Latest news with #RickBrunson
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bill Simmons questions the role Jalen Brunson's dad will play in Knicks' HC search
The post Bill Simmons questions the role Jalen Brunson's dad will play in Knicks' HC search appeared first on ClutchPoints. Following the New York Knicks' surprising decision to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau earlier this week, questions have emerged about the influence of Jalen Brunson's father, Rick Brunson, in the team's search for a new leader on the sidelines. On the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Bill Simmons highlighted growing speculation around internal dynamics within the Knicks organization and how they may affect the head coaching search. Advertisement 'Knicks coach drama, boy there's been some buzzing, boy there has been some tidbits and things being talked about,' Simmons said. 'Sources are saying stuff. It just seems that Knicks team was a lot more dysfunctional than I think. I heard hints, I heard rumors, but man a little Game Of Thrones over there.' Simmons pointed to an incident earlier in the season when Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo was seen shouting toward the Knicks bench during a game against the Timberwolves. According to Simmons, the confrontation appeared to be directed at Rick Brunson, raising questions about his role and authority on the coaching staff. 'So Jalen Brunson's dad is one of the coaches of the team and worked with Thibs for a long time and Donte DiVincenzo was yelling at him for some reason and seemed like he had felt betrayed by him,' Simmons continued. 'And there's always rumors that he had an outsized voice with Leon and those dudes. If you're the next coach, do you want your own staff or do you want to inherit this staff that felt like it got a little Game Of Thrones down the stretch there?' Rick Brunson's role adds complexity to Knicks' coaching search after Tom Thibodeau's firing © Brad Penner-Imagn Images ESPN's Zach Lowe also addressed the situation on the podcast, noting the general surprise across the league regarding Thibodeau's dismissal. Advertisement 'When you talk to people around the league, there's a lot of skepticism that there would be a change made because he is Jalen Brunson's father,' Lowe said. Simmons added, 'I think skepticism is underrating it. I think people think he will be on the bench.' Rick Brunson's presence within the Knicks' coaching staff and his long-standing connection to Thibodeau made the firing even more unexpected. The two coaches shared a relationship that dated back decades, making it seem likely that their partnership would continue, especially after a successful season that ended with the Knicks reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. Complicating matters further is Leon Rose's connection to the Brunson family. Rose, the team's president, previously served as Rick Brunson's agent during his playing days and is also Jalen Brunson's godfather. The overlapping relationships contributed to the assumption that Thibodeau's job was safe following the Knicks' deep postseason run. Advertisement Having a player's parent on the coaching staff is a rarity at the NBA level, more often associated with college or high school programs. As the Knicks begin their search for a new head coach, the extent of Rick Brunson's influence — both in the front office and potentially over the incoming staff — remains a central storyline. Related: Knicks rumors: How player input factored into New York's decision to fire Tom Thibodeau Related: NBA rumors: Knicks expected to make Jason Kidd request after Tom Thibodeau firing
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Knicks Players Are Reportedly Unhappy With Rick Brunson, Jalen Brunson's Father
Knicks Players Are Reportedly Unhappy With Rick Brunson, Jalen Brunson's Father originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Jalen Brunson and the Knicks are coming off a disappointing end to an entertaining series in the Eastern Conference Finals with Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers. They lost 108-125 in Game 6 to close off their season. Following this game, reports claimed that the Knicks are planning a massive overhaul of the entire roster, and everyone, including Brunson, is involved in making a major change for the team. Advertisement From the reports of internal frustrations with Karl-Anthony Towns to Tom Thibodeau losing his job as the head coach, the Knicks felt the pressure after the loss. Following Thibodeau's parting ways with the Knicks, a report claimed another internal conflict for the Knicks. And that was centred around Rick Brunson, who is an assistant coach for the Knicks and the father of their superstar, Jalen Brunson. According to the report: "Multiple Knicks players have been unhappy with the presence of assistant coach Rick Brunson, the father of star guard Jalen Brunson. What that issue is, exactly, has not been determined, though sources suggested that Rick has had too big a say in things." "One source called Rick the person with the most power in the entire organization. His status is uncertain following Thibodeau's dismissal, though considering he's Jalen's dad, many assume Rick will remain with the team in some capacity." This report was authored by Sam Amico of the Hoops Wire, the senior NBA writer who is also a very reliable source of information. Are the Knicks planning to get rid of Brunson's dad? We'll find out soon, but uncertainty remains until then. Did the Knicks really implode instead of exploding? Seems like they caused their own downfall. Rick Brunson's Role In Jalen Brunson Joining The Knicks This is not the first time Jalen Brunson's dad, Rick, has caused problems for an NBA team. He seemed to be partly the reason why Jalen Brunson left the Mavericks to join the Knicks. After his exit from the Mavericks, the former owner Mark Cuban called him out indirectly. Advertisement 'Things went south when the parents got involved,' Cuban said regarding the situation of Brunson not signing an extension with the Mavericks. Rick Brunson clapped back at these comments from Cuban. "Let's make it very clear: It wasn't the parents; it was me. And I didn't get involved; I've been involved," Brunson said on The Roommates Show podcast. "It's my son. I'm a coach first. Well, I'm a father first, then a coach. I understand the business. Mark, Rick Carlisle, Jason Kidd, love him. They did great by him. It was a business decision on their part, and we accepted that." Cuban then appeared on the same podcast with Jalen Brunson and issued an apology to his father. 'I didn't want to go there here, right, but it wasn't a jab at all,' Cuban said initially. 'There's no reason for us to talk about any of that stuff, but it wasn't just a jab, JB. For real.' Advertisement 'I apologize. If it put you in a certain way, that wasn't the intention. But it was hard to deal with. It was a unique negotiation in a lot of different ways,' Cuban said. 'There's definitely no hard feelings at all, but it was always interesting when your dad and I walked by each other, you know. It's just like, he'd give me the eye, I'd give him the eye. Then we'd smile and keep on walking. But all's well that ends well.' Jalen Brunson averaged 11.9 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 277 games in his first 4 seasons when he played for the Mavericks. Brunson averaged 26.4 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 210 games since he joined the Knicks. While he undoubtedly took the superstar leap with New York, imagine if he still played in Dallas with Doncic and Porzingis. That would be a 60-win team easily. Cuban said, "all's well that ends well," but it looks like things won't end well for the elder Brunson in New York. While his future remains uncertain, it's clear that with Thibodeau's exit from the team, Brunson will have to reevaluate his choices, too. Related: "It's An Emotional Game": Jalen Brunson Gets Real On Struggles In Game 3 Win Against Pacers This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
21-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
These Knicks were built in Jalen Brunson's image
NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson's trophy room is not robust. Somewhere, hanging around the home, is the game ball from his career-best 60-point performance last season. His parents collect the rest of his awards. Brunson's Clutch Player of the Year trophy — an elegant, glass prize that looks like a vase with a gold jump shooter floating in the middle — arrived from the NBA weeks ago with an error: His name wasn't engraved in it. The New York Knicks had to send the award back to fix the mistake. Brunson has since received the corrected version of it, with 'Jalen Brunson' properly etched onto the keepsake. Advertisement Of course, it's unclear if Brunson will keep it. Even in its infancy, it's already laying around, not displayed prominently at the Brunson household. It is Brunson's brand not to care about the awards. And yet, the two-time All-Star can identify one piece of prime memorabilia hanging on the wall at his parents' place, an item that never actually belonged to him. 'Whenever I'm at the house I see the finals jersey hanging up on the wall,' Brunson said. 'And it's pretty cool to see.' The proprietor of that jersey is Brunson's father, Rick, a player for the Knicks the last time the team made the NBA Finals, an eventual loss to the San Antonio Spurs in 1999. Now, Jalen has the same organization four wins short of the playoffs' last round. And once again, the same team stands in the way. When the Knicks take the court Wednesday night against the Indiana Pacers, they will play their first conference finals game since 2000. That time, the Pacers beat them in six games. The season before, the year of Brunson's finals jersey, remains a chapter out of Knicks lore: A six-game victory over Indiana that included the famed Larry Johnson four-point play to become the first No. 8 seed to make the Finals. Today, Brunson is a series away from returning the Knicks, one of the league's least successful franchises over the better part of two decades, to the big stage. This — not the Clutch Player of the Year or the fifth-place MVP finish in 2024 or the 40- or 50- or 60-point games — was the plan all along. Brunson signed a three-year extension last summer not for the money. The new contract does not kick in until 2025-26, but had Brunson waited until the upcoming summer to re-sign after the expiration of his current deal, he could have received max money in free agency. Instead, he took a cheaper extension, which locked in long-term security for both sides. Advertisement The All-Star point guard could guarantee direct deposits for three seasons beyond this one, protecting against any extreme (though unlikely) circumstances that could have hurt his open-market value. Meanwhile, the Knicks hold onto the greatest free-agent signing in franchise history, the man who came over from the Dallas Mavericks in 2022 — and they do it on a team-friendly number. Effects of the new collective bargaining agreement are already rippling across the NBA. The Denver Nuggets have struggled to build around their core because of second-apron fears. The Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns are too expensive to improve substantially, and are facing the prospect of potentially dealing off stars. The Boston Celtics, because of one injury to Jayson Tatum, have to rethink their entire future, just because of the severe restrictions on expensive teams nowadays. The Knicks don't have to worry about that, at least not for a couple of years. Brunson pointed to reasons other than money after signing the deal. He had studied the CBA and understood its ramifications. New York's best chance to win not just for a year or two but to extend a championship window would come if its top-tier contributors could provide financial relief. So he did that. He received the title of team captain upon his re-commitment, an intuitive decision. The Knicks go as Brunson does. Somehow, each New York squad ends up absorbing bits and pieces of his personality. In years past, the locker room has soaked up his attention to detail, his dedication to marginal value. 'He's a great student of the game,' Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. The Pacers, who beat an injured Knicks squad in the second round last season, won't be an easy matchup. Indiana guard Andrew Nembhard is a physical, crafty defender used to manning tough assignments every night. Wing Aaron Nesmith is strong in the chest, long and battled Brunson after the Pacers started using him more on the point guard in Game 3 of last spring's series. Advertisement Indiana doesn't concede the 3-point arc. It plays with pace. Center Myles Turner is a chore in the paint. Then again, Brunson rejoices in chores. He lives in tight spaces, able to slither out of them with a pivot or a hesitation. He can barely dunk and isn't an end-to-end sprinter but stops as fast as anyone else in the league, planting on a foot and changing directions as inertia carries defenders in other directions. When the Knicks need a bucket, Brunson tends to walk into it. Over the past month, this version of the Knicks has reclassified itself. A group that was inconsistent throughout the regular season now defines itself with an in-your-face mental fortitude, the same one that drips from Brunson. During a hard-fought, first-round series against the Detroit Pistons, a six-gamer that felt like it went seven, the Knicks fought back from fourth-quarter deficits in all four of their wins. Come the final stretch, they rely on Brunson, who averaged a league-leading 41.5 points per 36 minutes during close-and-late situations (defined as games within five points with five-or-less minutes to go) in the regular season and has somehow upped that average to 46.1 in the playoffs. 'It's great we have someone who has a calming demeanor like that, especially in those moments you're talking about,' Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. 'J.B. was the Clutch Player of the Year for a reason.' But that's not the trophy Brunson cares about most. He drained the first-round, series-winner over defensive menace Ausar Thompson against Detroit, crossing Thompson into Flint, Mich., before strolling into a 3-pointer. The Knicks throttled back from down 20 points during each of Games 1 and 2 against Boston. In Game 4, they overcame a 14-point, second-half deficit. Brunson caught fire that night, matching heroic shot for heroic shot with Tatum. But those Boston comebacks and the 38-point shellacking to end the Celtics' season weren't only because of Brunson's late-game valiance. Advertisement Mikal Bridges has taken over crunch time. OG Anunoby has locked in defensively. Josh Hart has made games ugly, just how he likes it, hustling after every loose ball in existence. Mitchell Robinson is back to full health with an exclamation point. Miles 'Deuce' McBride is a point-of-attack defender and shooter. The Pacers are exhausting, owners of a top-10 defense since early December. They never stop moving, don't turn the ball over, cut until they've fully scrambled a defense, boast depth down the bench and just wrecked the Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers to race to the conference finals. But as Celtics lead executive Brad Stevens said in his end-of-season news conference this week, the Knicks are 'peaking,' too. They have a chance to make a physical win over Detroit and a persistent one over Boston matter even more. And if they do, maybe Brunson can keep a jersey for his wall. (Photo illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Knicks reach one of Jalen Brunson's preseason goals but remain 'unsatisfied' entering Eastern Conference Finals with Pacers
In August, Jalen Brunson was at MSG for a ceremony to celebrate his team captaincy. Bruson spoke that day about the influence of his parents, Rick and Sandra. He talked about the team-friendly extension that he'd signed a few weeks earlier. He also touched on his goals for the coming season. Advertisement One of them? 'How we can get past the second round,' he said. For most of the 2024-25 season, it seemed like the Knicks had no chance to advance beyond Round 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs. They'd be facing either the Cavs or the Celtics -- two teams that beat them soundly in the regular season. So logic told you that the Knicks' 2024-25 season would end in the same way the previous two had: a loss in the second round. Obviously, that logic flew out the window over the past two weeks. The Knicks reached Brunson's preseason goal by overcoming 20-point deficits to win Games 1 and 2 on the road. They closed the series on Friday night thanks, in part, to stout team defense. Advertisement They are now headed to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. Knicks fans were celebrating outside of The Garden -- cell phones capturing every moment for social media -- after the win. Inside the building, the Knicks weren't interested in toasting their success. 'I feel like we have a long way to go,' Brunson said. 'Just the confidence we have in each other and everything. Just knowing who we are. We tend to be unsatisfied.' May 16, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball against Boston Celtics forward Torrey Craig (12) during the fourth quarter of game six in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / © Brad Penner-Imagn Images FILM STUDY The Knicks certainly weren't satisfied with how things unfolded in Boston on Wednesday. They had a chance to put the Celtics away in Game 5 and fumbled it away with an unfocused effort. Advertisement 'The whole day of Game 5, it just wasn't us,' Brunson said. 'And we knew that, we reflected on it, and we came back and we said, 'We need to be ready, we need to be better.'' Several players mentioned the film sessions and a meeting between Games 5 and 6 as catalysts for what you saw on Friday. 'We had to talk it out, (figure out) how to communicate better,' Miles McBride said of the message from the meeting. 'And I feel like we just went out there with a different type of energy.' May 16, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates his three point shot against the Boston Celtics during the first quarter of game six in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / © Brad Penner-Imagn Images SPARK FROM TOWNS The energy started with an early lift from Karl-Anthony Towns. After a quiet night in Game 5, Towns was aggressive early against Boston. He and the Knicks took advantage of Boston's decision to put a smaller defender on Towns. They found Towns in transition and found success in five-out lineups. Advertisement 'That helped set the tone for the game,' said Tom Thibodeau. '… He got established (offensively), and then the rebounding and his pick-and-roll defense was outstanding. We were able to play off that.' New York got contributions from all over the roster on Friday. Josh Hart had a triple-double. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby both had 20-plus points and helped stifle Boston all night. Brunson had 23 points and six assists. New York was plus-seven on the offensive boards and kept Boston in check on the perimeter (the Celtics were 8-for-30 on threes in the first three quarters). 'The way we prepared, the way we talked out there, the way we made it an emphasis to have each other's back and to continue to cover for each other (was important),' Brunson said. 'It's focused on the defensive side of the ball, and when we're doing that and offense, we're flowing.' They hope to keep flowing into Game 1 of the ECF on Wednesday. The Knicks will have a few days to prepare for the Pacers. Maybe they'll even take some time to celebrate the win over Boston. But the focus will quickly turn to Indiana. 'There's more to do,' Bridges said. 'We're not done. We came out there tonight to play hard and handle business, but our season's not over. We've got so much more to do.'
Boston Globe
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Garden Party: Again! Again!
Right, so, more of that Game 3 stuff, maybe? The recipe for success for the Celtics in Shooting 50 percent from three certainly helped, but do the Celtics need all that to beat the Knicks? Probably not. Anything but the 25-percent horror shows/late-game meltdowns/handing-the-ball-directly-to-Mikal-Bridges-on-final-possessions nonsense Boston managed in the first two games and we'd probably be talking about brooms tonight instead of a potentially tied series. But hey, them's the breaks, and here we are. Advertisement Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up That said: tonight's Game 4 is a big one, with the outcome determining whether the Celtics return to Boston Wednesday with home-court advantage restored or with zero margin for error left in their title defense. No pressure, guys. Let's get into it. About last night and what's on deck Cleveland? Are you there? The Cavaliers got smoked by the Pacers on Sunday. Michael Conroy/Associated Press Here's what you need to know about Sunday's games: 🏀 The Cavaliers' dream season looks ready to come crashing down, as Cleveland trailed by as many as 44 points in falling behind 3-1 in the series to the Pacers in a 129-109 loss to Indiana. Advertisement 🏀 The Thunder ground out an important win on the road, tying their series with the Nuggets in a rock fight in Denver that OKC took, 92-87. 🏀 The Warriors host the Timberwolves for Game 4 of a Western Conference series Monday (10 p.m., ESPN), with Stephen Curry still sidelined. Can Golden State stay alive long enough for Curry to return? 🏒 The Stars blitzed the Jets with a three-goal third period to take a 2-1 lead in the series. 🏒 Brad Marchand's Panthers (that still feels wrong to say out loud) tied that series against the Maple Leafs with a 2-0 win at home. 🏒 A pair of Game 4s are on tap Monday, with the Hurricanes looking to take a 3-1 lead over the Capitals (7 p.m., TNT) before the Oilers look to do the same against the Golden Knights (9:30 p.m., TNT). 🗓️ Up next: The Celtics will face the Knicks for Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m., ESPN). In the know Witches, Vikings, Knicks — oh my! Salem High boys' basketball coach Tom Doyle played high school basketball at Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse with New York Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson when both were students at Salem High. Matt Porter A great story to start the week: Amin: What was the most interesting or surprising thing you learned through your reporting for this story? Advertisement Matt: I hadn't been to Salem High's field house before, so I was not aware of the rubber court. The new one, which is sand-colored, was laid over an old red one (you can still see the red in a few worn-through spots). All of which is laid over cement. I imagine the combination of that floor and a young Rick Brunson made some opponents limp out of there 35 years ago. Amin: Did you get the sense that Brunson and Thibs are still really remembered and discussed by folks in Salem for their basketball exploits, or are they mostly just known by those (like Tom Doyle) who were around them at the time? Matt: Who knows (though I lean toward the latter). That was a long time ago. One thing a few people mentioned was there were — are? — Basketball Junkies on the North Shore, who roamed in the same pack, showing up to the summer league and to winter games in Danvers, Peabody, Salem, Lynn, etc. ... if they're still out there, I bet they're having flashbacks this morning. For the group chat We need a tarot reading, stat! [PHOTO] Are the Celtics and Cavaliers cosmically linked? Well, you better hope not. But Entered the second round as heavy favorites having won 60-plus games in the regular season, facing fairly middling teams in the Eastern Conference semis; Fell behind 0-2 at home in stunning fashion with late-game collapses; Blew at least one 20-point lead in a home loss (the Celtics did it twice for extra credit); Restored order with a blowout Game 3 road win by exactly 22 points. Coincidence? Divine intervention? The NBA rigging games for TV ratings like that one guy in my email inbox every week swears is happening? (We see you Larry!) If you're a Celtics fan, you're hoping this trend does not hold for Game 4, seeing as the Cavaliers were absolutely throttled in historic fashion last night, trailing by 41 at the half in one of the most lopsided playoff games in NBA history. Advertisement Perhaps we all considered a Celtics-Cavaliers Eastern Conference finals to be too much of a foregone conclusion and fate is punishing us. Perhaps Boston and Cleveland are just star-crossed opponents, destined not to meet this year. Perhaps this is the universe trying to spare Northeast Ohio native and Garden Party co-author Emma Healy from my jokes about the city of Cleveland after a Celtics sweep. Could be anything. In any case, Boston might be up against the very cosmos this evening. Read your horoscopes, align your chakras, and buckle in — if the Knicks lead by 40 at halftime, don't say I didn't warn you. Go deeper Three stories you shouldn't miss Knicks guard Josh Hart (left) said New York needs to show more urgency. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff 🏃➡️ Searching for urgency: Tom Thibodeau said it best: The Knicks can't be indecisive in this series. 🧙 From Salem to MSG: Rick Brunson and Tom Thibodeau were basketball icons in Salem, dividing some loyalties in the Witch City. ⭐ Star power: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown still haven't delivered their best performances. Could Game 4 be the one? Amin Touri can be reached at
