Knicks Veteran Calls For Jalen Brunson 'Celebration'
With 15 NBA seasons under his belt, Taj Gibson has gotten to know his share of hardwood talents. Few, it appears, have left impression on him like the one New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson has.
Gibson spoke about Brunson's demeanor during an appearance on the Club 520 Podcast hosted by fellow NBA mainstay Jeff Teague. The two collaborated this season when Gibson, who turns 39 next week, returned to the Knicks for 16 games last winter in the wake of numerous frontcourt injuries.
"JB, he's just a good kid," Gibson said of the Knicks point guard. "I don't want to say kid because I knew him his whole life, but great guy. You always want to celebrate guys like that. I'm with him for a few months and I'm just like watching him. I'm used to him being the younger kid ... now I'm the older guy on the crew ... I'm seeing how they move and I'm just like 'yo, I want my son to be like him.'"
Count the Brooklyn-born Gibson, a Knick for three seasons before his return, among the many New Yorkers that are wowed and amazed by Brunson's talents, ones that have launched Manhattan's NBA group back into the realm of contention.
Last season, his second in blue and orange, marked his finest effort yet, as Brunson took over a depleted Knicks team en route to his first All-Star and All-NBA nominations. Under his watch, the Knicks won 50 games and landed second on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. Though he himself fell victim to the injury bug in the final stage of the postseason, his presence has led many to claim that the Knicks have one of the highest ceilings in the NBA.
Time will tell if Brunson and Gibson are set to collaborate again: Gibson, who ended last season with the Detroit Pistons, is a free agent again but has frequently been cited as a potential future coach.
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI
Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks