The Athletic: Brunson’s Knicks legacy is still being written, but it’s already quite good

Jalen Brunson scored 22 points with six assists and four rebounds in the Knicks’ sweep of the 76ers.

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PHILADELPHIA — Whoever claims they prophesied Jalen Brunson would be this good is lying.

The New York Knicks were indeed searching for a messiah of basketball’s Mecca. They were desperate for a spectacle worthy of Broadway, for Madison Square Garden to again become the Knicks’ home court and not merely a stage for the visiting elite. So, for decades, they chased stardom, hunting for a return to relevance.

They pursued every big name who was worth a marquee. LeBron James. Kevin Durant. Kyrie Irving. Giannis Antetokounmpo. They were all going to be Knicks at some point — until they weren’t. All the stars went elsewhere. Their big-fish hunting left their stomachs grumbling. A young, zealous fan base eager to experience the stories their parents and grandparents told, like when Walt “Clyde†Frazier’s afro was full, didn’t know if they’d ever have such lore of their own to pass down.

But the star for which New York basketball thirsted arrived in July 2022. A maybe-6-foot-guard didn’t appease the Knicks’ appetite for magnitude. He was but Luka DonÄić’s backup when he arrived in Manhattan, an alleged free-agent coup and nepotism baby joining his father, godfather and long-time family friend in the belly of the beast. The former NCAA champion was projected to be a core part of the foundation, but not the cornerstone.

Brunson, though, has proven to be every bit the star the Knicks wanted. Everyone, save for maybe his pops, was wrong. Brunson isn’t a nepo baby. He isn’t a co-star holding the fort down until the superstar arrives. He is him. One of the NBA’s premier players with a statistical playoff resume dominant enough to be mentioned with Michael Jordan and the man whose silhouette is the NBA’s logo.

An undersized, second-round pick from New Jersey has become the King of New York, a surprising hero for one of the NBA’s glory franchises. He’s carried the Knicks back to the Eastern Conference finals.

You can’t judge a savior by his size. But you can judge him by his heart.

“He’s definitely proved himself,†teammate Mitchell Robinson, the longest-tenured Knick who was in New York when the team was winning less than 20 games per season, said. “I don’t think he gets enough credit for what he’s done for this team for, what, the last five years? S—, they don’t give him his credit.â€

Since Brunson came to New York, the Knicks have won at least 45 games every season, including 50-plus wins the last three campaigns. The Knicks won 45 games in a season just one time between 2002 and Brunson’s arrival. New York has reached the second round of the playoffs every year since Brunson donned the blue-and-orange. The Knicks made it out of the first round just once between 2001 and 2022.

For nearly two decades prior to Brunson showing up with his cape, the Knicks were known more for the city that they play in than the product on the floor. The former is what kept them popular, but the latter is what they were always seeking. Brunson has transformed this franchise and made it a household name come basketball’s most pressure-filled moments. Forget that he was last year’s Clutch Player of the Year, willing New York to wins night in and night out — Brunson ranks sixth in NBA history in playoff points scored in a player’s first 50 games with a franchise. He’s scored 300 more points than Knicks legend Patrick Ewing through his first 50 playoff games with the franchise.

Brunson has always been a leader by example. His work ethic is often applauded by his teammates and coaches. This year, though, some teammates have noticed Brunson using his voice more. A perfect example of his change in leadership came the day after New York lost to the dreadful Dallas Mavericks by 17 points at home in the middle of January. It was New York’s ninth loss in 11 games. The team with real championship aspirations looked more like a team that thought the NBA Cup was the sport’s prized possession.

The day after that loss, per team sources, Brunson approached the team before practice about needing to re-shift the collective mindset. In short, Brunson told the team that they all, including him, needed to “get their s— together.†New York would go on to have what was described as one of its most spirited and intense practices to date, with players participating as if it were a real game against a real opponent.

The Knicks would go on to win eight straight games from that practice on and finish the regular season by winning 28 of their final 39 games.

“What’s the dude’s name on Snoopy? Linus? He’s got a blanket,†head coach Mike Brown said. “I’m Linus, and Jalen is my blanket. He helps me relax throughout the course of a game. That’s what great players do. They keep you poised, they make the game easier for everybody else and they help you get through a stretch.â€

New York is currently in the midst of the most dominant postseason run in NBA history. They’ve played 10 playoff games and have a point differential of 194 points, which is an NBA record. During this run, Brunson is averaging a cool 27.4 points while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3. He’s also averaging 6.1 assists and 2.1 turnovers.

The smallest player on the floor is putting up the largest numbers. Every team’s game plan starts with trying to slow down Brunson. It never works, not over the course of an entire series. Brunson, seemingly, has mastered basketball on the offensive end. He’s a three-level scorer with footwork that makes the most accomplished danseurs look unstable. Defenders can’t predict where he’s going to go next with his herky-jerky style that either leaves defenders stuck in mud or a step too slow.

The Knicks thrive off of his ability to score. It’s that gravity that creates opportunities for others.

Brunson doesn’t have to take another dribble — he already has a seat at the table amongst the Knicks elite. A title under his watch would only rearrange the chairs and possibly put him at the head of the table. Factor in how long it’s been since New York has seen a championship, and the years they spent in the NBA’s basement, and Brunson hoisting the trophy just once might have more oomph than those who did it 50-plus years ago.

That’s what Brunson is in New York to do. He’s not here just to bring a winning culture to the Knicks. He wants to bring championships, and New York is on the doorstep once again under his watch.

Brunson’s legacy is so strong that you can’t talk about the history of the Knicks without mentioning him, and yet he’s still unable to talk about it himself.

“I think that’s a question I would love to answer when I retire,†Brunson said. “This place means a lot to me.

“We’re still writing our story. I’ll answer that another time.â€

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James L. Edwards III is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the New York Knicks. Previously, he covered the Detroit Pistons at The Athletic for seven seasons and, before that, was a reporter for the Lansing State Journal, where he covered Michigan State and high school sports. Follow James on X @JLEdwardsIII.