Former New York Knicks star Walt “Clyde” Frazier showed love to All-Star guard Jalen Brunson on Friday during the Fanatics Fest. Brunson has led the Knicks franchise to back-to-back postseason appearances. He’s also tapped into his potential and earned his first All-Star nod with the organization.
While on stage with Brunson, Frazier didn’t hold back in his praise of the young guard.
“The expectations are always overwhelming,” Frazier said. “So, to rise to that occasion his first two years and accept that challenge, catapulted the team, he’s definitely got a chance to be one of the greatest Knicks ever.
Frazier even compared Jalen Brunson to his former teammate, the late Willis Reed, with whom he won two championships in 1970 and 1973.
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“I did a video for him, I wasn’t able to at the induction when he was inducted as a captain. But I told him, he reminds me a lot of Willis Reed. They’re both lefties, they have tenacious work ethic, they’re always sharing and caring and team first concept. They’re always thinking of the team and not themselves.”
In his first two seasons with the Knicks, Brunson has averaged 26.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.5 assists. He’s also shot over 45% from the field and 40% from the 3-point arc.
Also read: “It was the most money I could get” – Jalen Brunson goes “blunt” about taking $113 million pay cut on Knicks extension
The Dallas Mavericks could’ve traded Jalen Brunson for star guard
One of the biggest mistakes by the Dallas Mavericks in recent memory was letting Jalen Brunson walk away in exchange for nothing back in 2022. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon recently shared that Brunson’s departure from the Mavs could’ve gone differently if the organization explored other options.
During his final year with the Mavs, Brunson was due to a contract extension. However, Dallas didn’t make any significant moves to keep him and that led him to leave the franchise. MacMahon explained that if Brunson had received an extension, he could’ve been traded to the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving.
“If Brunson signs that extension with Dallas, I think there is a high likelihood that he would be with the Brooklyn Nets right now. Mark Cuban has always been about stars. Kyrie was going to become available the next season, as he did. At the time, Mavs did it because they needed a star to replace Brunson. But I think they would have looked at that as an upgrade,” the insider said via the Howdy Partners!
Eventually, it all worked out for all the involved parties. The Mavs got Irving and Brunson is now playing for the Knicks.
