Hail to the King: Knicks' Jalen Brunson Earns Royal Honor From GQ

Jalen Brunson has earned some prestigious, metaphorical hardware as the New York Knicks continue their push in the NBA Playoffs.

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According to GQ, former Villanova star and current New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson is Gotham's top cat. 

The monthly men's magazine released a list of 10 athletes it found worthy of claiming the title of "King of New York Sports" on its website. In a choice seen as controversial, Brunson topped the list despite his relative lack of New York experience, as the Knicks insignia hasn't been on his shorts for a full year at this point. 

"One of the finalists for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, a 24-points-a-night guy, and the best true point guard the Knicks have had in multiple generations, Brunson has a fittingly tight handle on the city," list curator Matthew Roberson writes. "Getting the Knicks back to the playoffs (their first in a full season since 2013) made Brunson an instant hero in his debut season at MSG, where he’s proven time and again that he has an immense amount of dawg in him."

There's no denying that Brunson has indeed brought a new sense of purpose and excitement to the long-suffering Knicks franchise, one that has maintained consistent support despite its lack of major victories in the new century. Since signing with the team in July, Brunson has spent the past nine months living up to and, in some cases, exceeding every expectation a $104 million contract placed upon him. 

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The former Dallas Maverick averaged a career-best 24 points and 6.2 assists in the regular season and he's currently headlining the Knicks' ongoing playoff efforts against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Through four games, Brunson is the series' leader in scoring at 24.3 per game and the Knicks have built a 3-1 series lead, putting them on the precipice of their first postseason advancement since 2013. 

Brunson had a teammate join him on the list with Julius Randle placing sixth.

"It’s clear that Randle has lost the title of Knicks’ best player (to Brunson), but he’s a perfectly admirable second banana on a team that has captured the city’s attention again," Roberson said. "Love him or hate him, Randle is a pillar of the Knicks’ rejuvenation, something literally millions of people are appreciating."

The inclusion of another Brunson teammate, this one from college, will likely prove even more controversial among viewers. In third place, behind New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, is Mikal Bridges, Brunson's fellow Villanova alum and a current Brooklyn Net. 

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Bridges' time in New York makes Brunson look like a seasoned veteran, as he only appeared in 27 Net games after coming over in a February trade with the Phoenix Suns that involved Kevin Durant. Brooklyn's season ended on Saturday as the Nets fell victim to a four-game sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Yet another fledgling, controversial pick in Yankees rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe (22 games) rounds out the top five behind New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley. Behind Randle is a pair of New York Mets (Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso), an icy MSG roommate (New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin), and another Giant (Daniel Jones).

King Brunson and the Knicks will have their first chance to earn a series win on Wednesday night when the series with the Cavs shifts back to Cleveland (7 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV).

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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