Matt McAllister from Staten Island has a unique way of showing his love for the Knicks—it’s all inked on his back. He’s got a Mount Rushmore of Knicks legends, including the team’s current MVP, Jalen Brunson.
Brunson was genuinely surprised when McAllister revealed his impressive tattoo. “He’s usually pretty quiet, but he just said, ‘Oh, that’s tough,’” McAllister, 34, shared. “Then he added, ‘But there are only four on Rushmore.’”
In response, McAllister playfully suggested adding some extra elements for Brunson. Star guard Josh Hart was also taken aback, pulling out his phone to capture the moment, exclaiming, “I need to take a picture of this. Oh my god!”
Last September, McAllister took part in a handshake with Brunson and Hart during a Roommate Block Party, presenting them with exaggerated tattoos featuring Knicks icons like John Starks, Walt Frazier, Patrick Ewing, and Carmelo Anthony.
McAllister’s inspiration for the artwork came after the Knicks finished the last season strong with a 51-31 record, though they fell short in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is monumental; we need something to honor that,’” he explained.
The tattoo journey, which cost $9,000 and required 36 hours over six sessions, even caught the attention of MSG, who filmed part of the process for a commercial. “I may only see this once in a lifetime. No regrets,” he said.
Several Knicks superfans are also celebrating the team in ink. For instance, Ray Rosado from Yonkers got a $1,350 tattoo of Brunson on his leg just two days after the Knicks lost in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. “I had a feeling we’d make it to the finals this year,” he remarked, even though his tattoo artist had some reservations about making the choice permanent.
Rosado, a teacher, chose a picture of Brunson praying during Game 1 of the last year’s Eastern Conference Finals to symbolize hope and perseverance. “I’m not very religious, but it felt like a representation of good things on the horizon,” he said.
Nolan Parr from Queens got his $800 tattoo of Brunson’s signature moves on May 23, just prior to the Knicks defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers, marking his longstanding fandom, which, he said, started when he was “in diapers.” He shared that his dad always sparked debates about who was the better player: Clyde or Jalen.
Mirco Falzone, a 32-year-old from Italy, decided to get a massive tattoo of Brunson’s face on his leg despite never attending a Knicks game. Having become a dedicated fan after Brunson joined the team in 2022, he would wake up at 2 a.m. to catch the games, driven by a renewed passion for basketball.
Interestingly, in Italy, not many people seem familiar with Brunson. As Falzone noted with a laugh, “Everyone here knows LeBron James and Wembanyama. Someone even asked if my tattoo was of Travis Scott.”
