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Jalen Brunson
Jalen Marquis Brunson
Jalen Brunson is an American professional basketball guard and captain of the New York Knicks. A two-time NCAA champion at Villanova, he began his NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks, joined New York in 2022, and led the Knicks to the 2026 NBA championship while earning NBA Finals MVP honors.
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About Jalen Brunson
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United States · Professional basketball player, Basketball guard
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- Professional basketball player
- Basketball guard
At a glance
- Brunson is a New York Knicks guard and has served as the franchise's captain since August 2024.
- He led New York to the 2026 NBA championship and received the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award.
- At Villanova, he won the 2016 and 2018 NCAA championships and was the consensus national college player of the year in 2017-18.
- By August 2026, Brunson was a three-time NBA All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection, as well as an NBA Cup MVP and NBA Clutch Player of the Year.
- He helped the United States win the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship and was named the tournament's most valuable player.
Early life and amateur basketball
Brunson was born on August 31, 1996, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and attended Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. At Stevenson, he was a two-time Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year, the 2015 Illinois Mr. Basketball and a McDonald's All-American. That year, he also helped the United States win the FIBA Under-19 World Championship and received tournament MVP honors.
Villanova career
Brunson played three seasons at Villanova and was part of the Wildcats' 2016 and 2018 NCAA championship teams. During the 2017-18 season, he was the consensus national college player of the year, won the Bob Cousy Award and was named Big East Player of the Year. Villanova retired his No. 1 jersey in February 2023.
NBA career and Knicks leadership
The Dallas Mavericks selected Brunson with the 33rd overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He helped Dallas reach the 2022 Western Conference finals before signing with the Knicks in July 2022. His 2023-24 season brought his first NBA All-Star and All-NBA selections, and New York named him the 36th captain in franchise history in August 2024.
Major professional honors
Brunson won the 2024-25 NBA Clutch Player of the Year Award and was named MVP of the 2025 NBA Cup after the Knicks won the tournament. In 2026, he received his third All-NBA selection, won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award and led New York to the NBA championship. He averaged 32.6 points per game in the Finals and was named NBA Finals MVP.
Timeline
- Won FIBA Under-19 World Championship gold and tournament MVP honors with the United States.
- Won his first NCAA championship with Villanova.
- Won a second NCAA championship with Villanova after a consensus national player-of-the-year season.
- Selected 33rd overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Draft.
- Officially signed with the New York Knicks.
- Named the 36th captain in New York Knicks history.
- Led New York to the NBA Cup title and was selected as tournament MVP.
- Won the NBA championship with the Knicks and was selected as NBA Finals MVP.
Additional verified details
Current context
- As of August 18, 2026, Brunson remains listed as a New York Knicks guard and is identified as the franchise's captain.
- As of August 18, 2026, Brunson is playing under the four-year Knicks contract extension signed in July 2024. The Knicks' official announcement did not disclose financial terms.
- As of August 18, 2026, Brunson is a three-time NBA All-Star, three-time All-NBA selection, NBA champion, NBA Finals MVP, Eastern Conference Finals MVP, NBA Cup MVP and NBA Clutch Player of the Year.
- Brunson underwent surgery on his left wrist on July 7, 2026, after playing through discomfort during the championship run. Associated Press reporting hosted by NBA.com said he was expected to resume basketball activities later in the summer and be available for the Knicks' title defense. No later authoritative update confirming his exact rehabilitation stage was located.
Biographical facts
- Brunson was born on August 31, 1996, in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
- He is the son of former NBA guard and Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson; his mother, Sandra, played volleyball at Temple University.
- He attended Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois.
- He won the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship with the United States and was named the tournament's most valuable player.
- Brunson played three seasons at Villanova and was part of its 2016 and 2018 NCAA championship teams.
- In 2017-18, he was the consensus national college player of the year, won the Bob Cousy Award and was named Big East Player of the Year.
- He began his NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks and helped the team reach the 2022 Western Conference finals.
- In 2023-24, Brunson averaged 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game, made his first NBA All-Star team and the All-NBA Second Team, and finished fifth in NBA MVP voting.
- Brunson led the Knicks to the 2026 NBA championship and won the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award after averaging 32.6 points per game in the Finals.
Connections
Affiliations
Affiliations associated with Jalen Brunson.
- New York Knicks Guard and team captain 2022-07-12–present
- Dallas Mavericks Guard 2018-06-21–2022-07-12
- Villanova Wildcats men's basketball Student-athlete 2015–2018
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