What 'Heavy' Knicks Jersey Means to Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson has become the arguable face of New York basketball thanks to his time with the Knicks.

Apr 12, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts after a three-point basket during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

This New Jesey kid loves his new jersey with the New York Knicks.

Wearing a No. 11 jersey is once again fashionable at Madison Square Garden, as many Knicks supporters are ready to place Brunson next to New York Rangers legend Mark Messier in the hallowed rafters after just two seasons in blue. Brunson has fulfilled, and likely exceeded, every expectation a four-year, $104 million contract placed upon him in the summer of 2022, becoming the undisputed face of New York basketball in the process.

Brunson spoke about the metaphorical weight the Knicks' threads carry in an interview with Camron Smith of Stadium, accepting such a burden with his trademark muted swagger.

Apr 22, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts after a basket during the fourth quarter during game two of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

"It can be the heaviest jersey, but I think the way I was raised and the way I was taught to handle situations (helps)," Brunson said. "The thing I do, the way I play basketball, and the situation I'm in is not pressure."

"Playing in New York is different," Brunson continued. "The atmosphere is different. Everything in New York is definitely a little heightened. But I love it. It's everything that I wanted and it's a situation that I couldn't pass up."

Brunson credited the first man to bear his surname on the back of a Knicks jersey as his ultimate metropoltian inspiration. That would be his father Rick, an NBA journeyman who played 69 games for the Knicks between 1999 and 2001. The elder Brunson currently serves as an assistant coach on Tom Thibodeau's staff.

Brunson takes inspiration from his father's nomadic tenure, which saw him play for eight different teams over nine seasons. That also, however, alleviates what's commonly seen as pressure by common hardwood perception.

Dec 15, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives on Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) in the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports / Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

"What I remember as pressure is my dad being on unguaranteed contracts his entire career, possibly being cut at any given moment during the season ... That's pressure," Brunson told Smith. "I would say I'm in a very fortunate situation to go out there and play basketball at a very high level with some friends and all that."

It's safe to say that the younger Brunson has earned himself a little more security: the Villanova alum is fresh off a career-best season that energized the Knicks' finest output in a decade, which also included first-time individual honors such as invites to both the NBA All-Star Game and the All-NBA Team.

Brunson's set of on-court friends is set to grow: the Knicks have reportedly traded for yet another one of his former Villanova teammates in Mikal Bridges, who is set to switch boroughs after a supposed deal with the Brooklyn Nets. Bridges will join a Wildcat pack that already features Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart.

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