wing Mikal Bridges added to an already talented, gritty core featuring OG Anunoby and Josh Hart. New York’s preseason title odds at FanDuel SportsBook were +750 on the opening night of the season, third in the NBA behind only Boston and Oklahoma City.
Brunson’s ascent to one of basketball’s elite point guards was far from assured, and nor was it expected or anticipated. Despite winning two national championships and a Wooden Award for the country’s best player at Villanova, he wasn’t selected until the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Brunson didn’t start more than 40 games in a season until his fourth year in the league.
In 2022, he showed some flashes of brilliance as Luka Dončić‘s secondary teammate, averaging more than 16 points, nearly five assists, and almost four rebounds per game during the regular season. And when the Mavs reached the Conference Finals that year, he averaged 27.8 points in six games in an earlier series against Utah, including a 41-8-5 masterpiece in Luka’s absence in Game 2.
Yet, Dallas didn’t put nearly the full-court press like New York did to secure Brunson’s services in unrestricted free agency that summer, when new Knicks President Leon Rose offered him a four-year, $104 million contract many thought was an overpay for a player who’d started just 127 career regular season games. That contract is now widely regarded as one of the league’s biggest bargains.
Knicks Hall of Fame guard and New York broadcasting legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier said he was apprehensive at first when the team signed Brunson due to his lack of quickness and concern that he wouldn’t be able to handle being guarded by taller and bigger defenders.
“I knew he was averaging 16 points, so I thought, man, if this guy averaged 20 points, that would be great for him,” Frazier told Boardroom at FanDuel’s NBA Tip Off event at Gauchos Gym. “Now, they can’t keep him out of the paint.”
Frazier credited Brunson’s tenacious work ethic and his sagacity, out-thinking opponents as one of the league’s smartest players. Jalen employs hard work and self-belief to get in the lane, draw double teams, and use both his hands to get to the free-throw line, always one step ahead of the competition. Brunson remains a winner from his college days, willing the Knicks to just one game shy of their first conference finals appearance in 24 years.
“When the team is winning, a lot of things can happen individually,” Brunson said. “So opportunities for myself have definitely been rising, but life for me hasn’t really changed. I stay the same person I’ve always been, and I don’t plan on changing.”
Brunson’s father, Rick, who played nine seasons in the NBA and is currently a Knicks assistant coach, keeps Jalen focused and grounded. Frazier said Rick helps his son stay focused and prevents him from succumbing to the pressures of being the face of the franchise in a city where distractions can quickly escalate without proper discipline.
“He seemed to be very levelheaded,” Frazier said. “I’ve watched him from a distance. He’s the same guy. Still very respectful, mannerable, cordial to the fans. I don’t see his personality changing with his status as a New York icon and superstar.”
While Brunson tries to stay focused on improving the Knicks’ chances at their first NBA title in more than 50 years, he now has way more endorsement deals and admitted it can sometimes be hard to walk in New York City now that he’s one of the greatest Knicks point guards of all time.
“I can’t wait for winter when I can bundle up and hide and not be as seen,” he jokingly said. “Throw a little hat on and walk the streets.”
New York is where Brunson will call home for a long time following a polarizing four-year, $156 million contract extension he signed over the summer. Some praised his selflessness for taking far less than he could have a year from now when he would’ve been eligible for an extension projected at $268 million. Towns likely wouldn’t be a Knick due to salary cap constraints, for example, had Brunson not signed at a discount.
Others viewed Brunson’s decision to leave that much money on the table as foolish, at best. He has an opt-out after three years, where he can sign a monster deal into his 30s. A major factor in his decision-making process was his father, who played on 8-9 different contracts and never really had that long-term stability.
“I knew what I was doing,” Brunson said. “I was comfortable with what I was doing. I already know myself and my family are set up for a very long time. And bluntly, it was the most money I can get as soon as possible without — knock on wood — any injuries happening the next year. So it was the smartest, safest plan. Some people may not agree with it, but I don’t listen to anything positive or negative said about me, and I’ve always been that way. I know I’m comfortable with the decision I made, and that’s that.”
Knowing that one injury can take everything away from you made the guaranteed payday too hard for Brunson to pass up. It’s this stability that he seems to value in his team, his endorsements, and his friendships with Villanova Knicks teammates Hart and Bridges. He started a podcast, The Roommates Show, with Hart last year to critical acclaim, with a live show in Central Park last month drawing thousands of diehard fans with special guests Jon Stewart, JB Smoove, and Oz The Mentalist.
Brunson said reception for the podcast exceeded expectations, with no plans to get into other media just yet as the podcast grows.
“We plan to have scripts or have topics we want to talk about, but we end up just having conversations that we didn’t think were possible,” Brunson said before teasing an upcoming female guest he said would be his favorite in the show’s history.
Over the last 12-18 months, Brunson has accomplished many things few thought were possible, making a leap into superstardom that even he may never have anticipated. Every new opportunity that’s come his way is a product of relentless dedication to his craft, endearing him to brands and fans alike as the Knicks begin their most promising season in a long, long time.
