Returning Jalen Brunson Grateful For Mavericks Amid Knicks Rivalry

Despite the budding rivalry between his past and present employers, New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson continues to hold respect for the Dallas Mavericks.

You never forget your first job. For Jalen Brunson, it was the Dallas Mavericks. 

Brunson returns to his first place of professional employment on Thursday night when his current firm, the New York Knicks, visits American Airlines Center on Thursday night (8:30 p.m. ET, MSG). It'll be the first time Brunson takes to North Texas hardwood since the penultimate game of the 2022 Western Conference Finals.

The Knicks' headliner spent the first four seasons of his career with the Mavericks before heading east to Manhattan. Thursday will serve as an official homecoming after missing last year's visit due to a hip injury.

“(Dallas) meant a lot to me, it means a lot to me,” Brunson said this week, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. “My first four years, they introduced me to the league, they gave me my chance, they built me up. The organization and those guys over there, they mean a lot to me.”

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That visit to the semifinal round, earned with an upset of top-seeded Phoenix, was made possible by Brunson, the second-round pick from 2018 who held down the fort for Dallas while franchise face Luka Doncic worked off a late-season injury. While Doncic healed, Brunson averaged 27.8 points in the six-game Western quarterfinal victory over Utah.

Brunson's been building on that high ever since and has served as the face of the New York-Dallas rivalry extending beyond the gridiron.

Though Dallas fell to eventual champion Golden State in the WCF, Brunson's efforts were rewarded with a four-year $104 million contract from the Knicks. New York did little to hide its infatuation with the Villanova alum. Front office reps were courtside mainstays during Dallas' postseason games. That same management added Brunson's father Rick to their coaching staff in anticipation of his arrival.

Since joining New York (22-15), Brunson's postseason showcase has been forgotten for the sweetest reasons possible: he's off on even grander quests for the Knicks, much to the chagrin of Dallas management, which filed a collusion investigation against the Knicks 

After a daring debut (24.0 points, 6.2 assists, and the Knicks' first playoff series win since 2013), Brunson somehow continues to keep outdoing himself. Not only has he solved the Knicks' long-standing problems at the one, but he's doing it in ways the Association is forced to take notice, to the point where $104 million (and the lost 2025 second-round pick as a result of the investigation) seems like a bargain price. 

Brunson's on pace for new career-bests (25.6 points, 6.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds) as the Knicks inch toward the halfway mark of their season. He could be well on his way toward his first NBA All-Star Game at his current pace and New York's postseason ceiling continues to rise.

Such work has left an impression on his original employers: head coach Jason Kidd, for example, believes that Brunson's efforts could eventually land him a spot in Springfield.

"I would never discount Jalen," Kidd said of Brunson after his iconic 50-point game against Phoenix last month, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Basketball. "He has a chip on his shoulder. He understands how to play the game. He has a big basketball IQ. To see how he shot the ball last night, we've seen that as a Mav, and then to have 50 points to help his team win."

"That's what he's all about. He's trying to help his team. So, to be a Hall of Famer, if he continues to put up numbers like that, yes, for sure."

The Mavericks, on the other hand, continue to try and pick up the pieces from Brunson's departure. This year's team (22-16) has responded well to the challenge so far, but last season began with similar hype. 

But things got to the point where Mark Cuban, who has since taken a back seat in Dallas' basketball affairs, was relying on backcourt replacements like Kemba Walker and Kyrie Irving to fill the void Brunson created. Eventually, Cuban and Co. prematurely pulled the plug on the season when the Knicks inched too close to landing the top 10 pick they're set to obtain as the last part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade. 

Mavs Star Luka Doncic OUT vs. Knicks; Will Miss Reunion with Jalen Brunson

Ironically enough, Brunson's return to his original home is partly marred by a Doncic injury: his friend and draft classmate will not play on Thursday night due to an ankle sprain.