Less than two months after signing a team-friendly extension that could potentially save the franchise millions, the New York Knicks rewarded All-Star guard Jalen Brunson for his loyalty and leadership by announcing Tuesday that he is officially the team's captain for the 2024-25 season.
Brunson becomes the 36th captain in Knicks history and the first since Lance Thomas held the title in the 2018-19 season.
"The New York Knicks have a deep and storied history and today we are immensely proud to add to that lineage by naming Jalen Brunson as our captain," Knicks president Leon Rose said in a team statement.
"Jalen is a natural-born leader, and I am confident he will continue to represent our organization, fans, city and his teammates with the same heart, grit and class that he has displayed each and every day since he came to New York."
Brunson got the All-Star nod for the first time this past season and earned All-NBA Second Team honors after averaging a career-high 28.7 points, 6.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds. He helped lead the Knicks to the second round of the playoffs, where his numbers only increased, averaging 32.4 points a game and 7.5 assists.
After a breakout season, Brunson signed a contract worth four years and $156.5 million, leaving over $100 million on the table of what he could have gotten. But by signing for a cheaper deal, it allows the Knicks to remain competitive and add other pieces to the roster going forward to contend for a championship for years to come. It's a prime example of Brunson's leadership and it no doubt carried a ton of weight with teammates and Knicks fans.
With Brunson as the centerpiece, the Knicks will be strong contenders to emerge from the Eastern Conference for the NBA Finals. It won't be easy, as the Boston Celtics are the reigning champions and looked pretty much invincible during their title run last season. But with the moves New York made this offseason -- re-signing OG Anunoby, trading for Mikal Bridges and extending Brunson -- it has slowly started to close the gap on Boston.
There's also the return of Julius Randle, who missed the postseason with an injury, and other guys like Josh Hart getting healthy. Brunson himself had surgery in May to repair a broken hand. So, with a healthy and improved roster, the Knicks are expected to be near the top of the Eastern Conference next season with a championship in their sights.