Walt Frazier saw it coming. Sort of. But even the Hall of Famer with two championship rings admits he didn’t see this coming.
When the Knicks signed Jalen Brunson in 2022 to a nine-figure deal, Frazier had modest expectations. “I would’ve been happy with 20 points and six assists, because they talk about his height and having no speed,” Frazier told reporters. Fast-forward two years, and Brunson just averaged 32.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.0 steals in an NBA Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs — earning himself Finals MVP honors and a permanent place in New York sports lore.
The Knicks hadn’t won a title in 53 years. That drought ended Saturday night in Game 5, and the city responded the way cities do when a half-century of despair suddenly lifts. Fans flooded the streets. The comparisons started immediately. Brunson is more popular than Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the joke goes. He’s bigger than the Statue of Liberty. Someone even revived the old King Kong metaphor — you know the one.
But the most surprising reaction might have come from Brunson’s own father. Rick Brunson, a Knicks assistant coach who played for New York in the 1999 Finals, told The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor: “I’d be lying to you if I thought he’d be this good. I just wanted someone to come to New York, run a team, and hopefully have a chance to win a championship.”
That’s a father who knows his son’s game as well as anyone — and even he didn’t predict a legend in the making. Rick Brunson played 193 games for the Knicks across two stints, but he never came close to the mountaintop Jalen just climbed.
Brunson’s Quiet Dominance
What’s striking about Brunson’s game is how unflashy it looks while being utterly devastating. Frazier, the original Knicks icon known for his style and flair, pointed directly to Brunson’s basketball IQ. “His game is right between the ears,” Frazier said. “The Spurs have excellent defenders on the perimeter, and they were frustrated and devastated by Brunson. It’s a testament to his sagacity.”
Brunson isn’t about styling and profiling. He keeps his head down, puts in the work, and lets the results speak. After Game 5, he credited his teammates and talked about the process. That’s it. No gloating. No celebration beyond the moment itself.
But the numbers don’t lie, and neither do the fans. If an election were held today for governor, Brunson might actually win in a landslide. If someone offered you a million dollars or a week as Brunson’s best friend — well, the choice would be obvious. And it’s not the cash.
That’s hyperbole, sure. But it’s hard to overstate the emotional shift in New York since the Finals ended. Brunson didn’t just win a championship; he erased decades of dejection. He gave a city that had forgotten what winning feels like something to believe in again.
Understated as his personality may be, the message is clear: Jalen Brunson is the King of New York.
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