Jalen Brunson just led the Knicks to their first NBA title in over 50 years. He was the Finals MVP, the engine of the offense, the guy who made everyone around him better. But when asked to name his personal Mt. Rushmore of New York sports icons, he didn’t even include himself.
That’s humility you don’t see every day from a player fresh off a championship. Or maybe it’s just realism. Either way, Brunson’s four picks tell you a lot about how he sees the city and his place in it.
The Four Faces
Brunson went with Walt “Clyde” Frazier as his lone Knick. Then he added Derek Jeter, Eli Manning and Joe Namath. Three quarterbacks and a point guard. All winners. All icons who delivered at least one title in New York and became synonymous with their teams.
Frazier is the obvious Knick choice—he won two rings with the franchise in 1970 and 1973, made seven All-Star teams and six All-NBA teams over 10 seasons in New York. He’s the gold standard for Knicks guards. But the fact that Brunson didn’t pick Patrick Ewing or Carmelo Anthony says something about how much weight he puts on championships. Ewing never won one. Melo never won one. Brunson just did.
Jeter won five rings with the Yankees. Manning won two Super Bowls with the Giants, both over Tom Brady. Namath guaranteed a Super Bowl III win and then delivered it. That’s the company Brunson is looking at. He’s got one ring so far. Respectable. But not in that club yet.
Where Brunson Actually Stands
Here’s the thing though—Brunson might end up on that mountain eventually. He’s only entering his fifth season as a Knick, and he’s already got a title. If he stays healthy, keeps the Knicks in contention and maybe wins another one, the conversation changes fast. Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal already called him the greatest free agent signing in NBA history. That’s not nothing.
But right now Brunson knows his place. He’s not pretending he’s bigger than the legends who came before him. That’s a rare kind of self-awareness in sports. Most guys would at least throw their own name in the hat just to stir up debate. Brunson didn’t even do that.
The Knicks are set up to stay competitive for a while. They’ve got a young core, a coach who fits, and a front office that finally seems to know what it’s doing. Brunson is the centerpiece. If he keeps playing at this level, maybe he makes his own Mt. Rushmore one day. But for now, he’s still looking up at the four guys he named.
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