Villanova product Jalen Brunson named captain of the New York Knicks

It felt like it was only a matter of time.

On Tuesday, the New York Knicks announced that Jalen Brunson is the new team captain. He becomes the 36th captain in franchise history, the 18th guard to receive that honor and only the fourth second-round selection to ever earn that distinction.

“The New York Knicks have a deep and storied history and today we are immensely proud to add to that lineage by naming Brunson as our captain,” Knicks president Leon Rose said in a statement. “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.”

Since the Villanova product signed with the Knicks in July 2022, his stardom has only skyrocketed across the NBA.

Brunson was a first-time NBA All-Star this past season, after averaging 28.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. He also finished fifth in MVP voting and was named to the 2023-24 All-NBA Second Team.

He is the first player to be designated team captain by the Knicks since Lance Thomas during the 2018-19 season.

The 27-year old point guard helped the Knicks reach the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight year. He had an impressive playoff run, averaging 32.4 points and 7.5 assists over 39.8 minutes in 13 postseason games.

He became the first player in NBA history to record 40-plus points and at least five assists in four consecutive playoff games. He also set a franchise-record 47 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 28, which surpassed Bernard King for the most points scored in a playoff game in Knicks history. He also dropped 210 points in a five-game span in the playoffs, which were the most since Michael Jordan did so in 1993.