New York Knicks (2022–present)
On June 2, 2022, his father was hired by the New York Knicks as an assistant coach. On July 12, 2022, Brunson signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the New York Knicks. The Knicks were later punished for engaging in conversations with Brunson before the free agency window opened. On October 19, he made his Knicks debut in a 115–112 loss in overtime to the Memphis Grizzlies, scoring 15 points with nine assists and six rebounds. On October 26, Brunson scored 27 points, recorded 13 assists, and grabbed seven rebounds during a 134–131 overtime victory against the Charlotte Hornets.
On January 4, 2023, Brunson scored 38 points alongside seven rebounds and six assists in a 117–114 win over the San Antonio Spurs. On January 9, Brunson put up a then-career-high 44 points in a 111–107 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. On January 16, Brunson was recognized as NBA Eastern Conference player of the Week for the week of January 9–15 after averaging 34.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists with 3 30-point games as the Knicks went 3–1 for the week. It was his first career NBA Player of the Week award. On January 18, Brunson scored 32 points in a 116–105 loss against the Washington Wizards. He scored 25-plus points in eight straight games, the longest streak by a Knicks guard since Dick Barnett in 1965. Barnett logged 25 or more points in 12 consecutive contests.
On February 4, Brunson scored 41 points on 14-of-19 shooting, 5-of-7 from three, 8-of-10 from the free throw line, along with five rebounds and seven assists in a 134–128 overtime loss against the Los Angeles Clippers. On February 8, Villanova retired his jersey. On February 13, Brunson put up 40 points on 15-of-21 shooting from the field and added five assists in a 124–106 win over the Brooklyn Nets. On March 1, Brunson scored 39 points (30 points in the first half) on 15-of-18 shooting, 5-of-6 from three, and 4-of-4 from the free throw line in a 142–118 win over the Brooklyn Nets. On March 2, Brunson won his first NBA Player of the Month award when he was named the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for February. He finished the month with 27.3 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 42.6% from three-point range and 52.9% overall. The Knicks went 9–2, finishing out the month with six straight wins. On March 31, Brunson scored a career-high 48 points (33 points in the first half) on 18-of-32 shooting from the floor and delivered nine assists in a 130–116 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. In game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat, Brunson put up 32 points and 11 assists in a 109–101 loss. He joined Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing as the only players in Knicks history to put up at least 30 points and 10 assists in a playoff game. New York would lose to Miami in six games despite Brunson tying his playoff career high of 41 points in a 96–92 game 6 loss.
On November 20, 2023, Brunson earned his second NBA Player of the week award as the Knicks went 3–1 while averaging 28.5 points and 6.5 assists, including back-to-back 32-point performances. On November 30, Brunson put up 42 points, six rebounds and eight assists in a 118–112 win over the Detroit Pistons. He also tied the record for the most 40-point games by a point guard (5, Frazier, Stephon Marbury) in Knicks history.
On December 15, he posted a then career-high 50 points on 17–23 shooting, including 9–9 three point shooting, as well as 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 steals in a comeback win against the Phoenix Suns. He became the ninth player to score 50 points as a Knick. His 9–9 game tied an NBA record for perfect three point performances that was initially set by New York Knick Latrell Sprewell who went 9–9 on February 4, 2003, and twice tied by Ben Gordon for the Bulls on April 14, 2006, and for the Pistons on March 21, 2012. It was the first 50-point performance in NBA history without a missed three-point shot (minimum 8 attempts), helping snap a 13-game losing streak by the Knicks against teams with Kevin Durant. Brunson was 12–12 (8–8 on threes) in the second half from the field, becoming the first NBA player to shoot 8–8 on three point shots in an NBA half. The previous record of 7-for-7 had been held by many players. It had been achieved at least three times each of the prior two NBA seasons. Prior to the 2021–22 NBA season, five players had gone 7–7 in an NBA half (all before 2015, first by Raef LaFrentz). Brunson had a 7–7 (5–5 on threes) 3rd quarter. On February 10, 2017, Carmelo Anthony went 5–5 on three point shots (8–8 from the field) in a quarter and 6–6 in a half for the Knicks. His 35-point second half was the first time an NBA player had scored over 30 points in a half without missing from the field, while taking at least 10 field goal attempts and 5 three point attempts. The performance marked the first time an NBA player had posted 50 points, five rebounds, five assists, five steals and five three-pointers. Brunson was the sixth player and first since Anthony Davis to record 50 points, five assists, five steals on October 16, 2016, as well as the first player since Michael Jordan on March 18, 1988, to record at least 50 points, nine assists, five rebounds and five steals.
On January 1, 2024, in new teammate OG Anunoby's debut with the Knicks, Brunson posted a career-high 14 assists against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On January 3, he followed that up with 13 assists against the Chicago Bulls, marking his first pair of games with back-to-back double digit assist totals that season. For the week of January 1—7, he was awarded his second NBA Player of the week award of the season and third of his career as he led the Knicks to a 4–0 record for the week. Later in the month, Brunson posted five consecutive 30-point games. Brunson's January was the 2nd highest single-month plus-minus (256) in NBA history (to Scottie Pippen's 272 in November 1996). On February 1, Brunson was named as reserve for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game for the first time in his career. On March 14, he scored 45 points against the Portland Trail Blazers. On March 16, Brunson scored 42 points against the Sacramento Kings, becoming the fourth Knick to score 40 or more in back-to-back games, joining Anthony, Patrick Ewing and Bernard King. On March 18, Brunson earned NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week recognition for averaging 35.7 points during a 3–0 week for the Knicks. On March 29, Brunson put up a career-high 61 points in a 130–126 overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The performance was one point shy of the Knicks franchise record by Carmelo Anthony set on January 24, 2014. Brunson was awarded with player of the month for March. He averaged 28.8 points and 5.8 assists per game during the month. On April 7 and 9, Brunson posted 43 points against Milwaukee and 45 against Chicago, respectively, for another back-to-back 40+ pair of games. Then, Brunson scored 39 points despite sitting out the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics on April 11. This effort made Brunson the third Knick to have posted 5 consecutive 35+-point games (King: 5, 1984–85; Anthony: 6, 2012–13). By finishing the season with 7 consecutive 30-point games, he tied the Knicks franchise single-season 30-point games record with his 36th (Richie Guerin, 1961–62; Ewing, 1989–90). The April 14 season finale 40-point performance against the Bulls also tied him with Ewing for second on the Knicks single-season 40-point game list with 11 (behind King, 13). On April 15, Brunson earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week for averaging 38.5 points, 7.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds and shooting 50 percent on three-point shots, while leading the Knicks to a 4–0 record and a number two playoff seeding. Brunson finished 5th in the NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting and was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the first time in his career.
In game 4 of the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, Brunson scored 47 points in a 97–92 victory. The tally was a career single-game playoff-high and a Knicks single-game playoff-record. King had twice scored 46 during the 1984 NBA playoffs. With 10 assists, he became the first Knick to score 40 points during an assist-points playoff double double. He also became the first Knick with consecutive 30-point assist-points playoff double-doubles and his 24-point second half established the Knick career record with seven 20+-point playoff halves. In that series, he became the second NBA player (and the first since Oscar Robertson in the 1973 NBA playoffs) to have three 35+-point/10+-assist games in an NBA playoff series. He became the first player to close out an NBA playoff series with 3 consecutive 40+-point games since Michael Jordan did so with The Shot in the 1989 NBA playoffs. Brunson opened the second round of the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers with 43 points and 6 assists, becoming the 4th player in NBA history and first since Jordan in the 1993 NBA Finals to score 40+ in four consecutive playoff games and the first ever to do so with 5+ assists in each of the four playoff games. He also became the first Knick to post five consecutive 30+ point/5+ assist games. In game 5, he scored 44 points in the game, including 28 in the first half to set a Knicks record for points scored in a playoff half. In game 7, Brunson fractured his left hand, as the Knicks were eliminated in seven games; shortly after, he underwent surgery to repair his broken hand.
On July 12, 2024, two years to the day of his signing with New York, Brunson signed a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension through the 2028–29 season. He would have been eligible for a five-year, $256 million contract in 2025 offseason, but he opted to take less in order to help the team have more flexibity to make future moves. A few months later, the Knicks traded for Karl-Anthony Towns.
On August 6, the Knicks named Brunson as the 36th captain in franchise history. Brunson earned conference player of the week on December 2. On December 28, Brunson posted 55 points, 42 of which came in the second half or later, including nine in overtime in a 136–132 overtime victory over the Washington Wizards. On January 25, 2025, Brunson was named as an Eastern Conference starter for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. Brunson again earned conference player of the week honors on March 3 for leading the Knicks to a 3–0 record. On April 23, Brunson was named the NBA Clutch Player of the Year; during clutch situations in the regular season, he led the league in made field goals (52), and ranked second in total points (156) and third in total assists (28). In the same situations, he also shot 51.5% from the field, 84.0% from the free throw line and averaged a league-best 5.6 points per game. Brunson finished 10th in MVP Award voting and was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the second-straight year.
On May 1, Brunson scored 40 points and hit the game-winning three-pointer to seal the Knicks' series-clinching 116–113 game 6 victory over the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the NBA playoffs. On May 12, Brunson recorded 39 points, 5 rebounds, and 12 assists in a 121–113 game 4 victory, helping the Knicks take a 3–1 series lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He became the highest scorer in fourth quarters through the first 10 games of a playoffs since 1997, eclipsing Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry. This marked the first time the Knicks franchise had reached the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000 against the 1999–2000 Indiana Pacers after losing in the conference semi-finals the prior two seasons and 2013.
On May 21, in game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, Brunson scored 43 points in a 138–135 overtime loss to the 2024–25 Indiana Pacers. With the performance, he recorded his 8th 40-point playoff game as a Knick, passing Bernard King for the most in franchise history, and tied Patrick Ewing with his 18th 30-point playoff game as a Knick. On May 23, In game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, Brunson posted 36 points and 11 assists in a 114–109 loss against the Pacers. He passed Ewing for the most 30-point playoff game in Knicks history. Also, only Michael Jordan and LeBron James have more 35-point, 10-assist playoff games in the Eastern Conference in NBA history. On May 29, in game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, Brunson had 32 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the Knicks' 111–94 victory over the Pacers. It was his 10th game this postseason with at least 30 points and five assists, making him one of only four players in NBA history to reach that mark in a single playoff run. The other three players to achieve this are Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Knicks would go on to lose to the Pacers in six games, falling 125–108 in the game 6 closeout.
Brunson won Eastern Conference Player of the Week on December 1, 2025, by averaging 28.8 points, 4.5 assists and 40.7% three point shooting as the Knicks went 4–0. On December 13, 2025, Brunson scored a then season-high 40 points and delivered 8 assists to lead the New York Knicks to a 132–120 victory over the Orlando Magic in the NBA Cup semifinal, helping the team advance to the final. On December 16, Brunson scored 25 points and recorded eight assists to lead the Knicks to a 124–113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup final, earning NBA Cup MVP honors for his performance and being recognized as a member of the All-Tournament Team. On December 19, Brunson had 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, making a game-winning three-pointer with 4.4 seconds remaining in a 114–113 win over the Indiana Pacers. On December 21, Brunson scored a season-high 47 points along with eight assists in a 132–125 victory over the Miami Heat; the 47 points also marked his career-high scoring performance at Madison Square Garden. On December 22, Brunson earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week. For his outstanding performance in December, during which Brunson averaged 30.6 points and 7.1 assists per game and led the Knicks to a 10–4 record, he was named the Eastern Conference NBA Player of the Month, marking the third time in his career he received the honor.
On January 19, 2026, Brunson earned his third consecutive NBA All-Star selection and was named a starter for the second time in a row. On January 30, Brunson put up 26 points in a 127–97 win over the Portland Trail Blazers and achieved 10,000 career points. On February 4, Brunson recorded 42 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, leading the Knicks to a 134–127 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets. On March 6, Brunson recorded his second straight 15-assist game in the Knicks' 142–103 win over the Denver Nuggets, becoming the first Knick to do so since Mark Jackson in 1989. Brunson led the Knicks to a 53–29 record and the third seed in the Eastern Conference. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team for a third consecutive season.
On May 5, Brunson scored 35 points in 31 minutes on 12-of-18 shooting in the Knicks' 137–98 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. He scored 27 points in the first half, including the Knicks' final 11 points before halftime. The game marked his fifth consecutive playoff game with at least 35 points against 76ers. He became only the third player since 2000 to record five straight postseason games with 35 or more points against a single opponent, joining LeBron James and Stephen Curry. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Brunson recorded 38 points, five rebounds, six assists, and three steals, including 17 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, as he led a late 44–11 comeback to help the Knicks overcome a 22-point deficit and defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115–104. In game 2, Brunson put up 19 points (17 of which came in the second half) and a playoff career-high 14 assists to contribute to a 109–93 win. Brunson averaged 25.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game during the series, as he led the Knicks to sweep the Cavaliers en route to being named the Eastern Conference finals MVP and leading the Knicks to the 2026 NBA Finals and their first finals appearance since 1999. Brunson and his father became the first father and son duo to reach the NBA finals as players with the same NBA franchise.
On June 3, in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Brunson scored 30 points in the Knicks' 105–95 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. He scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, helping New York overcome a 14-point second-half deficit and take a 1–0 lead in the series. With the performance, Brunson became only the second player in franchise history to score at least 30 points in his NBA Finals debut, joining Willis Reed. In Game 2, Brunson recorded 20 points, five rebounds, six assists, and five steals, and converted a game-winning free throw with 9.5 seconds remaining to give the Knicks a 105–104 lead over the Spurs. He helped New York secure a 2–0 series lead in the NBA Finals. The victory made the Knicks just the third team in NBA Finals history to win the first two games of a Finals series on the road, joining the 1993 Chicago Bulls and 1995 Houston Rockets. The Knicks also achieved their 13th straight postseason victory in a single playoff run, the second-longest streak in NBA history behind the 2017 Golden State Warriors. On June 10, Brunson scored a game-high 36 points with five rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in 44 minutes during Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Spurs, helping the Knicks erase a 29-point deficit to complete the largest comeback in NBA Finals history and take a 3–1 lead in the series with a 107–106 victory. With 33 points by OG Anunoby, it was the first time two Knicks scored at least 30 points in an NBA Finals game. In Game 5, Brunson put up 45 points to lead the Knicks to a 94–90 win and close out the NBA Finals against the Spurs, 4–1, securing the Knicks' first NBA championship in 53 years. He averaged 32.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game over the five-game series while shooting 42.1% from the field and 38.9% from three-point range, and was named NBA Finals MVP. His 45 points set a franchise NBA Finals record and marked the highest-scoring performance of the series. He also joined Michael Jordan as the only two guards to score at least 45 points in an NBA Finals closeout game in NBA history. By scoring 45 of the Knicks' 94 points, Brunson tallied 47.9% of his team's points in a title-clinching game, which is second only to Michael Jordan.
Brunson became the eighth player to win NBA Finals MVP after winning an NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. He became one of only five players in basketball history to win an NCAA national championship, the Naismith College Player of the Year Award, an NBA championship, and the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and Bill Walton. Brunson became the fourth player to win the NBA Finals MVP after winning an NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and a state high school championship, joining Abdul-Jabbar, Walton, and Johnson. He also become one of only four second round NBA draft picks to be named the NBA Finals MVP, joining Willis Reed, Dennis Johnson, and Nikola Jokić.
Winning the championship on the road in Texas followed his 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game victory in Houston, Texas and his 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game victory also in San Antonio, Texas. With "Nova Knicks" teammates Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, they became the first trio of players to win both an NCAA and NBA championship together. The championship season marked the culmination of a turnaround during Brunson's time. The team had had 4 winning seasons in the 21 seasons before Brunson's 2022 arrival and 4 during Brunson's first four seasons. The team had made the NBA playoffs six times and won only one playoff series in the 22 seasons before Brunson's arrival, but won 8 series during Brunson's first four seasons. Brunson established an NBA record with a career playoff scoring average 6.8 points above his career regular season scoring average (min 50 playoff games). Jalen and Rick Brunson became the first father-son duo to win an NBA championship together on the same team with one as a player and the other on the coaching staff.
