Knicks Star Guard Embodies Selfless Play

Jalen Brunson's playmaking is just as important to the New York Knicks as his individual game.

Jeremy Brener | 5 Hours Ago

Oct 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

As the star point guard of the New York Knicks, Jalen Brunson has a very important job. Not only does he have to play well and lead the offense, but he also needs to ensure his teammates are set up nicely as well.

Brunson takes extreme pride in making sure that his teammates are geared for success.

“Making sure everyone has confidence. No matter what the situation is, no matter what is said on the outside, just making sure we’re giving each other confidence," Brunson said h/t Posting and Toasting. "We’re all we got inside the lines, and so it doesn’t matter what happens outside of there. It’s all about us.”

Perhaps that is why Brunson has had a near-meteoric rise since arriving to the Knicks in 2022. When he was with the Dallas Mavericks, he wasn't exactly in a leadership role. While he was counted on to be a leader sometimes next to Luka Doncic, he took over those primary responsibilities in New York.

Brunson is clearly that guy, and he's brought Josh Hart under his wing to essentially be another coach on the floor alongside him.

His teammates have noticed how much Brunson and Hart do for the rest of the team.

“Those are our leaders and they’ve been here," Mikal Bridges said. "They’re just trying to make [it] easy on everybody else. They know the offense better than anybody, so they kind of know when they’ll get their shots. It speaks to how unselfish they are and just trying to win.”

In order for the Knicks to be at their peak, Brunson (and Hart to a lesser extent), have to continue to be selfless. If they can do that, the Knicks are in good shape to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference this season.

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Published 5 Hours Ago

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.