Knicks Star Newest Face of Backyard Sports Video Game

Jalen Brunson has already put one popular 1990s franchise back in style thanks to his efforts with the New York Knicks. Now, it appears he’s putting another on his back.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of Brunson jerseys appeared at the live recording of his well-received “Roommates Show” podcast in Central Park. Brunson himself, however, donned a baseball jersey … though one missing the the traditional pinstripes of New York Mets or Yankees threads.

The point guard’s new jersey bored the words “Backyard Sports” on the front and the surname “Sanchez” on the other side. Certain signs now point to Brunson being one of the new faces of the brand on his jersey, one set to return to prominence after nearly a decade of dormancy.

“Backyard Sports” was a brand originally introduced in 1997 with “Backyard Baseball,” a game for Windows and Macintosh systems that featured an enthusiastic bunch of animated young characters playing pickup baseball games in various backyard-inspired settings.

The franchise later earned a license from Major League Baseball that allowed their entries miniature versions of diamond All-Stars. Other versions featured the original youngsters in various other sports, including basketball, football, hockey, and soccer, all of which likewise earned licenses from the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLS respectively.

Despite the presence of the animated superstars (“Backyard Basketball” featured Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce on its covers), the franchise’s most popular character was easily Pablo Sanchez, a Spanish-speaking youth well-regarded as the most well-rounded, powerful athlete in the game. It’s perhaps only natural to have the Knicks’ primary energizer and don his uniform in anticipation of the franchise’s return.

Backyard Sports’ official social media channels took note of Brunson’s garb and returned the favor by placing animated versions of the point guard and Josh Hart, his Knicks teammate and “Roommates” co-host, drawn in the style of the original games and standing in the treehouse that often served as the main menu for the games.

The series figured to be a relic of the past with the last game released in 2015 (Backyard Sports Basketball NBA 2015, for mobile devices) but a major announcement last month revealed its planned return in the form of games, movies, and a television series.

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