OPINION
Jalen Brunson has achieved immortality in the world of New York sports. After one of the greatest performances in NBA Finals history to clinch the Knicks’ first title in 53 years, he is obviously the greatest Knick of all time. Brunson is now firmly on the level of the most iconic athletes in the city’s history, alongside figures like Ruth, Jeter, Namath. Many children today will remember Brunson wearing a jersey emblazoned with the words “New York” for the rest of their lives.
Yet as most New Jerseyans know, Brunson actually hails from New Jersey. He was born in New Brunswick, in the heart of Middlesex County. He grew up around Cherry Hill until his family moved to the Chicago suburbs when he was in sixth grade. And the Brunson family maintained close ties to the state – Jalen’s father, Rick Brunson, was the coach of the boys’ basketball team at Camden High School from 2019 to 2022.
Sure, there are a lot of athletes who grew up in New Jersey, and there are a lot of athletes who have excelled in New York. But as anyone who has witnessed this magical Knicks run can tell you, Brunson has a special resonance with New Jersey fans. I think that’s because he exemplifies our state and our grit in an unparalleled way.
At every stage of his career, Brunson has faced doubters. Of course, after leading Stevenson High School to the Illinois state championship and with his father’s NBA pedigree, Brunson was a highly touted recruit when he arrived at Villanova. But there were questions about how his game would translate to the Big East as an undersized point guard. Brunson immediately secured a starting spot and helped guide Villanova to a national title. After the stars of that team – Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins, and Ryan Arcidiacono – eventually moved on to the NBA, skeptics wondered whether Villanova could remain a title contender. In his junior year, Brunson established himself as the best player in college basketball, winning the Wooden Award, and leading Villanova to another national title.
He declared for the NBA Draft and the entire first round came and went until Brunson was finally selected in the second round, where most players don’t have more than fleeting careers in the NBA. The Dallas Mavericks took a chance on him and Brunson surprised everyone by quickly becoming a strong backup point guard. When superstar Luka Doncic got hurt in December 2021, many wondered whether Brunson would be able to shoulder the responsibility of taking on a heavier offensive load, but during the three weeks when Luka was out, Brunson showed the ability to average over 20 points a game. People still doubted whether Brunson could be a leading offensive option over an entire season, and Dallas didn’t offer him the contract he was seeking.
The following summer, the Knicks signed Brunson to a 4-year deal worth $104 million in free agency, and many NBA analysts criticized the signing as an overpay. Even after Brunson almost immediately showed that contract to be a massive bargain and became an all-NBA player, every year, people questioned whether Brunson was just too small or not a good enough defender to lead the Knicks to a title. Those doubts were not fully extinguished until the final buzzer in Game 5 on Saturday night, when they were quieted for good.
All of this feels familiar to every New Jerseyan, because New Jersey is constantly underestimated, made fun of, and disrespected. And yet throughout American history, our state has consistently set the pace for our nation and come up big in every big moment. American Revolution? It turned around at the Battle of Trenton. Industrial Revolution? It started in a lab in Menlo Park. The Information Age? Its foundation was laid in the labs of Bell Works. Across every metric – education, health care, research and development, public safety – New Jersey leads the nation. And while New Jersey may often be overshadowed by New York City, the economic engine of America, the reality is that New Jersey’s people and infrastructure produce a lot of the fuel that powers that engine. There’s no better metaphor for this than the Knicks themselves, who are led by New Jersey natives Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Brunson has spent his entire career proving the naysayers wrong, not with bombast but with hard work, grit, and quiet determination. And that’s how many of us feel as New Jerseyans – our state has spent its history excelling despite the haters.
So while this is deservedly a special moment for New York City, it’s special on the other side of the river too. This Knicks title run, led by Brunson, is as New Jersey a championship as we will ever see. What an amazing ride.
Parimal Garg served as Governor Murphy’s chief counsel from October 2020 to November
- He is currently a partner at Lowenstein Sandler.