The New York Knicks will raise their first championship banner in 53 years Tuesday night. For Jalen Brunson, the celebration at Madison Square Garden will come with a message unlike any his mother has sent him before.
Sandra Brunson penned an emotional letter to her son, published Tuesday in The Players’ Tribune, reflecting on his journey from a basketball-obsessed child to the captain who helped deliver New York its long-awaited NBA championship.
The letter arrives hours before the Knicks receive their championship rings and open the 2026-27 season against LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers.
For Sandra, the occasion calls for breaking a family tradition that has lasted roughly 15 years.
Instead of her usual pregame text, she wanted her son to have something he could revisit long after the ceremony ends.
Sandra Brunson Reveals 15-Year Pregame Tradition With Jalen
In her letter titled “Dear Jalen”, Sandra revealed that she began sending her son motivational messages when he was a high school sophomore.
With his father, Rick Brunson, working as an assistant coach in Charlotte, Sandra wanted to provide encouragement while the family lived apart.
She printed messages and placed them on Jalen’s bathroom mirror, refrigerator and inside his lunch bag.
Eventually, the handwritten-feeling ritual moved to text messages as he left home for Villanova and later entered the NBA.
The messages also evolved.
During his early NBA years with Dallas, Sandra emphasized patience and discipline. When Jalen joined the Knicks in 2022 and faced questions about his contract, her messages shifted toward confidence and self-belief.
She continued the tradition throughout New York’s championship run.
Before Game 5 of the NBA Finals against San Antonio, Sandra sent a message encouraging Jalen to embrace the opportunity and make history.
He answered with a 45-point performance as the Knicks secured their first title since 1973.
But Tuesday’s message carried a different purpose.
“I’m pulling the Mom Card on this one,” Sandra wrote, urging Brunson to enjoy the celebration rather than immediately focus on defending the championship.
Brunson’s Mother Reflects on Knicks’ Family History
The letter also revisited a complicated period in the Brunson family’s relationship with New York.
Rick played for the Knicks during his NBA career, when Sandra remembered the uncertainty that accompanied life as the family of a journeyman.
She recalled Jalen dribbling a basketball through Madison Square Garden’s family room as a toddler, once accidentally knocking food off a table.
Basketball, she explained, was never merely something her son played. It was part of his identity.
Sandra also addressed the nepotism accusations that followed Jalen’s arrival in New York, when critics suggested his father’s connection to the organization helped secure his opportunity.
Watching him become the face of the franchise and lead the Knicks to a championship brought those memories full circle.
She credited the kindness the family received during Rick’s playing days for making Jalen’s success in New York particularly meaningful.
Sandra expects to cry during Tuesday’s ring ceremony. But her greatest hope is that her son allows himself to appreciate what he has accomplished.
The Knicks’ captain has already made clear that another championship is his next objective.
His mother has a simpler request: Enjoy this one first.
As Sandra concluded her letter, she returned to a childhood expression her father used whenever young Jalen refused to put down his basketball.
“Baby boy, never stop bummin’ di ball.”
Jalen Brunson’s Mother Pens Emotional Letter Before Knicks’ Historic Ring Night