At a press conference today, Jalen Brunson will be named the 36th captain in Knicks history. He has earned and deserves the honor.
When a team grants a player captain status, it’s an extraordinary honor—the highest a team can bestow on a player—and it befits Jalen Brunson. Brunson is coming off a career year as an All-Star. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game and finished fifth in the NBA MVP voting. He was also named to the All-NBA second team.
The Knicks point guard has averaged 26.5 points per game in his first two seasons with the Knicks. More importantly, he has elevated the team to a championship contender. The franchise’s days of being a laughingstock are over because of him.
You end up using superlatives when watching Jalen Brunson play. That’s a mark of a great player right there.
Watching Brunson make such a difference for the Knicks brings memories of what Jason Kidd did when the then-New Jersey Nets acquired him for Stephon Marbury in 2001. Kidd immediately changed the perception of the once-sorry Nets franchise by elevating them through his play. He won games on his own. He had the Nets to a 7-1 start in his first eight games with them, and they did not look back by going to the NBA Finals that year.
It shouldn’t be surprising that Brunson would be a captain for the Knicks. He plays like one, leading by example. The time was right for him to earn the status, especially now that the Knicks are considered an NBA title contender for the first time since the ’90s.
Expectations on the Knicks will be high this season. An Eastern Conference Finals appearance should be the minimum for a franchise that hasn’t won a championship in 51 years, and Brunson’s goal is to ensure that this team is up to the task. I think he will. For one thing, Bruson has the mindset to be a champion, and for another, he is made for the high-pressure environment of New York. In other words, he is the anti-Carmelo Anthony.
Brunson is dedicated to the Knicks, and teammates will follow his lead. Bruson is also as hungry as Knicks fans to win the championship. Those are three great reasons why he should be the captain of this team. Another reason is that Brunson is in his prime right now and has ten good years in him, which means the Knicks need to ensure he’ll be around in the quest to win multiple championships. They can’t waste his career like they did with Patrick Ewing.
The key, of course, is eventually getting premier free agents to play with Brunson. Brunson understands the deal, and that’s why he took a team-friendly deal rather than take on a salary that would cripple the franchise in the salary cap. That leadership, by example, will attract other stars to play with him, which is another reason why captain status makes so much sense.
I hate to admit that signing him at the time seemed like a desperate move by the reclusive Leon Rose. No one saw his breakout performance coming, not even Rose. Sure, we all knew Brunson would be competent, but back then, there were questions about him becoming a superstar.
Not now, though. Brunson has earned superstar status as one of the Top 20 players in the game. If he continues on that trajectory–especially if he leads the Knicks to a third championship in franchise history–I bet Bunson will move up to the Top 5. We already know that Brunson is the second-best player in New York sports right now, behind Aaron Judge.
Thursday is a day of celebration in New York! The Knicks are back, and Brunson is a big reason why. He has made this franchise proud, and it’s because he’s a quality person and player. Consider him a miracle worker, too. He has made the franchise likable despite owner James Dolan’s quirks, Rose’s aloofness, and Tom Thibodeau’s crankiness.
What’s not to like about the Knicks star? It’s hard to argue against Brunson being a captain. He was made to be one.
