Long before guard Jalen Brunson silenced critics by guiding the New York Knicks to an NBA Finals win and earning Finals MVP honors, he had the legendary Jay Wright as a head coach when the two were with the Villanova Wildcats.
During a Sunday appearance on local sports radio station WFAN, Wright made a big admission about how he viewed Brunson before the 29-year-old became the new king of New York sports.
Jay Wright would be “lying” if he saw this version of Jalen Brunson coming
“I can’t say that I saw that. I’d be lying,” Wright said about Brunson becoming a Knicks franchise legend, per Adam Zagoria of NJ Advance Media and Lou DiPietro of Audacy.
Those running the Dallas Mavericks also clearly didn’t see this coming, as they let Brunson reach free agency in the summer of 2022. Some at the time questioned if Brunson possessed the size and the athleticism required to serve as a so-called “1A” player for an advertised championship contender. Most recently, Brunson answered such questions when he scored 45 points on 14-of-27 shooting in the Knicks’ 94-90 Game 5 win that ended the franchise’s 53-year championship drought.
In the process, Brunson tied Michael Jordan for the most points tallied in an NBA title clincher on the road.
Jay Wright thought Jalen Brunson would be “a No. 2 guy”
“I always thought he’d be an NBA champion because he has the leadership of a winner, but I always thought he’d be the point guard as a No. 2 guy, like he was with Luka Doncic in Dallas,” Wright added. “When he made the decision to come to the Knicks, he told me he wanted to lead a team; I was like, ‘You do lead a team as the point guard,’ and he’s proven it’s not about saying it, it’d about doing it – and he’s done that Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant-type of willing his team to win, not just by attitude, but by pure execution and mental toughness. To mentally take it on his shoulders, make the right play and the big shot, take on the big moment and respond…I can’t say that I saw that, I’d be lying.”
In the eyes of some, Brunson has cemented himself as the greatest player in Knicks history. Regardless of whether or not he guides the Knicks to another title, it now seems to be a lock that the franchise will retire his No. 11 jersey not long after he calls time on his pro career.