Jalen Marquis Brunson (born August 31, 1996) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Dallas Mavericks drafted him in 2018. He played his first four NBA seasons with them.

Before the NBA, Jalen played college basketball for Villanova University. He was named the National Player of the Year in his junior year. He also helped Villanova win two national championships. Jalen was a top high school player. He played in the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. He also led Stevenson High School to a state championship. He won the Illinois Mr. Basketball award. He was also named MVP of the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.

After leaving the Mavericks, Jalen joined the New York Knicks in 2022. With the Knicks, he became an NBA All-Star for the first time in 2024. He also made the All-NBA Second Team. He set an NBA record by making 8 three-point shots in one half without missing. He also tied an NBA record by making 9 three-point shots in a game without missing.

Jalen Brunson's Early Life

Jalen Brunson was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He grew up in southern New Jersey until he was in sixth grade. His parents are Rick and Sandra Brunson. Rick played basketball for Temple University. Sandra played volleyball there. Rick later played nine seasons in the NBA.

Jalen's family moved several times. They finally settled in Lincolnshire, Illinois in 2010. Jalen played high school basketball there. When his dad played for the Knicks, Jalen spent time in NBA locker rooms. His future coach, Tom Thibodeau, was an assistant coach for the Knicks then.

High School Basketball Career

Brunson shooting in the 2013 IHSA Class 4A championship game

As a freshman in 2012, Jalen was recognized in Lake County. Stevenson High School finished the season with a 17–11 record. In his sophomore year, Stevenson won 19 games in a row. Jalen led his team to the 2013 IHSA Class 4A championship game. They lost to Simeon Career Academy, a strong team. Jalen averaged 21.5 points that season. The Associated Press named him to the Class 4A All-state second team. He was the only sophomore on the team.

Brunson in the 2014 IHSA Class 4A consolation game

As a junior, Jalen scored 57 points in a double overtime game in 2014. This set new school records for single-game and career scoring. He also scored 56 points in a state playoff semi-final game. This was an IHSA playoff record. Jalen averaged 26.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.9 steals. Stevenson finished the season with a 32–2 record. Jalen was named Gatorade Player of the Year for Illinois.

In 2014, Jalen considered playing college basketball for several top schools. These included UConn, Michigan State, Illinois, Kansas, Purdue, Villanova, Michigan, and Temple. On September 10, 2014, Jalen decided to commit to Villanova. At that time, he was ranked as the top point guard in the 2015 class.

Brunson scoring the first 3 of his IHSA Class 4A title game record 30 points in 2015

In his senior year, Jalen was named to the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game roster. He also joined Team USA for the Nike Hoop Summit. On March 17, Jalen helped Stevenson reach the IHSA final four for the third time. He also became Lake County's all-time leading scorer. On March 20, he won Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year again. Jalen led Stevenson to its first state championship. He scored a record 30 points in the IHSA Class 4A title game. He shot 9-for-15 from the field and 9-for-9 from the free throw line.

After the season, he won Illinois Mr. Basketball. He averaged 23.3 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.7 rebounds. He was a first-team Parade All-American. He finished his high school career ranked as a top player.

Recruiting Jalen Brunson

Brunson in the 2015 McDonald's All-American Game

Jalen Brunson is a left-handed basketball player, like his father. He was considered one of the best point guards in his high school class. His peers even voted him the best passer in high school basketball.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Jalen Brunson PG	Lincolnshire, IL	Stevenson (IL)	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Sep 10, 2014
Jalen Brunson PG	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 90
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 16, 1 (IL), 1 (PG) Rivals: 15, 5 (G) ESPN: 16, 1 (IL), 2 (PG)
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Basketball Career

Freshman Season at Villanova

Jalen Brunson was named to the Bob Cousy Award preseason watchlist. He was also chosen as the Big East Conference Preseason Freshman of the Year. His Villanova Wildcats team was expected to win the conference.

Jalen started his first college game with 12 points and 4 assists. On December 28, he scored a career-high 22 points against Penn. This helped him earn Big East Freshman of the Week. In February 2016, Villanova became the number one team in the country. Jalen was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team. Villanova won the national championship in 2016. Jalen was a starter for the team.

Sophomore Season at Villanova

Brunson for the 2016–17 Villanova Wildcats

As a sophomore, Jalen was again on the Bob Cousy Award preseason watchlist. On December 5, 2016, Villanova became the top-ranked team again. The next night, Jalen scored a career-high 26 points. On December 31, he scored 27 points against Creighton. This helped Villanova stay undefeated at 14–0. He earned Big East player of the week.

In February 2017, Jalen recorded his first career double-double. He had 22 points and 10 assists. After the season, he was named to the All-Big East first team. He averaged 14.7 points and 4.1 assists. Jalen decided to return to Villanova for his junior year.

Junior Season and National Player of the Year

Jalen was named the 2017–18 preseason All-Big East player of the year. He was also a preseason All-American. He led Villanova to win the 2017 Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. He was named the MVP of the tournament. On December 13, Jalen scored a career-high 31 points against Temple. He scored 31 points two more times that season.

Eric Paschall, Donte DiVincenzo, Omari Spellman, Collin Gillespie, Jalen Brunson.

Jalen was a finalist for the Academic All-America team. He was also a semi-finalist for the Naismith Award. After the regular season, Jalen was named Big East Player of the Year. He was also the Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He was a consensus first-team All-American. He won many national player of the year awards. These included the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Naismith College Player of the Year.

Villanova won the National Championship Game in 2018. Jalen was named Most Outstanding Player of the East Region. After his junior season, he decided to enter the 2018 NBA draft. In 2019, Sporting News named Jalen college basketball player of the decade.

Professional Basketball Career

Dallas Mavericks (2018–2022)

Starting in the NBA

On June 21, 2018, the Dallas Mavericks drafted Jalen Brunson. He was the 33rd overall pick. He was the fourth Villanova player picked in the 2018 NBA draft. Jalen signed a 4-year contract. He made his NBA debut on October 17, 2018. He scored three points in his first game.

Jalen started his first NBA game on October 26. He scored eight points. On December 8, he scored a career-high 14 points. Two days later, he scored 17 points. On January 5, 2019, he had his first professional double-double. He scored 13 points and had 11 rebounds. On February 22, Jalen scored a career-high 22 points. On March 12, 2019, he scored 34 points. On April 7, he had a career-high ten assists.

In December 2019, Jalen helped the Mavericks end the Milwaukee Bucks' 18-game win streak. He had a career-high 11 assists and 13 points. During the 2020–21 NBA season, Jalen had career highs in points, rebounds, and assists. He finished fourth in voting for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.

Playoff Success and Moving On

In the 2021–22 NBA season, Jalen became a starter. He again achieved career highs in points, rebounds, and assists. On April 18, 2022, he scored a playoff career-high 41 points. This helped the Mavericks win Game 2 against the Utah Jazz. On May 15, Jalen scored 24 points. This helped the Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns in Game 7. They reached the Western Conference Finals. On May 20, Jalen scored 31 points in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

New York Knicks (2022–present)

Becoming a Star Player

On July 12, 2022, Jalen Brunson signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the New York Knicks. His father was hired as an assistant coach for the Knicks. On October 19, Jalen made his Knicks debut. He scored 15 points. On October 26, he scored 27 points and had 13 assists.

On January 9, 2023, Jalen scored a career-high 44 points. On January 16, he was named NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week. He averaged 34.8 points that week. He scored 25 or more points in eight straight games. This was the longest streak by a Knicks guard since 1965. On February 4, Jalen scored 41 points. On February 8, Villanova retired his jersey number. On March 1, Jalen scored 39 points. On March 2, he won his first NBA Player of the Month award for February. He averaged 27.3 points and 6.0 assists.

On March 31, Jalen scored a career-high 48 points. In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, he scored 32 points and had 11 assists in a game. He joined Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing as the only Knicks to do this in a playoff game. The Knicks lost to the Miami Heat in six games. Jalen tied his playoff career-high with 41 points in Game 6.

All-Star and All-NBA Appearances

On November 20, 2023, Jalen earned his second NBA Player of the Week award. On November 30, he scored 42 points. He tied a Knicks record for most 40-point games by a point guard.

Brunson In 2023

On December 15, he scored a career-high 50 points. He made 9 out of 9 three-point shots. This tied an NBA record for perfect three-point shooting. He became the first NBA player to score 50 points without missing a three-point shot (minimum 8 attempts). He also became the first NBA player to shoot 8-for-8 on three-point shots in a half. This performance was the first time an NBA player had 50 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals with five three-pointers.

On January 1, 2024, Jalen had a career-high 14 assists. For the week of January 1–7, he won his third NBA Player of the Week award. He led the Knicks to a 4–0 record. In January, he had five straight 30-point games. On February 1, Jalen was named an NBA All-Star for the first time. On March 14, he scored 45 points. On March 16, he scored 42 points. He became the fourth Knick to score 40 or more in back-to-back games. On March 29, Jalen scored a career-high 61 points. This was just one point shy of the Knicks franchise record. He was awarded Player of the Month for March.

On April 7 and 9, Jalen scored 43 and 45 points. He finished the season with 7 straight 30-point games. This tied a Knicks record. He also tied for second on the Knicks' single-season 40-point game list with 11 games. On April 15, Jalen earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week again. He finished 5th in the NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the first time.

In the first round of the playoffs, Jalen scored 47 points in Game 4. This was a playoff career-high and a Knicks playoff record. He also had 10 assists. He became the first Knick to score 40 points with a double-double in the playoffs. He also became the first player since Michael Jordan in 1989 to end a playoff series with three straight 40+ point games.

Jalen started the second round with 43 points and 6 assists. He became the fourth player in NBA history to score 40+ points in four straight playoff games. He also became the first to do so with 5+ assists in each game. In Game 5, he scored 44 points. In Game 7, Jalen fractured his left hand. The Knicks were eliminated. He had surgery to fix his hand.

On August 6, 2024, the Knicks named Jalen as a team captain. On December 28, Jalen scored 55 points. 42 of those points came in the second half and overtime. This helped the Knicks win 136–132 in overtime.

Playing Style

Jalen Brunson is known for his excellent footwork. He is not known for being super athletic. Jalen describes himself as a "hustle player." He often draws offensive fouls from opponents. This is because he uses his strength and quickness. He does not rely on height or jumping ability.

National Team Career

Brunson at the 2015 McDonald's All American game

In 2014, Jalen was invited to try out for the USA national team. This was for the 2014 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship. He made the final 12-man roster. In the first game, Jalen set a new USA Basketball U18 record. He had 13 assists against Uruguay. The United States won a gold medal in the tournament.

In 2015, Jalen was part of the 2015 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Cup Team. He was named MVP of the tournament. He led the team with 5.6 assists and 2.1 steals. He scored 30 points in the semi-finals against Greece. He had 14 points in the gold medal game against Croatia. For his performance, he was named USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year.

Jalen was one of the first players to commit to Team USA for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The team finished fourth in the tournament. However, they finished high enough to get an invitation to the 2024 Olympic Games.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular Season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2018–19	Dallas	73	38	21.8	.467	.348	.725	2.3	3.2	.5	.1	9.3
2019–20	Dallas	57	16	17.9	.466	.358	.813	2.4	3.3	.4	.1	8.2
2020–21	Dallas	68	12	25.0	.523	.405	.795	3.4	3.5	.5	.0	12.6
2021–22	Dallas	79	61	31.9	.502	.373	.840	3.9	4.8	.8	.0	16.3
2022–23	New York	68	68	35.0	.491	.416	.829	3.5	6.2	.9	.2	24.0
2023–24	New York	77	77	35.4	.479	.401	.847	3.6	6.7	.9	.2	28.7
Career		422	272	28.3	.489	.391	.824	3.2	4.7	.7	.1	16.9
All-Star		1	0	17.3	.417	.222	—	4.0	5.0	1.0	.0	12.0

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2021	Dallas	7	0	16.3	.455	.462	.749	2.6	1.4	.0	.0	8.0
2022	Dallas	18	18	35.0	.466	.347	.800	4.6	3.7	.8	.1	21.6
2023	New York	11	11	40.3	.474	.325	.912	4.9	5.6	1.5	.1	27.8
2024	New York	13	13	39.8	.444	.310	.775	3.3	7.5	.8	.2	32.4
Career		49	42	34.8	.459	.333	.814	4.0	4.8	.8	.1	23.9

College

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2015–16	Villanova	40	39	24.0	.452	.383	.774	1.8	2.5	.7	.0	9.6
2016–17	Villanova	36	36	31.1	.541	.378	.876	2.6	4.1	.9	.0	14.7
2017–18	Villanova	40	40	31.8	.521	.408	.802	3.1	4.6	.9	.0	18.9
Career		116	115	28.9	.510	.393	.820	2.5	3.7	.8	.0	14.4

Basketball Records

NBA Records

Most single-game three-point shots without a miss (9, tied)
Most single-half three-point shots without a miss (8)
Consecutive playoff games with 40+ points/5+ assists (4)

New York Knicks Records

Single-season 30-point games (36, tied)
Single-season 30-point point/assist double-doubles (6)
Single-game playoff points (47, April 28, 2024)
Single-half playoff points (28, May 14, 2024)
Career playoff 20-point halves (12 through 2024 playoffs)
First playoff 40-point point/assist double-double (April 28, 2024)
Consecutive playoff 30-point point/assist double-doubles (2, April 25 & 28, 2024)
Consecutive playoff 30-point/5-assist games (5)
Consecutive 20-point playoff games (20)

Jalen Brunson's Personal Life

On September 21, 2022, Jalen Brunson announced his engagement to Ali Marks. They met in high school. He proposed at Stevenson High School's gymnasium. This was after he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. On July 29, 2023, Jalen and Ali got married. Many current and former teammates attended. Their wedding date was moved up to fit Jalen's selection for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. In August 2024, the couple announced the birth of their first child.

Jalen is close friends with his New York Knicks teammate Josh Hart. They were also teammates at Villanova. They have a podcast together called Roommates. Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, another former Villanova and Knicks teammate, were groomsmen at Jalen's wedding.

On June 28, 2024, Jalen appeared on WWE SmackDown. This was at Madison Square Garden. He was there with Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.

Images for kids

Brunson in the 2015 McDonald's All-American Game
Brunson at the 2015 McDonald's All American game

Jalen Brunson facts for kids

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