Rick Brunson was ready to pull Knicks' Jalen Brunson out of Villanova freshman year
08/26/2024 01:52 PM
New York Knicks superstar point guard Jalen Brunson is a Villanova legend. Was there a chance that Brunson would have transferred after his freshman season with the Wildcats?
Rick Brunson, Jalen’s father and a former NBA player and current Knicks assistant coach, joined his son in an appearance on the “Come and Talk 2 Me” podcast with former NBA player, head coach and broadcaster Mark Jackson. There, the elder Brunson spoke about how disappointed he was during Brunson’s freshman season at Villanova.
“One thing Jay Wright was good at, he would talk to you and talk you off the ledge because I thought I saw more, and Jay was great, he handled it great,” Rick Brunson said. “But I was like man this ain’t gonna work, and to Jalen's credit man, Jalen was like you got to relax man, I got this.”
“You know for him to say that to me you know it definitely comforted me but I’m still like I wanted more you know his freshman year,” Rick Brunson continued. “But I give the credit to him and Jay like talking to me because Jay could have said man, I’m tired of your father and I’m tired of you, you need to transfer.”
This is shocking news, as Brunson ended up becoming an all-time great at Villanova during his three-year collegiate career. He was a three-year starter, was the 2017-18 National Player of the Year and most importantly, won two national championships.
However, it’s not uncommon for players, especially young players to feel as if they are being underutilized. During his freshman season, Brunson only played 24.0 minutes per game and averaged just 9.6 points per game, with Ryan Arcidiacono handling most of the point guard duties. Even if Brunson’s father wanted him on a new team at first, it seems like it was the right decision for everyone that he stayed.
Jalen Brunson and the “Nova Knicks”
Brunson’s Villanova legacy has extended beyond his college career. Last season, Brunson teamed up with his former Villanova teammates Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo and helped lead the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. This offseason, the Knicks traded for another one of their college teammates, Mikal Bridges, to reunite the core of both of Villanova’s national championships in the NBA.
With this current group, the Knicks are expected to be one of the best teams in the NBA. If Brunson had left Villanova after his freshman season, there is a significant chance that Bridges would not be a Knick right now and that this current team would look a lot different.
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