Jalen Brunson of the Knicks reacts to Damian Lillard taking his All-Star starting position.
Jalen Brunson, a player for the New York Knicks, chose the high road after losing out on a tiebreaker to earn his first All-Star starter selection.
After scoring 21 points in just 26 minutes during the Knicks’ come-from-behind 122-84 victory over the defending champion Denver Nuggets on Thursday, January 25, Brunson said via SNY, “Congrats to Damian Lillard, he’s deserving.”
That’s undoubtedly one of my goals, but how we handle business while playing night in and night out is what matters most. That’s obviously a personal objective, but without my teammates and coaches, I would not be in that situation. Individual things therefore come our way as long as we win,” Brunson continued.
Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers was selected unanimously as the best guard in the East, and Brunson and Lillard finished tied with a 3.75 weighted score behind him.
However, in the fan vote, the Bucks star defeated Brunson 2,236,969 to 1,452,519.
Among all the guards in the Eastern Conference, Brunson came in second among the media, third among the players, and fifth among the fans. Conversely, Lillard came in fourth in player votes, fifth in media votes, and third in fan votes.
In the midst of a career season, Brunson is averaging 26.5 points, 6.4 assists, and 42.4% shooting from three-point range.
For the first time in eight games, Lillard will start in the All-Star game. He is averaging 25.3 points and 6.8 assists, but he is only making 34.7% of his three-pointers, which is the third-lowest percentage in his career.
Jalen Brunson is selected by Charles Barkley over Damian Lillard.
Charles Barkley, an NBA Hall of Famer, felt bad for Brunson because he missed the cut by a narrow margin.
Following the announcement of the All-Star starters on Thursday, Barkley declared on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” that he would never show disrespect for Dame Lillard. “Jalen Brunson is a great player, and I really love him as a person, but I really would have preferred to see him start. I couldn’t believe what a fantastic player he’s become, as I mentioned last year.
When Brunson moved to New York, Barkley referred to him as “the greatest free agent signing.”
He continued, “Jalen Brunson’s contribution to the Knicks has, quite simply, made the team relevant for the first time since Patrick Ewing.”
The coaches will select one of the best reserves, including Brunson, and the results will be revealed on Thursday, February 1.
The Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, and Utah Jazz have expressed interest in Quentin Grimes, who has been the focus of trade rumors. Quentin Grimes finally spoke out, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
Since my rookie year, there have been some trade rumors circling me. Grimes told SNY, “I just try to come in every day, do my job, and be professional.” “Just give it your all every time I step onto the court.” Rumors will inevitably surface. I simply walk onto the court and try to do everything in my power to support this team.
Grimes scored 19 points in 23 minutes against the Nuggets, which was his highest minute total since a 24-minute stint. On January 5, the team defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 128-92 on the road.
, the team defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 128-92 on the road.
