Jalen Brunson has embraced his role as the leader of the New York Knicks, but he remains unwilling to call himself the “King of New York.”
Speaking on the Road Trippin’ Show, Brunson explained that he has never used the nickname for himself and does not intend to start, even after leading the Knicks to their first NBA championship since 1973.
“I’ve never called myself the King of New York. I will never call myself the King of New York, but I feel like it’s I don’t know. I just for me to call myself that, I feel like that’s obviously it’s eh and to say things like that like just, imagine I get on this call with you, right? I’m like, ‘Yo, you know, King of New York’s here. Whatever, whatever. You guys are going to look like, ‘What the fu*k this dude is so self-centered.’ Like, no.”
Brunson instead credited the people closest to him for helping him maintain perspective as his profile has grown in New York.
“I just find a way to kind of be the same because of the people around me. Like, I have the same people I’ve had around since high school and my closest friends from college. Like, it’s always been close-knit and I kept it that way and they keep me humble. But it’s a true, true credit to my parents.”
Brunson’s reluctance to embrace the nickname comes after a season in which he strengthened his case as the Knicks’ franchise leader. He averaged 26.0 points and 6.8 assists in 74 regular-season games while shooting 46.7% from the field, 36.9% from three-point range and 84.1% from the free-throw line.
The 29-year-old guard earned All-NBA Second Team honors and finished fifth in the Clutch Player of the Year voting as New York went 53-29, good for third place in the Eastern Conference.
His impact increased during the playoffs. Brunson averaged 28.4 points and 6.1 assists over 19 postseason games, shooting 46.5% overall and 36.3% from three-point range.
Brunson was particularly important during New York’s championship run, earning Finals MVP honors after the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the NBA Finals. New York also swept the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers on the way to the championship.
The Knicks will enter the 2026-27 season as defending champions, with Brunson again at the center of their title defense. Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges remain key pieces, while New York retained Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado, Mohamed Diawara and Jordan Clarkson during the offseason.
