Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson married Ali Marks, a physical therapist, in 2023. They began dating in high school and had a daughter in 2024.

Brunson is the elder of two children born to Rick Brunson, a former NBA player who later became an assistant coach with the New York Knicks, and Sandra Brunson, a former college volleyball player. His younger sister is Erica Brunson.

Brunson grew up in a basketball-centered family and began training with his father when he started school. After Rick Brunson retired as a player in 2006, the family moved several times while Rick worked in basketball operations at the University of Virginia and later joined the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach. Brunson eventually attended Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois.

As a senior in 2015, Brunson scored 30 points as Stevenson won its first Illinois High School Association Class 4A state championship. He was named Illinois Mr. Basketball and was a Parade and McDonald's All-American. He also received five-star recruiting ratings from Scout, ESPN, and Rivals.

Brunson represented the United States at the 2014 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship and the 2015 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup. He led the United States to gold at both tournaments and was named MVP of the under-19 competition after averaging 14 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Brunson chose Villanova and made an immediate impact during the 2015-16 season. He helped the Wildcats defeat North Carolina, 77-74, in the NCAA championship game, giving Villanova its first national title since 1985. Brunson and Kris Jenkins were among the Villanova players associated with that championship run.

In 2017, Brunson helped Villanova win the Big East tournament championship by recording 17 points and five assists against Creighton. During his junior season in 2017-18, he averaged 18.9 points and 4.6 assists per game and led Villanova to a second NCAA title in three years with a 79-62 victory over Michigan.

Brunson received the John Wooden Award, Naismith Award, Bob Cousy Award, Associated Press Player of the Year honor, and NABC Player of the Year honor in 2018. He also earned first-team All-American recognition before entering the NBA draft instead of playing his senior season.

The Dallas Mavericks selected Brunson with the 33rd overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft. In four seasons with Dallas, he averaged 11.9 points, 3.7 assists, and three rebounds per game. During the 2021-22 season, he played a key role as the Mavericks reached the Western Conference finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors.

Brunson signed with the New York Knicks in 2022 and averaged 24 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game in his first season with the team. On December 15, 2023, he scored 50 points and made nine three-pointers against the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds during the regular season and became the fourth player in NBA history to score at least 40 points in four consecutive playoff games.

In 2025, Brunson was named the NBA's Clutch Player of the Year after recording a career-high 7.3 assists per game during the regular season. He helped the Knicks defeat the defending champion Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs and reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000.

Brunson led New York to the 2026 NBA Finals, where the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games. He was named Eastern Conference finals MVP and Finals MVP, becoming the central player in the franchise's championship season.