Knicks’ Jalen Brunson named 36th captain in franchise history

Jalen Brunson reaffirmed his commitment to the Knicks by signing a contract extension this offseason, and now the team has reciprocated by naming the point guard the 36^th captain in franchise history.

Brunson becomes the first Knicks captain since Lance Thomas in 2018-19.

“The New York Knicks have a deep and storied history and today we are immensely proud to add to that lineage by naming Jalen Brunson as our captain,” said team president Leon Rose. “Jalen is a natural born leader, and I am confident he will continue to represent our organization, fans, city and his teammates with the same heart, grit, and class that he has displayed each and every day since he came to New York.”

Brunson signed a four-year, $156 million extension in July, leaving a substantial amount of money on the table in order to help the Knicks build out the roster around him. Had Brunson waited until next summer to sign an extension, the Knicks could have offered him a deal for as much as $270 million over five years.

Since joining the Knicks ahead of the 2022-23 season, Brunson has been nothing short of spectacular in the Big Apple, averaging 26.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 40.7 percent from three-point range. The unquestioned leader of this Knicks roster, Brunson earned Second Team All-NBA honors this past season and finished fifth in MVP voting as he led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Brunson has been particularly great in the playoffs, averaging 35.5 points per game in the series win over the Philadelphia 76ers and 29.7 points per game against the Indiana Pacers.