In the past 50+ years, the New York Knicks have endured more than their fair share of troubles. Clyde Frazier, Earl Monroe and Willis Reed helped deliver the Knicks their second NBA championship way back in 1973 and even though there have been a few bright spots here and there since then, it’s mostly been difficult to be a Knicks fan.
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That may be changing, as according to FanDuel, the Knicks actually are tied with the Rockets for the third-best title odds in the league. The Knicks are loaded, with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, the recently-extended Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart.
They reached the Eastern Conference Finals last year before falling just short to the Pacers, but whereas Indiana will be without Tyrese Haliburton for the season as he recovers from his torn Achilles, the Knicks are one of the few contenders who will enter the season fully healthy, barring any setbacks in the next couple of months.
Mike Brown was brought in as head coach after Tom Thibodeau was fired and Knicks fans hope having a new voice will be the missing piece in a championship run. If Madison Square Garden is going to party like it’s 1973 though, it’ll be because Jalen Brunson makes it happen.
Brunson has only been with the Knicks for three years, but in that time he’s established himself as one of the best free agent signings in modern NBA history. Though he was mostly a backup his first four years with the Mavericks, Brunson has blossomed into an All-NBA player and MVP candidate in New York.
There aren’t many people on the planet who know the Knicks better than Mike Breen. The legendary announcer has been the voice of the Knicks since 1999, and a fan long before that. As a kid, he watched the Knicks win two championships and he’s been with them through all the highs and lows since.
Breen spoke yesterday at Brunson’s 3rd Annual Charity Golf Classic at Westchester Country Club and made it clear how highly he regards the superstar point guard.
“I’ve been a Knick fan for about 58 years,” Breen said. “I’ve seen great Knick players, I’ve seen extraordinary Knick leaders who are amazing men on and off the court. And when you combine all of it, Jalen Brunson takes a backseat to no one.”
Breen has been courtside during the height of Carmelo Anthony’s time in New York. He’s seen Patrick Ewing be a dominant force in the paint and Bernard King score 50 points in back-to-back games. He’s seen Pearl and Clyde, Dave DeBusschere and Bill Bradley. To put Brunson up there with all of them is high, high praise.
It is deserved, though, even if Brunson has only been in blue and orange for a little more than three seasons. He’s already played more games for the Knicks than Bernard King ever did and already has two of the top 10 scoring seasons in franchise history. He’s also playing under a team-friendly contract so that the Knicks could do everything possible to field a championship-worth team.
Breen listed off Brunson’s many virtues, from being named the Clutch Player of the Year to being “a true role model, just the complete package.”
Too many people are reluctant to embrace greatness if it doesn’t come with a ring, but Ewing and Melo didn’t win a title, and for many fans, they’re the two best players in franchise history. Brunson has led the Knicks to the conference semifinals or better all three seasons. If he delivers a championship to this long-suffering fanbase, he’ll go down in history as a true New York sports legend.
