It didn’t take long for All-Star guard Jalen Brunson to captivate the hearts of Knicks fans as one of the most popular players in the franchise’s storied history. Everywhere he goes, his father isn’t too far behind.
It isn’t uncommon for the fathers of NBA stars to be super fans of their son’s team, but Brunson’s dad is unique because he is also employed by the Knicks. Just as it is Jalen’s third year with the franchise, it’s his dad’s third as an assistant on Tom Thibodeau’s coaching staff.
Who is Jalen’s dad, Rick? Here is what to know about the unique father-son bond between the Knicks’ captain and one of their assistant coaches.
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Who is Rick Brunson?
Rick Brunson is a retired NBA player, an assistant coach on the Knicks staff and the father of Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson.
Rick was a McDonald’s All-American in 1991 and was named Co-MVP of the game. After high school, he played collegiately at Temple University, spending four seasons with the Owls before going undrafted in 1995.
After playing in Australia and the CBA, Rick made his NBA debut with the Trail Blazers in 1997. A career journeyman, Rick appeared in 337 NBA games with eight teams over nine seasons.
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He spent the most seasons (three) with the Knicks but appeared in the most games (97) with the Blazers.
Rick and his wife, Sandra, have two children: Jalen and Erica. Jalen Brunson was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. in 1996, over a year before his father’s NBA debut. During Jalen’s childhood, Rick documented many of their workouts and had an integral role in his son’s development into a five-star recruit and second-generation McDonald’s All-American.
After retiring from the NBA in 2006, Rick began his coaching career as an assistant with the Nuggets. He has worked with five different NBA franchises, but three of his stops (Bulls, Timberwolves, Knicks) were under Thibodeau, for whom he played during his time as a player in New York.
Rick joined the Knicks staff in June 2022, one month before Jalen signed with the franchise as a free agent. In 2024, the NBA launched an investigation into Rick’s compensation from the franchise, insinuating that a promotion he received was an attempt to circumvent the league salary cap.
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Rick Brunson NBA stats
Rick Brunson appeared in 337 games over nine NBA seasons, including 51 starts. The best season of Brunson’s career was the 2004-05 campaign, as he averaged career bests of 5.5 points and 5.1 rebounds over 80 games.
| Season | Team | Games | PPG | RPG | APG |
| 1997-98 | Trail Blazers | 38 | 4.3 | 1.5 | 2.6 |
| 1998-99 | Knicks | 17 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| 1999-00 | Knicks | 37 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| 2000-01 | Total | 22 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.4 |
| 2000-01 | Celtics | 7 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 3.4 |
| 2000-01 | Knicks | 15 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| 2001-02 | Trail Blazers | 59 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 1.9 |
| 2002-03 | Bulls | 17 | 3.5 | 1.1 | 2.1 |
| 2003-04 | Total | 40 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 2.1 |
| 2003-04 | Raptors | 3 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| 2003-04 | Bulls | 37 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 2.2 |
| 2004-05 | Clippers | 80 | 5.5 | 2.3 | 5.1 |
| 2005-06 | Total | 27 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 1.3 |
| 2005-06 | SuperSonics | 4 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 2005-06 | Rockets | 23 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 1.4 |
| Career | 337 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 2.6 |
