The New York Knicks have become a legitimate force to be reckoned with in the NBA once again, with the team striking gold by signing point guard Jalen Brunson in 2022, who has turned into a superstar and the new face of the franchise.
During the 2023-24 NBA season, Brunson helped the Knicks become one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference while creating a lot of buzz around the storied franchise ahead of the NBA playoffs.
Unfortunately, the Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round, which was a series that was taken to seven games, but New York was dealing with a lot of injuries, with Brunson going down in that final game with a hand injury.
Brunson played so well last year that he was in the NBA MVP conversation, which is an impressive feat, to say the least, especially playing in the pressure-filled environment of New York.
With Brunson playing at such a high level, the up-and-comer was disappointed he didn’t get a call from Team USA to compete in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, which he opened up about recently via NBA Central.
“Yeah, for sure. The way I played last year, I thought I was deserving. I thought I could have fit in. I’ve played many roles throughout my career; I could play another. But obviously, it just wasn’t in the cards at that time. And so, you move on, and you find ways to get better. You keep having goals, and that’s a goal of mine. I want to play next time,” Brunson said.
Jalen Brunson believes he deserved to be selected for Team USA’s 2024 Olympic roster
“Yeah, for sure. The way I played last year, I thought I was deserving. I thought I could have fit in. I’ve played many roles throughout my career; I could play another. But obviously, it just… pic.twitter.com/vTBKchtQEK
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 10, 2024
Fortunately for Brunson, the Knicks superstar seems to thrive off of things like this to help motivate him to become the best player he can be, and he will surely add this fuel to his fire for the upcoming season.
With the Knicks acquiring Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns during the offseason, New York is getting some title contender buzz and might be able to live up to those expectations if everything comes together and Brunson continues to be the leader he’s become in the Big Apple.
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