Knicks Star’s Name is For the Dogs

Ever since joining the New York Knicks, Jalen Brunson has had a ruff go at it — and there’s data to prove it.

Brunson was one of the big winners in new information revealed by pet-sitting service Rover, as his surname was labeled “the top trending sports-related dog name in 2024.” Dogs named Brunson, Rover claims, are up 161 percent after the point guard embarked upon an expanded breakout season for the Knicks.

Rover also credited Brunson’s highly publicized decision to accept an instant, discounted contract extension for the furry honor.

It’s easy to see why Knicks fans (as well as those hailing from the point guard’s alma mater of Villanova) would want their best friends to bear Brunson’s name: the point guard has flipped the franchise’s fortunes since arriving in 2022 and is off to another sterling start this season.

His public discount was preceded by his first invites to both the All-NBA and NBA All-Star Game teams and he’s averaging 25.2 points and 7.7 assists in the early stages of this season. New York has reached the playoffs in consecutive seasons and seems well-destined to do so again.

Joining Brunson in canine Immortality is fellow breakout star Victor Wembanyama, as his shortened surname “Wemby” is up 127 percent among dog owners. Witt, in honor of Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt (111 percent) topped the non-basketball names on the list while “Kelce” (51 percent) led the gridiron group after fans of the sibling duo Jason and Travis put them at the top last year.

Basketball fans came through for their pups this season, as Rover also noted that dogs named after Caitlin Clark, Luka Doncic, and Bronny James also proved popular.

Brunson will look to protect his dog house on Thursday night when he and the Knicks host the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!