Jalen Brunson is trying not to think about being named an All-Star.
The sixth-year player, who is in his second season with the New York Knicks, prefers to focus on another goal. “Win,” the 27-year-old tells PEOPLE succinctly while talking about his new partnership with Catalina Crunch.
It’s certainly a welcome idea for longtime Knicks fans everywhere who year after year have longed for their team to go deep into the playoffs. With just two appearances in the past decade — and a cigar-free Finals appearance nearly 25 years ago — the Knicks are used to being in rebuilding mode.
But this year, just like Brunson’s all-but-certain All-Star selection, things are looking promising. The Villanova junior arrived in New York via free agency from the Dallas Mavericks in the summer of 2022, signing a four-year contract worth $104 million.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson says he pushed back his wedding by a month to play for Team USA (Exclusive)
The news came as a surprise to Mavs fans, but it appeared to be the right move for the New Jersey native whose father, retired NBA player Rick Brunson, had accepted an assistant coaching position with the Knicks just a month earlier.
Flash forward to 2024 and the younger Brunson is advancing at lightning speed, in a place where the media glare has proven to be a burden for some. But for this athlete, it helps that he has family in the area and the fact that his head coach, Tom Thibodeau, has known him since he was 5 years old.
“It was amazing,” Brunson tells PEOPLE. “Being a part of this organization, the city being close to where I was born and raised, it’s pretty special to know that my dad played for this organization at one point, and it brings back a lot of memories from when I was younger.”
He added, “It was a perfect situation and I just love being here and I love the opportunity that I’ve been given, and I just love being able to go out there and try to help the team win.”
Jalen Brunson for the Catalina Crunch.
Catalina Crunch
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Brunson, who has a career average of nearly 26 points per game, is enjoying his multifaceted role on the team. He’s not just the boss, but the leader, working to get a dynamic group going, which happens to include three of his Nova college teammates — Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo and Ryan Arcidiacon.
The team’s chemistry has been changed recently after RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were traded to Toronto late last month for OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa, but Brunson keeps it going.
“I’ve always looked at myself as a leader, so nothing changes from that aspect,” Brunson says of the switch. “And so for us, our work as teammates with all the new guys kind of helped them get used to it faster so it’s a lot easier when it’s game time. Obviously we’re going to have hiccups here and there, but the best thing we can do as teammates is help them feel like it’s going to be a seamless transition.”
After marrying his high school sweetheart Ali Marks last summer, the Knicks star enjoys spending his free time with his new wife, as well as their adorable dog, Kona.
Jalen Brunson from the New York Knicks married his high school sweetheart Ali Marks at the Chicago Ritz Carlton! (Exclusive)
He also prioritizes his diet and nutrition — and that’s where his limited-edition Catalina Crunch cereal with honey and almond flavor comes into play.
“To me, as you get older, you want to believe that you can stay the same as long as you can do the same things,” the sushi-obsessed Brunson tells PEOPLE.
“But, I mean, the older you get, the more you have to watch what you eat and the more you have to be aware of the things you do, because I don’t think you’re getting any younger.” So I’m actually kind of preparing for my future,” he explains. “And so Catalina Crunch, it helps me in that way.”
He doesn’t so much take a quick break as approach a plant-based diet. But as for his love of nigiri and sashimi? “One hundred percent, I can eat sushi every day,” says Brunson.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education