NBA
Knicks Star: ‘It’s Over’ After Butt Dialing Tom Thibodeau
New York Knicks fans’ ultimate nightmare is a laughing matter to Jalen Brunson.
With a potential contract extension looming, Brunson joked about his potential metropolitan departure after accidentally “butt dialing” (an unintentional phone call often made on an unlocked phone in one’s pocket) head coach Tom Thibodeau.
“Just butt dialed Thibs while having a conversation with the fellas,” Brunson revealed in an X post that included an emoji of praying hands. “Yeah it’s over y’all, it’s been real.”
Knowing how Brunson acts with collegiate teammate and fellow Knicks star Josh Hart on their “Roommates Show” podcast will only have Knicks fans wondering how a conversation with his “fellas” would go. Thibodeau recently dropped his eternally stoic persona to join his proteges and co-host Matt Hillman on the program.
Brunson has plenty of “fellas” to work with since joining the Knicks: the team added Hart at least year’s trade deadline before signing another former Villanova Wildcat, Donte DiVincenzo, over the ensuing offseason. New York has since traded for former Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges to complete the cat quartet.
At the halfway point of a four-year, $104 million deal, Brunson is eligible for another even larger extension, one that will save nine figures if he inks it this offseason. Friday marks the first day he’s eligible to sign such a deal.
One errant dial, especially to his dear friend and podcast guest Thibodeau, is more than forgivable considering what Brunson has brought to the Knicks’ franchise: the former Dallas Mavericks point guard has emerged as one of the NBA’s top rising backcourt talents, one that earned both his first All-Star and All-NBA team invites over this past season.
Since Brunson came aboard, New York has mustered consecutive NBA playoff appearances for the first time since 2011-13. The Knicks are also one of three teams (alongside recent champions Denver and Boston) to win at least one playoff series in each of the last two yeas.