Rick Brunson facts for kids
Brunson watching the 2014 IHSA tournament at the Peoria Civic Center
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| [[New York Knicks|New York Knicks]] | |
|---|---|
| Assistant coach | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 14, 1972 Syracuse, New York, U.S. |
| High school | Salem (Salem, Massachusetts) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Temple (1991–1995) |
| NBA Draft | 1995 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1995–2006 |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1995–1996 | Adelaide 36ers |
| 1996–1997 | Quad City Thunder |
| 1997 | Connecticut Pride |
| 1997–1998 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1998 | Ginebra San Miguel |
| 1998–1999 | Connecticut Pride |
| 1999–2000 | New York Knicks |
| 2000 | Boston Celtics |
| 2000–2001 | New York Knicks |
| 2001–2002 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2002–2003 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2003 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2003–2004 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2004 | Progresso Castelmaggiore |
| 2004–2005 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2005–2006 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 2006 | Houston Rockets |
| As coach: | |
| 2007 | Denver Nuggets (assistant) |
| 2009–2010 | Hartford (assistant) |
| 2010–2012 | Chicago Bulls (assistant) |
| 2012–2013 | Charlotte Bobcats (assistant) |
| 2016–2018 | Minnesota Timberwolves (assistant) |
| 2019–2022 | Camden HS |
| 2022–present | New York Knicks (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 1,090 (3.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 447 (1.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 876 (2.6 apg) |
Rick Brunson (born June 14, 1972) is an American basketball coach and a former professional player. He is currently an assistant coach for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Brunson played for nine seasons in the NBA. He also worked as an assistant coach for several other teams. Before turning pro, he played college basketball for the Temple Owls.
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Rick Brunson's Playing Career
Rick Brunson was born in Syracuse, New York. He went to Salem High School in Massachusetts. In 1991, he was named a McDonald's All-American. This is a special honor for top high school basketball players.
Brunson then attended Temple University. He was not chosen by any NBA team in the 1995 NBA draft. Instead, he played for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia during the 1995–96 season. He was named the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) that season. After that, he played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).
Playing in the NBA
In 1997–98, the Portland Trail Blazers signed Brunson as a free agent. He also played in the CBA at the start of the 1998–99 season.
Brunson then joined the New York Knicks. He was part of the Knicks team that won the Eastern Conference championship in 1999. In the 2000–01 season, he started with the Boston Celtics. However, he finished that season back with the Knicks. He returned to the Trail Blazers for the 2001–02 season.
The next season, he signed with the Chicago Bulls. In 2003–04, he played for both the Bulls and the Toronto Raptors. He joined the Los Angeles Clippers for the 2004–05 season. This was his best season as a professional player. He scored a career-high average of 5.5 points per game.
This good performance helped him get a contract with the Seattle SuperSonics the next year. But he only played in four games that season because of an injury. The Sonics released Brunson on February 28, 2006. He then signed with the Houston Rockets. He finished his ninth and final season as a professional basketball player with the Rockets.
Rick Brunson's Coaching Career
After his playing career, Rick Brunson became a coach. From January to April 2007, he was an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets. His main job was to help players improve their skills.
From 2007 to 2009, he worked at the University of Virginia. He was the director of basketball operations for the Cavaliers team. In May 2009, Brunson became an assistant coach for the Hartford Hawks men's basketball team. On September 8, 2010, he was hired as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls.
During the 2012–13 season, Brunson was an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats. He worked under head coach Mike Dunlap.
On September 25, 2016, the Minnesota Timberwolves hired Brunson as an assistant coach. In May 2018, Brunson resigned from this role.
Brunson also coached high school basketball. He was the head coach at Camden High School in Camden, New Jersey. He coached Dajuan Wagner Jr. there. Brunson resigned from Camden High before the 2020–21 season. At that time, Camden High was ranked as the #7 team in the country. However, he changed his mind a few days later and stayed as coach until 2022.
On June 2, 2022, Brunson was hired by the New York Knicks as an assistant coach. He continues in this role today.
Rick Brunson's Family Life
Rick Brunson met his wife, Sandra, at Temple University. Rick played for the Owls men's basketball team. Sandra played volleyball for the university.
Rick and Sandra have two children: Jalen (born in 1996) and Erica (born around 2000 or 2001). The family lived in Cherry Hill, New Jersey for much of Rick's NBA career. They moved several times before settling in Lincolnshire, Illinois, in 2010. Jalen played his high school basketball there for Adlai E. Stevenson High School. After high school, Jalen went on to play for Villanova University.
Jalen Brunson's Achievements
Jalen Brunson achieved many great things in high school. He was named the Illinois Boys' Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year in both 2014 and 2015. He was also chosen for the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game roster. Jalen was named Illinois Mr. Basketball and led his team to win the 2015 Illinois High School Association Class 4A championship.
Today, Jalen Brunson is a professional basketball player. He plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Working with Tom Thibodeau
Rick Brunson first met Tom Thibodeau in the summer of 1987. Rick was 15 years old, and they both played in men's league games in Salem. Both Brunson and Thibodeau say that their shared competitive spirit on the court led to a strong partnership. This partnership has seen Brunson work as an assistant coach with Thibodeau on the Timberwolves, the Bulls, and now the Knicks.
See also
In Spanish: Rick Brunson para niños
