Newly selected All-Star Jalen Brunson wasn’t feeling great Saturday morning when he was told that many believe he is the Knicks’ best point guard since Clyde Frazier.
“No,” he interrupted. “no.”
Of course, Brunson is the main reason the Knicks won nine straight games and are 15-2 in 2024, coming into Saturday night’s game against the Lakers at The Garden.
Brunson, who was named an All-Star for the first time in his career Thursday night, has known Frazier for years, as his father, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, played for the Knicks when they were kids.
Brunson spoke respectfully of the 78-year-old Frazier. The Hall of Fame point guard, seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion with the Knicks from 1967 to 1977, remains a hugely popular figure at the Garden. has been active as an analyst for many years.
“I always say ‘hello’ when I pass him on the bus or on the court. I always check in on him,” Brunson said. “I haven’t talked about what he was able to achieve yet, just because I didn’t have time to sit down. But it’s always a respect.
“Every time I see him. I have to say ‘hello’ to him.” He’s a legend, so he can’t just pass by. But to be able to watch him every day just to know the presence he brought to this organization, you have to respect him and know that what he accomplished as a player is amazing. need to understand. ”
Brunson, 27, has also shown remarkable improvement over the past two seasons since signing with the Knicks as a free agent.
He entered Saturday’s game averaging career bests in points (27.1 per game), assists (6.4), 3-point percentage (.417) and minutes played (35.7).
Brunson added that “no one special” contacted him about his All-Star selection, but “just a bunch of friends and family” sent him congratulations.
He also recalled a memory from when he was 9 years old and met his father’s former Rockets teammate, All-Star center Yao Ming, at the 2006 All-Star Game in Houston.
Lakers superstar LeBron James said after missing Thursday’s game in Boston with an ankle issue that he “hopes to be able to come out and contribute” but called Brunson “phenomenal.” “I’m very happy and very proud,” he said. for his All-Star nomination.
When asked if players like Frazier and James transcend basketball, Brunson showed a competitive edge in his response.
“Yeah, off the court, certainly off the court. I think once you get on the court, you have to compete,” Brunson said. “You can acknowledge and respect that tradition and what they’ve done throughout their careers, but once the ball is in the air, it’s just a matter of going out and competing.
“I mean, what he’s done since we started playing against LeBron has been nothing short of spectacular and amazing. Everything he’s done is legendary. But when you go out on the court, you have to compete, and you can’t look at that and think he’s this idol, and he really is, but we don’t have to compete on the court. We have to go out there and just compete with the Lakers.”
Similarly, Brunson said the Knicks’ recent performance — entering Saturday’s game in second place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind the Bucks — “doesn’t change our mind at all. This will not change in the future.” ”
“We know where we are. We’ve got to have the same mindset every night,” Brunson said. “We need to go out there and be better than we were the day before. So my mindset is that no matter where we are in the standings or how many winning streaks we have, we want to get better every time we step on the court.
“So records, rankings and accolades all change the way we think.”
