Jalen Brunson Is the Player the NBA Needs Right Now
The league is looking for its next megastar after LeBron James and Steph Curry, and the “everyday” guard could be the answer.
This offseason, New York Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson signed a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension with the team. That may seem like a lot of money, but it’s $113 million less than he would’ve been eligible for next offseason because of the complex algebra structuring NBA contracts. Brunson made his decision to help free up money to fill out the roster around him with players who can help the team win a championship, something it hasn’t done since 1973.
He’s not the first athlete to do this. Tom Brady, Derek Jeter and Patrick Mahomes did the same thing, but it’s a largely selfless move in a profession where there’s not always a ton of selflessness. “It’s simple,” Brunson said in August on Roommates Show, which he hosts with Josh Hart, a current teammate who Brunson also played with at Villanova University. “I want to be here, I want to show that actions speak louder than just talking about stuff. I want this team to be together for a long time. I want to win here, that’s it.”