NY Knicks Guard Jalen Brunson More Willing To Do What It Takes To Win Than Pretty Much Every Other Superstar

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Jalen Brunson just earned the award for most unselfish superstar in the NBA.

The New York Knicks point guard was eligible for a 5-year, $269 million-deal after the 2024-25 season concluded (my eyes popped out of my head just thinking about that much money). IF Brunson were most guys in the NBA, he'd bide his time, avoid injury in the upcoming season, and wait for a team to give him that kind of money - which probably would have happened.

Instead, he chose to sign a four-year, $156.3 million-deal, which is fully guaranteed. That means that he sacrificed $113 million in guaranteed money just to stay with the Knicks.

Like Caleb Martin, Brunson just showed that he’s got bigger things in mind for his career than just lining his pockets.

Thanks to Brunson’s decision, New York now has an incredible amount of cap space to work with for the next four years. This will keep the Knicks in much more serious playoff contention, able to sign other star players who could help them get past the likes of the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers.

While the NBA is certainly a way for players to make a life-changing amount of money, there's a nauseating number of people who will prioritize just getting the next big paycheck at the expense (no pun intended) of prioritizing what sports are fundamentally about: winning.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson catches the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) defends during game six of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in May. Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

I'm not overreacting to this either. Most guys would torch solid business relationships over a sum of money that's half of what Brunson walked away from. Heck, even Wojnarowski called the move "unprecedented." 

Thankfully, Brunson has bucked that trend and proved that there are guys who are willing to take massive paycuts to do what it takes to win titles. This decision will give him and the Knicks the best chance to reach the top of the NBA mountain over the next four years.

I’m a Celtics fan, and I sincerely hope that Brunson’s risk pays off, because I love seeing genuine winners get rewarded for their sacrifices.

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John Simmons graduated from Liberty University hoping to become a sports journalist. He’s lived his dream while working for the Media Research Center and can’t wait to do more in this field with Outkick. He could bore you to death with his knowledge of professional ultimate frisbee, and his one life goal is to find Middle Earth and start a homestead in the Shire. He’s still working on how to make that happen.