New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson may be the toast of the Big Apple, but residents of the area won’t be thrilled to know that he is a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles.
However, he did say one thing that should further endear him in the hearts of New Yorkers.
At an event with legendary New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in attendance, Brunson said that his Eagles did defeat Brady in the Super Bowl, just as the beloved New York Giants did twice.
“The one thing me and New Yorkers don’t have in common is our favorite football team, but the one thing we do have in common is we both beat him,” Brunson said of Brady, via New York Basketball.
Eagles fan Jalen Brunson: “The one thing me and New Yorkers don’t have in common is our favorite football team –– but the one thing we do have in common is we both beat him”
Tom Brady: “It’s been nice, I’ll see you guys later” pic.twitter.com/IvUIxue0It
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) August 16, 2024
Brunson spent some of his childhood in South Jersey, which would explain why he’s a fan of the Eagles.
He then starred at Villanova University, which is located in suburban Philadelphia, before breaking into the NBA as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.
But since coming to the Knicks two years ago, he has taken the New York City area by storm while turning the team into a contender this past season.
He averaged 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game, both of which were career-highs, earning his first All-Star nod, and he drove New York to the second seed in the Eastern Conference despite injuries to starters Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson.
They made it to Game 7 of the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs before succumbing to the Indiana Pacers, but in doing so generated the type of excitement the city hadn’t seen since the mid-1990s.
With two-way wing Mikal Bridges now on board, and Brunson agreeing to a team-friendly contract extension, the Knicks appear to have a real shot at unseating the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics in the 2025 playoffs.
