The NBA announced Wednesday the league’s All-NBA teams, and New York Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson made the All-NBA Second Team, a first-time appearance on an All-NBA team for Brunson.
Jalen Brunson named to the All-NBA Second Team
Brunson received 37 votes for First Team All-NBA, the most out of Second and Third Team recipients, and 61 Second Team votes. Brunson joins Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards, Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, Suns’ Kevin Durant, and Lakers’ Anthony Davis as those who earned Second Team honors.
Brunson joins elite Knicks company
Brunson is now the second Knick in the past four seasons to earn an All-NBA selection, joining teammate Julius Randle who made Second Team in 2021 and Third Team in 2023.
According to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, no Knick player has made the All-NBA First Team since Patrick Ewing did in 1990, and unfortunately, that streak will last at least one more year after Brunson came up just short of earning First Team honors.
Brunson’s performance this past season could’ve arguably earned him a First Team nod. He averaged 28.7 points (fourth in the NBA), 6.7 assists, shot 40% from three-point range, and led the Knicks to 50 regular season wins and the Eastern Conference’s second seed despite missing several key players for most of the second half of the season. He took his game to an even higher level in the postseason, as he averaged 32.4 points in 13 playoff games and had five 40-point games thrown in there.
When Brunson initially signed his four-year, $107 million contract in the summer of 2022, it is unlikely that many could have predicted that just two years into the contract he would become one of the best players in the NBA and earn an All-NBA selection. Now that he continues to exceed expectations, that deal is one of the best-value contracts in league history and is expected to come with an extension that won’t suffocate the team’s financial stability this summer.
Brunson not only has taken a massive leap individually, but the Knicks have had success since signing him, reaching the second round of the postseason in two consecutive seasons. Despite seeing their finals aspirations come up short this year, the Knicks are still in a great position to build a true contender around their superstar point guard and compete for many years to come.