Red, White, and Brunson: Team USA Almost Threw Knicks Star's Summer Askew
Jalen Brunson and Ali Marks literally couldn't wait to get married.
The NBA offseason didn't live up to its name for the New York Knicks point guard last week: not only did he host a golf tournament for his children's foundation Second Round, but he also tied the knot with Marks, his high school sweetheart and a physical therapist.
Jamming two big events on a single weekend is a bold endeavor, albeit one necessitated by Brunson's latest hardwood challenge. Speaking with Natasha Dye of "People," Brunson said that he and Marks' nuptials were originally scheduled for Labor Day weekend in September but an adjustment was required once he got the call from Team USA basketball to partake in the upcoming FIBA World Cup in Asia, which tips off on Aug. 25 and runs through Sept. 10.
Brunson was sure to thank Marks for her cooperation, especially on relatively short notice considering news of his addition to the World Cup team broke in early June.
"Originally, the wedding was supposed to be Labor Day, I think that's September 2nd," Brunson told Dye. "That was the original date of the wedding, but my fiancée was so great helping move it because now it allows me to play for USA basketball this summer."
Like the Madison Square Garden hardwood, Brunson was able to navigate through a difficult situation ... with some help from the most vital teammate of all, of course.
Hosted at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago, Brunson and Marks were regaled by numerous friends and family members, including the former's teammates with both the Knicks and Villanova Wildcats. "People" revealed that the ceremony was officiated by an entrant into both the Knicks and Wildcat circles, Brunson's close friend Ryan Arcidiacono.
"I have a lot of great people around me who make my life stress free," Brunson declared before he said "I do." "This weekend's going to be great."
Another caught in the middle of the Knicks-Nova Venn Diagram, Josh Hart, will be joining Brunson overseas, as will another teammate and New Yorker in Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges (who was also in attendance over the weekend). Team USA will partake in Group C play against Greece, Jordan, and New Zealand in Pasay.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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