The Madison Square Garden went nuts when Jalen Brunson sank the dagger 3 during the final seconds of the Knicks vs Nets game. Apart from the star-studded front row on the courtside, that moment reminded thousands of Knicks fans why Brunson is their inspirational leader. But what was his inspiration growing up? Sure he had senior Brunson in the house but there was something else too. And that secret was revealed recently by Rick Brunson of all people.

To spill the beans on the Brunson household, Daddy Brunson appeared on The Roommates Show, embarrassing Jalen with stories of his childhood antics. He got a firsthand taste of what happens when you bring your parents into your podcast.

While discussing Jalen Brunson’s Halloween costumes as a child, Rick mentioned, “His (Jalen’s) favorite cartoon or whatever you call it, character was, Dragon Ball Z.” The Knicks star quickly admitted it, but he hadn’t anticipated what was coming next.

Rick then revealed that young Brunson used to spend hours in the shower. Wondering what’s the connection? So was Josh Hart. What followed was hilarious. Rick, not being very familiar with the anime series, tried his best to explain the moves that the point guard performed. “I think he would have his powers. Like, he would throw his hands down in the water or something, but hit him.” Little Brunson would even wear gloves during these power moves.

Brunson’s love for the anime comes as no surprise, as he was spotted during the offseason asking his followers on X about the release date for Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, a video game from the franchise.

Though Rick couldn’t pinpoint which character Brunson was trying to emulate, from the description, it sounds a lot like Vegeta, who was often seen in the series slamming his hands down or forcefully conjuring his ‘final blast’ move.

Brunson’s former teammate, Evan Fournier, was also a fan of the series and claimed to be a supporter of the anime’s hero, Goku. During his struggles last year, as he spent more time on the bench, Fournier took inspiration from the character, particularly his comeback after battles. However, it didn’t end as he had hoped for. Apart from sharing the childhood memories of his son, Rick Brunson also delved into the unknown realms of his past life and parenthood.

Rick clarifies his image, with Jalen Brunson backing him up

While it might seem from his on-court heated arguments that Rick Brunson was a strict father to Jalen, that wasn’t the actual story. After discussing the fighting phase of the former Villanova teammates during their college days, the Knicks assistant coach reflected, “I was not the strict one. y’all wanna do something, y’all come ask me. She didn’t let y’all do anything.” Josh Hart was surprised to find that out as he felt Jalen’s mother was the less strict out of the two. But Brunson backed up his father’s point.

Rick explained that while his wife wasn’t fond of night outs, he being “the fun guy” allowed it to happen. Hart then pointed out that Rick had “the bad rap for no reason,” to which Rick responded, “Man, they like I’m this crazy father because I have this stoic look.”

What makes this even more evident to others according to Rick is how he behaves when watching basketball games. When focused on analyzing plays to later teach the Knicks players, the 52-year-old gets annoyed if people ask him questions, not because he’s strict, but because of his passion for the sport. That certainly explains the look on his face during the franchise’s matchups and his reactions afterward. Jalen Brunson has inherited some of those qualities and as it seems things are going smoothly enough for the Knicks captain.