Jalen Brunson Biography

Jalen Marquis Brunson, born August 31, 1996, is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association. Brunson was selected 33rd overall in the 2018 NBA draft and has played his first four seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. He won Illinois Mr. Basketball and earned MVP honors at the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. Brunson was a role player during the 2015–16 Villanova Wildcats championship season and was named national player of the year and a consensus first-team 2018 All-American. Since joining the Knicks in 2022, Brunson has been named an NBA All-Star three times, including in 2024 and 2026, and received three All-NBA Second Team selections. As a freshman, Brunson earned All–Lake County honorable mention honors when Stevenson finished the 2012 season with a 17–11 record. In 2013, he led Stevenson to the IHSA Class 4A championship game, where they lost 58–40 to Simeon Career Academy after being held to one point in the second half.