From Bench Player to Superstar: The Rise of Jalen Brunson

by Kaleab Afeworki, age 14

Jalen Brunson is one of the most influential young players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He started off as a rookie on the bench and became one of the greatest players in our generation.

Jalen Brunson was born to Rick Brunson and Sandra Brunson. Rick Brunson was an NBA player for the Trail Blazers, Knicks, Celtics, Bulls, Raptors, Clippers, Supersonics, and Rockets. After his career, he became an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets, Hartford College, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Bobcats, Minnesota Timberwolves, and, currently, the New York Knicks. His mother, Sandra, is a former college volleyball player, playing for Temple University. Jalen grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, with his brother. Growing up, like most dads, Rick trained his son early and mentored him. His dad taught him a saying: “The magic is in the work.”

Brunson attended Adlai E. Stevenson High School and made an impact on the court. In his senior year, he scored 30 points to help Adlai Stevenson High School win its first Illinois High School Association Class 4A state championship. During that year, he was named “Illinois’s Mr. Basketball,” which is given to the best player in every state. Brunson also played on the U.S national team for the 2014 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship and the 2015 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup. Brunson was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the latter tournament, averaging 14 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Brunson received many offers from different colleges; however, he decided to commit to Villanova, where he stayed for three years. During his freshman year, he helped Villanova win against North Carolina 77-74 to win the 2016 NCAA national championship. The next year, Brunson and the Wildcats won the Big East tournament championship, scoring 17 points and dishing out five assists against Creighton. In Brunson’s junior year, the team defeated the University of Michigan and won its second NCAA tournament championship in three years. After this season, Brunson declared for the 2018 NBA draft.

In the NBA draft, he was selected as the 33rd overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks sat Brunson on the bench, where he averaged 11.9 points, 3.7 assists, and three rebounds. In the 2022 playoffs, the Mavericks reached the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors. In the summer of 2022, Brunson signed with the New York Knicks and quickly became an important player on the team.

This year, Brunson has averaged 26 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. He has also led the Knicks to the 2026 NBA Finals.. Brunson quickly went from an unreliable player to a star and an inspiration to today's generation of basketball players.

[Sources: Britannica]