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NBA Legend Drops GOAT-Level Praise for New York Knicks Star Jalen Brunson

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics
By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated 5/1/24

No one expected Jalen Brunson to be the New York Knicks’ missing piece to reach the next level after he played behind Slovenian star Luka Doncic for so many years. Even a franchise legend like Charles Oakley is singing praises for everything the All-Star guard has done for New York lately.

Before he made his way to the Knicks, Brunson was silently being good during his first run with the Dallas Mavericks. In the first four seasons of his career, mostly played as Doncic’s backup from the bench, he averaged 11.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. He also shot almost 50 percent from the field and 37 percent from deep in the 277 games he played for Dallas.

But after the Mavs refused to give him a more substantial contract, Brunson moved on and signed with the Knicks during the 2022-23 season. From there, the former Dallas star quickly showed why he’s not made as a reserve, but as the focal point of a team instead.

Brunson’s ascendance is quite evident in New York’s first round series this year against the Philadelphia 76ers. In the five games he has played against them, the Knicks’ All-Star guard posted averages of 34.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8.4 assists, including a 47-point explosion in Game 4. Without a doubt, his performance in the postseason this year has truly vindicated Brunson and placed him on everyone’s radar.

New York Knicks Guard Jalen Brunson Receives Massive Praise from NBA Legend Charles Oakley

Brunson has been on the receiving end of so many praises ever since he came to New York. Just recently, Charles Oakley, one of the franchise’s greats, did the same for him, as shared in a post by SiriusXM NBA Radio:

“Somebody gonna say – what about Patrick and Carmelo? Ok, they didn’t do this”

Longtime Knicks star @CharlesOakley34 joins @TheFrankIsola and @Scalabrine and has high praise for Jalen Brunson

Catch Game 5 of Knicks-Sixers tonight on NBA Radio: https://t.co/iiUuqRLa9d pic.twitter.com/edsiKUA0os

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) April 30, 2024

Oakley’s claim that Brunson is better than Patrick Ewing and Carmelo Anthony during their time in the Big Apple may seem like a stretch. The thing is, he elevated a Knicks team without Julius Randle or OG Anunoby to lift them to a high seed during the regular season. And while he hasn’t been doing this for long, his future in New York is shaping up to be a good one.

Whether the Knicks advance or not in the coming days, Brunson has already proven his case as the franchise’s top star. With time only making him better, it looks like Oakley’s claim about him will just get stronger.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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