Jalen Brunson Compares Knicks' Tom Thibodeau to Former Coach

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson has done his best work under the watch of two legendary basketball minds.

Nov 20, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau with guard Jalen Brunson (11) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson has made the most of being mentored by "maniacs."

That's how Brunson, affectionately, of course, described the supervisors of the prime of his basketball career in an interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype: his college days at Villanova University were overseen by Jay Wright while he currently works with the tenured Tom Thibodeau in Manhattan.

"They’re both maniacs when it comes to their profession. They want the best out of you," Brunson said. "They want to push you to exhaustion and make you the best player you can be. They’re both very similar when it comes to that, but they both go about it differently."

Apr 2, 2018; San Antonio, TX, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Jalen Brunson (1) talks to Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright during the first half against the Michigan Wolverines in the championship game of the 2018 men's Final Four at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Both Thibodeau and Wright are perhaps best-known for their mostly stoic natures on the bench.

With the NCAA Basketball Tournaments underway this week, many are sure to share the clip of Wright coolly walking off the floor after Kris Jenkins sank a game-winning three-pointer as time expired in the 2016 national championship game against North Carolina. That was one of two national titles Wright won with a core headlined by current and former Knicks like Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Donte DiVincenzo (Hart was around for the 2016 championship before moving onto the Association).

Though a verbal force when agitated, Thibodeau carries himself in a similar manner. Brunson, however, appreciates the way both men speak when it matters most: addressing their players' development, even if their personal approaches were different.

"Thibs, obviously, is a guy who’s known for having that love for the game by staying in the gym and the way he prepares himself and the team for games, which is different from Coach Wright," Wright declared. "With Coach Wright, I feel like he pushed us differently. It’s kind of hard to explain, but being in the middle of it and seeing both sides of it. It’s two totally different people with the same mindset and agenda."

The Knicks have been dealing with their own brand of March Madness, as they continue to work through the regular season stretch run without the captain Brunson, who remains sidelined due to an ankle injury. Getting to this point, though, has been a joint effort between Thibodeau and Wright and fans in both New York and Philadelphia couldn't be happier for the varying but successful approaches.

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