Is Jalen Brunson a Knicks legend already? Jeff Teague voiced his opinion. The 2x NCAA champion recently tied a record with the New York Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony and the Club 520 podcast squad is awestruck. While they were the first to criticize Brunson for one recent move, Teague & Co. was also quick to bestow the biggest honor on the 2024 NBA All-Star.

On the latest segment of the podcast, DJ Wells mentioned Brunson’s latest feat and posed the question to Teague. Without much hesitation, the 2021 champion agreed that what Brunson has been doing for the Knicks certainly adds him to the roster of legends. “Yeah, we were just talking about before the show started. Yeah he [is a] Knick’s legend now. He probably the best player since Melo,” Teague said. 

Previously, in a segment featuring Draymond Green, the crew had discussed how Brunson taking a pay cut might not have been necessary. When the Knicks star signed a $156 million extension deal last July, he reportedly agreed to take about $113 million less than he could have made a year from then. Green had even commented, “He did the Draymond Green,” highlighting how he had locked in the $100 million for four years because he [Green] wasn’t sure where he would end up chasing more.

Given Brunson was the number one guy on the Knicks, the crew opined he could have gotten the max. “I am not sure who he was trying to get paid,” Teague had said after revealing he heard Brunson took the cut to build a team. But watching the 2024 All-Star gain his footing with the franchise, alongside a good team, the Club 520 crew expressed regret in their criticism. 

“Jalen brunson man. He (is) the go-to guy. Knick’s legend. So I would say he is a superstar now. Doing what he’s doing in New York, he’s most definitely a superstar,” Teague said.

Brunson is having an All-Star season averaging 25.5 points and 7.5 assists through 39 games. Off the court, he has never deflected the blame, taking responsibility for the team’s shortcomings, and sharing the wins. He even heard a few ‘MVP’ chants recognizing his commitment. Now the whole of Club 520 seems on board of Brunson’s impressive presence. 

“And one thing that’s dope about Jalen Brunson, we criticized him about him taking the extension for the team early on or whatever the money left on the table. Well, so far, that’s able for them to afford cap. So listen, Jalen Brunson should definitely be loved by New York cause he did ya’ll solid… it allows you to have a hell of a team, ” DJ Wells reminded.

The crew appreciated how Brunson has been making a change for the New York Knicks and might already be on his way to become a legend!

Why is this new record so significant for Jalen Brunson? 

With his latest game, Brunson now holds the record for the third-most 40-point games. He has achieved a total of 17 such games. Another star player sharing that position is Carmelo Anthony. The other two players ahead are Patrick Ewing and Bernard King.

Ewing accomplished this feat an impressive 30 times, while King managed it 23 times. These are the players who hold the record for the most 40-point games. Brunson scored 44 points to lead the team to a 140-106 win against the Bucks, including 23 points in the first quarter. Knicks legend Ewing was present at the game to witness the moment.

“When you start getting mentioned in those categories, it’s a credit to him. He’s such a self-made guy, and his talent speaks for itself. You can’t do those things without great talent, but to also have the humility that he has. For him, he just wants to win,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. 

Another notable factor is that this was Brunson’s 183rd game with the team. In comparison, Melo played 412 games with the franchise, Ewing played 1,039, and King played 206. “It was just important for us to go out there and play as best we can,” Brunson said about the new height that he reached.