Jalen Brunson is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the NBA. He was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 2018 and played four seasons with them before joining the Knicks in 2022. He played college basketball for Villanova University, where he won two national championships and was the National Player of the Year in 2018.
Jalen Brunson was born on August 31, 1996, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to Rick and Sandra Brunson. He has two younger siblings, Erica and Ryan. He grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Lincolnshire, Illinois, where he attended Stevenson High School. He started playing basketball at a young age and learned from his father, who coached him and mentored him. He also played soccer, baseball, and football as a kid, but focused on basketball as his passion.
Jalen Brunson’s father, Rick Brunson, is a former NBA player who played for eight teams from 1997 to 2006. He is currently an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics. Jalen Brunson’s mother, Sandra Brunson, is a former volleyball player who played for Temple University and professionally in Italy. She is now a teacher and a counsellor. Jalen Brunson has two younger siblings, Erica and Ryan, who are also athletes. Erica plays volleyball for Loyola University Chicago and Ryan plays basketball for Stevenson High School.
Jalen Brunson is married to Ali Marks, who is a former volleyball player for Villanova University and a model. They have been together since 2017. On September 21, 2022, Brunson announced his engagement to Ali Marks, whom he met in high school. The proposal took place at Stevenson High School's gymnasium following Brunson's induction into the school's athletic Hall of Fame. On July 29, 2023, Brunson wed Marks at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago with current and former teammates in attendance. The wedding had to be moved forward from Labour weekend (September 2) to accommodate Brunson's selection to United States men's national basketball team for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Brunson is close friends with New York Knicks teammates Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, both former teammates at Villanova. Along with many other former Villanova and Knicks teammates, Hart and DiVincenzo were in attendance at Brunson’s wedding to Marks, and DiVincenzo served as a groomsman.
Jalen Brunson graduated from Stevenson High School in 2015 with a 4.0 GPA and was the valedictorian of his class. He was also a member of the National Honour Society and the Spanish Honour Society. He received a scholarship to play basketball for Villanova University, where he majored in communication and minored in sociology. He graduated in 2018 with a 3.5 GPA and was a second-team Academic All-American.
Jalen Brunson had a stellar high school career at Stevenson High School, where he played for four years and led the team to a 118-14 record. He averaged 23.3 points, 5.2 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game in his senior year and was named the Illinois Mr. Basketball and the Gatorade Player of the Year. He also won the McDonald’s All-American Game MVP and the Jordan Brand Classic co-MVP honours. He broke the IHSA playoff single-game scoring record with 56 points and the IHSA Class 4A championship game scoring record with 30 points. He led Stevenson to its first state title in 2015 and finished his high school career with 2,682 points, the sixth-most in Illinois history.
Jalen Brunson continued his success at Villanova University, where he played for three years and won two national championships in 2016 and 2018. He averaged 18.9 points, 4.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game in his junior year and was named the National Player of the Year by several outlets, including the Associated Press, the Naismith Award, and the Wooden Award. He was also a consensus first-team All-American, the Bob Cousy Award winner, the Big East Player of the Year, and the Robert V. Geasey Trophy winner. He became the first player in Villanova history to score 1,000 points in his first two seasons and finished his college career with 1,983 points, the second-most in Villanova history. He had his jersey number 1 retired by Villanova in 2019.
Jalen Brunson entered the 2018 NBA draft and was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 33rd overall pick in the second round. He signed a four-year contract with the Mavericks and made his NBA debut on October 17, 2018, against the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 9.3 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game in his rookie season and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He improved his averages to 14.5 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game in his second season and became a regular starter for the Mavericks. He missed most of the 2020-21 season due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. He bounced back in the 2021-22 season and averaged 16.6 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game for the Mavericks, who reached the playoffs but lost to the Los Angeles Clippers.