By Joiner Martinez
The New York Knicks have chosen Jalen Brunson as their captain, the team’s first in six years.
Brunson quickly became one of the team’s leaders after arriving in 2022 and on Tuesday was selected as the 36th captain in franchise history. The Knicks had not had one since Lance Thomas in the 2018-19 season.
Knicks president Leon Rose called Brunson a “natural leader,” adding in a statement that he was confident the All-Star guard would “continue to represent our organization, fans, city and his teammates with the same heart, courage and class that he has displayed each and every day since arriving in New York.”
For his part, legendary Knicks player Patrick Ewing highlighted that Brunson is a “natural leader on the court.”
Brunson has led the Knicks to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs in both of his seasons after coming over from Dallas. He averaged 28.7 points last season, earning his first All-Star nod and finishing fifth in NBA MVP voting.
Brunson becomes the fourth second-round pick to captain the Knicks. That list is headlined by Willis Reed, the Hall of Fame center nicknamed “The Captain” for his leadership.
Last year he was named an NBA All-Star for the first time after playing in 77 official games with figures of 27.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 35.4 minutes per game.
He also finished fifth in the voting for the MVP award for the season and was part of the Second Best NBA Team of 2024.
He recorded a new career-high 61 points on March 29 against the Spurs, the most by a Knickerbocker since Carmelo Anthony’s 62 against the defunct Bobcats on January 24, 2014.
Lastly, it should be noted that this summer he agreed to an extension with the Knicks for the next four years and a total of $156.5 million dollars, forgiving them up to 113 million so that in the short term they can make other moves in the market.
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Jalen Brunson signed a contract extension with the New York Knicks for $156 million dollars
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