The New York Knicks have re-done their reputation over the last year or two as a team that likes to have fun while playing hard. One of their fun post-game habits was on display tonight as Jalen Brunson talked to ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth after a 110-105 win over the Sixers.
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Following a 34-point performance, Brunson was talking to Hubbarth about keeping his focus, while cautiously looking around. As soon as he let his guard down a bit, his teammate Cameron Payne smacked his butt on camera.
Embarrassed by Cam’s tap on his rear end, Brunson was distracted for a while. When he resumed conversation with Hubbarth, the Knicks point guard urged her to not explain why Payne did that.
Since Cam’s act wasn’t entirely caught in the lens, Hubbarth said, “ You knew that was coming… If people don’t know…” Before she could finish her sentence, the Knicks star stopped her and asked her not to explain what just happened. “No, don’t explain,” he told Hubbarth. In case someone did not know the backstory, Brunson didn’t want them to learn about it tonight.
Jalen Brunson: (looks around) "just staying focused, find way to win"
Cam Payne: (taps cap's butt)
Cassidy Hubbarth: "You knew that was coming…If people don't know––"
Brunson: "No don't explain it"
…
Hubbarth: "The Internet will explain––"Brunson: "You're making it worse" pic.twitter.com/WEwi6CwKLF
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) February 27, 2025
Often, we see, across disciplines, players tapping their teammate’s butt as a way to wish luck or compliment each other for a good game or play. But it has become a more serious trend in the Knicks organization, especially when it comes to Brunson. Towards the end of his recent interview, Hubbarth said, “The internet will explain it,” to which Brunson replied, “You’re making it worse.”
We have seen several instances where the Knicks’ Captain has been hit with sneak butt taps. In December 2024, when Brunson dropped 39 points for a win over the Pelicans, the same thing happened during his interview.
Miles McBride smacked his butt which prompted an immediate response from Brunson. He said, “I am gonna beat the s*** out of you, dawg.” Soon he realized that he had to continue the interview and apologized to the reporter, “Oh My God! Oh My God! Sorry, what was your question?”
More recently, Josh Hart gave Brunson a tap on his butt while he was talking to MSG Network’s Alan Hahn after dropping 42 points for a win over the Rockets. “F***in a**hole,” Brunson said in his immediate response. Once again, the act wasn’t caught on the camera, but another angle showed Hart sneaking up on him.
https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1886615870996193419
The same thing happened after the Knicks registered a win over the Nuggets in January. Brunson said, “I have teammates who harass me.” While discussing the butt-tapping trend on an episode of the Roommates Show, Hart stated that it’s becoming a good tradition. However, Brunson was completely against it saying, “No. No, it should not be a tradition.”
It’s highly unlikely that the tradition is going to fade away anytime soon because the Knicks teammates have been friends for a long time. It’s also understandable why Brunson has a problem with the tradition- he’s on the receiving end.
