“He’s gonna go down in folklore” – Ex-Knicks makes bold claim about Jalen Brunson’s status amid New York’s championship bid

Jalen Brunson has been carrying the New York Knicks to their deepest NBA playoff run yet since reaching the NBA Finals in 1999. With the Knicks’ success in this year’s playoffs, Brunson is now regarded as one of, if not the best, franchise players in its storied history.

On “The Pat McAfee Show” on Saturday, ex-Knicks player Quentin Richardson boldly claimed that Jalen Brunson could be the greatest Knicks star of all time if he could steer the franchise to the NBA Finals and win it all this year.

“He’s a made man in New York for his lifetime. If he wins, he could probably own the city. If he win a championship, Jalen Brunson could probably do anything under the sun,” Richardson said, who played for the Knicks from 2005 to 2009.

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“Even falling short of actually delivering an NBA championship, what he has able to deliver with this team… He's gonna go down in folklore. He’s on pace to be the greatest Knick ever,” he added.

Brunson is averaging 29.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game in this year’s postseason, leading the Knicks to an astounding run that saw them dethrone the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, in the second round of the playoffs.

No New York player has done what Brunson has been doing for the Knicks this year since 1999, as he has brought the city one series win closer to an NBA Finals appearance.

While there are talks about him becoming a Knicks legend, Brunson has just needed to overcome the challenge posed by the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference.

Jalen Brunson believes there’s a ‘long way to go’ for the Knicks

Before the East Finals against the Pacers, Jalen Brunson addressed New York fans, saying there is still a long way to go for the Knicks to end their decades-long title drought.

"It was very important and great for the fans to have our backs and celebrate the way they did. But for us, we know there's a long way to go…We don't really look at it as an accomplishment. It's just the next step - we're grateful, we're thankful, but we know there's a long way to go," he said.

The Knicks last won the NBA championship in 1973, over 52 years ago. A title this year would mean a historic moment for the city and perhaps solidify Brunson as the franchise's most outstanding player.

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About the author

Rob Andrew Lo

Rob Andrew Lo is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over three years of experience in the field. Rob studied journalism at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines and his love for sports made this an obvious career to pursue.

Rob's favorite team is the Oklahoma City Thunder. He grew up watching Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant and his admiration for them left not only a lasting impression but solidified his fandom.

When not working, Rob loves to play basketball. If he isn't watching or writing about basketball, he can probably be found watching pro wrestling.

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