Jalen Brunson has been known to buck trends and expectations since joining the New York Knicks in 2022. Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game exhibition at Chase Center was no exception.
Whereas the four teams assembled for the first All-Star tournament all carried a common theme, Brunson was a bit of an outcast on “Kenny’s Young Stars,” the squad put together by NBA veteran-turned-broadcaster Kenny “The Jet” Smith: most of Brunson’s teammates were either rising young talents playing second fiddle to a more established franchise face or veterans making their All-Star Game debuts.
Brunson was more than happy to poke fun at the discrepancy in the aftermath of the Young Stars’ cameo, which saw them drop a 41-32 decision to “Chuck’s Global Stars” in the opening round.
“[Smith] came in and said yeah, this is the young stars of the league. I didn’t want to draft anyone over 25, and then everyone looked at me.,” Brunson recalled, per notes from the NBA. “I’m 28, so I was like, ha! But it’s cool to be in a room with those guys with so much potential and a lot of basketball ahead of them. I’m always excited when I get to do stuff like this.”
Brunson was thus the de facto grizzled veteran for Smith’s squad, which also featured fledgling franchise faces such as Cade Cunningham (Detroit) and Tyler Herro (Miami). Anthony Edwards (Minnesota) was also on the roster but was a late scratch due to a groin injury.
Knicks fans had to choose a side in the tournament’s opening stanza, which saw Brunson and the Young Stars face the Global Stars assembled by Charles Barkley. Though Barkley made it a point to add international talents, Brunson faced off against New York teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, marking the first time that fellow Knicks did battle in an All-Star Game.
Brunson helped give the Young Stars an early lead, intercepting a pass from Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland) and turning it into a dunk for Evan Mobley (Cleveland). He then assisted on Herro”s three-pointer that created a 5-2 advantage en route to a target score of 40.
But the Young Stars never led again after Towns sank a three-pointer that tied the game, one that the center heralded with an imitation of Brunson’s trademark hand-to-mouth triple celebration. Brunson wound up with three points and tied with Darius Garland (Cleveland) for a team-best three asists in the eventual defeat.
Towns and the Global Stars eventually faced “Shaq’s OGs” in the championship finale. Shaquille O’Neal’s group, primarily consisting of seasoned All-Stars like Kevin Durant (Phoenix), Kyrie Irving (Dallas), and hometown game MVP Stephen Curry (Golden State), easily prevailed in a 41-25 final.
Though this All-Star Weekend was generally met with negative reviews, Brunson was pleased he was able to spend an action-packed weekend with a more permanent brand of teammates.
“It means a lot to me to have my family here, have my six-month-old here, seeing her every morning, just enjoying this experience. It was awesome,” Brunson said. “Just to have my family here, most importantly, is awesome.”
Brunson, Towns, and the Knicks (36-18) get back to work on Thursday when they host the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).