Jeremy Lin believes Jalen Brunson’s biggest contribution to the New York Knicks’ NBA Finals run may have come off the court.
Lin returned to Madison Square Garden as a spectator for Game 3 — his first time back in the venue since his last season in the NBA in 2018-2019. The Knicks icon, famous for his “Linsanity” run in 2012, had glowing praise for Brunson as he spoke to Melissa Rohlin of the California Post on Monday during New York’s 115-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
The Taiwanese-American pointed to Brunson’s decision to leave over $100 million on the table in 2021 as a huge reason behind the team’s success.
“[Brunson] is starting to get [the attention] now and definitely deserves it,” Lin said. “I don’t think enough people are talking about him giving up $113 million to build a team full of players that want to win. I think that speaks volumes. That’s also historic. It’s not talked about enough. Now he’s starting to get some of the recognition he deserves as a player, but he’s the consummate teammate and professional.”
Brunson had the opportunity to wait one more season to become eligible for a five-year, $270 million contract. Instead, he gave the Knicks a hometown discount by locking in his money early.
The Knicks All-Star did get the benefit of securing his bag rather than risking any serious injuries before signing. But his biggest gain arguably came in the form of reinforcements on the court, as the savings helped New York balance its cap sheet to form and keep the core of Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart.
The fivesome earned $170 million between them this season, and that figure is only set to go higher with all five under contract through to the 2027-28 season.
Brunson may have lost out on an additional nine-figure check, but the power of friendship may repay him with an NBA championship if the Knicks win two more NBA Finals games. That’s something money can’t buy.
