Jalen Brunson, the undisputed superstar for the New York Knicks, just led his squad to a championship, and even his former teammate, the legend Dirk Nowitzki, admitted he *never* thought Brunson would reach such heights. Can you believe that? The dude who dropped buckets for decades on end and led his team to a title was outright skeptical, and it’s a testament to Brunson’s absolute grind that he proved everyone, including a Hall of Famer, dead wrong.
From Backup to Big Apple King
Think about Brunson’s journey, man. He started his career as a backup guard for the Dallas Mavericks, playing behind Luka Doncic, one of the most talented players in the world. Nowitzki saw Brunson’s hard work firsthand, being teammates with him during Brunson’s rookie season back in the 2018-19 campaign. Brunson actually showed flashes, playing 73 games and even starting 38 of them that year. But for Nowitzki, who watched from the sidelines for the next couple seasons, Brunson just looked like a solid rotational player, a reliable sixth-man until the 2021-22 season. He was good, sure, but a *superstar*? Not in Dirk’s mind, not back then. And that’s fair, right? A lot of us wouldn’t have predicted this level of explosion.
Dirk’s Jaw-Dropping Admission About Brunson’s Grit
Everything shifted when Brunson secured that move to the Knicks. Suddenly, in the 2022-23 season, he became a star player in the Big Apple. He wasn’t an All-Star just yet, but he firmly established himself as a top-tier player. From that point on, Brunson started to garner serious attention as a superstar, absolutely shutting down Nowitzki and any other doubters out there. Nowitzki himself spilled the tea on the DLLS Mavs Podcast, admitting, “I was skeptical when he went to New York as the franchise player there. He’s a quiet guy, shy guy; to go to that media market, I was a little worried. Man, it’s been unbelievable on and off the floor. Really carried his franchise, so well-deserved to bring back the championship there after 50-something years.” That’s a huge statement from a certified legend, acknowledging he misjudged a player’s potential, especially one who brought a championship back to New York after more than five decades.
Nowitzki knows he was proven wrong, and you gotta respect him for giving his former teammate some well-deserved, unadulterated praise. Brunson’s amazing run during the 2026 season brought home that championship, and the best part? It’s not over. He’s absolutely driven to keep that momentum going, to keep proving every single doubter wrong, time and time again. What’s next for this dude? Only more greatness, more defiance of expectations, and more reasons for us to jump out of our seats every time he touches the ball.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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