Jalen Brunson

Jalen Marquis Brunson (born August 31, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A 6-foot-2 point guard, Brunson has emerged as one of the premier offensive players in the NBA. His game is characterized by his elite footwork, mid-range proficiency, and clutch scoring. He is a three-time All-Star, the reigning 2025 NBA Cup MVP, and has two All-NBA selections under his belt.

Prior to his professional career, Brunson was a historic winner at the amateur level, leading Stevenson High School to an Illinois state championship and winning two NCAA national championships with the Villanova Wildcats. Despite his collegiate dominance, he was not a lottery pick. Brunson was selected in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, where he played four seasons before signing with the Knicks in 2022.

 

Early life 

Jalen Brunson was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, into a family with deep athletic roots. His father, Rick Brunson, was a nine-year NBA veteran who played for eight different teams, including the 1999 New York Knicks team that reached the NBA Finals. His mother, Sandra Brunson, was a standout volleyball player at Temple University.

Brunson was exposed to the professional basketball lifestyle from infancy. As a toddler, he was a regular fixture in NBA locker rooms, observing his father’s workouts and imitating the shooting forms of players like Latrell Sprewell. The family moved frequently due to Rick’s career, living in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Portland, Oregon, before eventually settling in Lincolnshire, Illinois in 2010.

From a young age, Brunson was subjected to a rigorous training regimen designed by his father. The family lived by the mantra, “The magic is in the work.” In seventh grade, at his father’s urging, Jalen committed exclusively to basketball, beginning daily 6:00 AM workouts and intensive drills that prioritized fundamentals over flash. His mother, Sandra, was equally instrumental, overseeing his academic discipline and instilling a “no-quit” mentality that balanced his father’s technical instruction.

 

High school career

Brunson attended Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, where he became one of the most prolific players in Illinois history. As a junior in 2013–14, he averaged 26.1 points and was named the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. During a state semifinal game against Whitney Young, Brunson set a state tournament record with 56 points, though his team fell short of the title.

In his senior season (2014–15), Brunson led Stevenson to a 29–3 record and the IHSA Class 4A state championship, the first in school history. In the title game against Normal Community, he scored a championship-game record 30 points. He concluded his prep career with 2,622 points, a Lake County record, and swept every major award, including Illinois Mr. Basketball and a second Gatorade Player of the Year honor. He was a consensus five-star recruit and was ranked as the No. 1 point guard in the 2015 class by ESPN.

College career

Brunson played three seasons for the Villanova Wildcats under coach Jay Wright. His collegiate tenure is regarded as one of the most successful in modern NCAA history.

Freshman and sophomore seasons (2015–2017)

As a freshman in 2015–16, Brunson started 39 games, averaging 9.6 points and 2.5 assists. He played a vital supporting role on a veteran team that defeated North Carolina to win the 2016 NCAA Championship. As a sophomore, his role expanded significantly following the graduation of Ryan Arcidiacono. He averaged 14.7 points and 4.1 assists while shooting 54.1% from the field, earning First-team All-Big East honors.

Junior season and National Player of the Year (2017–2018)

In his junior year, Brunson became the undisputed leader of the Wildcats. He averaged 18.9 points and 4.6 assists while leading Villanova to a school-record 36 wins. The team dominated the 2018 NCAA Tournament, winning every game by double digits and defeating Michigan in the final to secure Brunson’s second national title.

Brunson swept the national player of the year awards in 2018, winning the Wooden Award, the Naismith Trophy, and the Bob Cousy Award. He was the first Villanova player to be named the AP Player of the Year. Having earned his communications degree in three years, Brunson declared for the NBA Draft following the season.

 

NBA Career

Dallas Mavericks (2018–2022)

Despite his collegiate accolades, Brunson was not selected until the second round (33rd overall) of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Scouts cited his age (21), lack of “elite” vertical athleticism, and 6-foot-2 frame as reasons for his fall, with many projecting him as a career backup. Brunson used the “second-round pick” label as motivation, famously wearing his draft number on his practice gear.

His first three seasons in Dallas were defined by steady growth. He primarily served as the backup to Luka Dončić, though he frequently closed games due to his high basketball IQ and shooting efficiency. In the 2020–21 season, he finished fourth in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting, averaging 12.6 points per game.

2022 Playoff breakout

Brunson’s career trajectory shifted permanently during the 2022 NBA Playoffs. With Dončić sidelined for the first three games of the first round against the Utah Jazz, Brunson assumed the primary scoring load. In Game 2, he exploded for a playoff career-high 41 points, followed by a 31-point effort in Game 3 to give Dallas a series lead.

He averaged 27.8 points for the series, proving he could function as a primary offensive engine. He helped lead the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2011, effectively pricing himself out of Dallas’s long-term salary cap plans.

New York Knicks (2022–present)

Arrival and “Captain” status

In July 2022, Brunson signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the New York Knicks. The signing was initially met with skepticism by some analysts who questioned whether Brunson could maintain his production without Dončić. Brunson immediately silenced critics, leading the Knicks to the second round of the playoffs in 2023 and becoming the first Knick since Carmelo Anthony to record multiple 30-point playoff games in a single season.

In 2024, Brunson was named the 36th captain in Knicks history, the first to hold the title since 2011. He finished the 2023–24 season averaging a career-high 28.7 points, earning his first All-NBA Second Team selection and finishing fifth in MVP voting.

2025–2026: NBA Cup and MVP contention

As of February 11, 2026, Brunson is in the midst of his most dominant season to date. In December 2025, he led the Knicks to the 2025 NBA Cup Championship, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the final. Brunson was named the NBA Cup MVP, averaging 33.3 points and 6.7 assists throughout the tournament.

On February 10, 2026, Brunson recorded 40 points and 8 assists against the Indiana Pacers, marking his ninth 40-point game as a Knick, a franchise record. 

National team career

Brunson has been a staple of USA Basketball since his youth. He was named the MVP of the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Cup after leading Team USA to a gold medal. He later represented the senior team at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where he served as a primary starter and leader for a young American roster.

 

Personal life

Brunson married his high school sweetheart, Ali Marks, in 2023. The couple welcomed their first child in 2024. He remains closely tied to his father, Rick, who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Knicks.

In 2022, Brunson established the Second Round Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting youth through education, sport, and financial literacy. The foundation’s name is a nod to his draft position and his belief that a “second-round” work ethic is required for long-term success.

 

Awards and honors

• NBA Cup MVP (2025)
• 3× NBA All-Star (2024–2026)
• 2× All-NBA Second Team (2024, 2025)
• NBA Clutch Player of the Year (2025)
• 2× NCAA National Champion (2016, 2018)
• National College Player of the Year (2018)
• Wooden Award & Naismith Trophy (2018)
• Bob Cousy Award (2018)
• FIBA Under-19 World Cup MVP (2015)