New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson has gained an unlikely new fan in Udonis Haslem, as the former Miami Heat forward praised him for making a huge financial sacrifice this offseason.
Haslem, who knows a lot about making sacrifices, even went as far as to say that the New York Knicks should consider creating a statue for Jalen Brunson if he eventually leads the team to a championship, similar to what Josh Hart said a few weeks ago.
“There’s some (stuff) that you ain’t going to pull. He’s got the city behind him, he’s got Spike (Lee) behind him, his daddy (Rick) on the coaching staff, Leon Rose coaching him. They know that it’s not guaranteed that they’re going to win,” Haslem said in The OGs Podcast.
“He’s going to be taken care of forever. Madison Square Garden will be an open door for him for the rest of his life. When you see him in retirement, he won’t be sitting courtside like a retired player. He’ll be sitting in the owner’s box,” he added.
After a solid 2023-24 campaign, Jalen Brunson was eligible for a five-year, $269.1 million contract if he waited to sign until next offseason. But instead, he decided to sign a four-year, $156.6 million extension, saving the New York Knicks around $113 million.
Jalen Brunson named new team captain for the New York Knicks
The New York Knicks recently announced that Jalen Brunson will be team captain next season, making him the first in six years.
The one-time NBA All-Star is the fourth second-round pick named New York Knicks captain. Brunson, overall, is the 36th team captain in franchise history.
Brunson finished fifth in MVP voting last season after averaging 28.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists on 47.9 percent shooting from the field in 77 regular season games and 32.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game during the playoffs.
