NBA
Knicks Name Jalen Brunson Captain
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson has acted like the captain of the ship for his first two years with the team, but now he has the official title.
The Knicks announced in a press release on Tuesday that Brunson has been named the 36th team captain in franchise history.
“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,” Knicks president Leon Rose said in a press release. “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.”
This past season, Brunson averaged 28.7 points, 6.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 77 appearances for the Knicks. His efforts earned him the fifth-most votes in the Most Valuable Player race.
During the offseason, Brunson showed his biggest commitment to winning yet, forgoing $113 million by signing his extension this summer instead of next year. That displayed Brunson’s willingness to sacrifice to win, which makes him an excellent fit to be the official captain of the Knicks.
Brunson is now expected to lead the Knicks with their expectations the highest it has been since the beginning of the 21st century. After finishing with the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference this past season and making it all the way to Game 7 in the second round of the playoffs, the Knicks are ready to take that next step towards becoming one of the NBA’s top contenders.
And now, they will do it with Brunson as the official captain of the Knicks.