If there’s one fan base that doesn’t accept negative comments about their favorite player, it’s New York Knicks fans. That includes said player’s little sister.
Erica Brunson, sister of guard Jalen Brunson, took a thinly veiled shot at “NBA on TNT” analyst Candace Parker on January 25 after Parker had criticized Brunson’s performance in the 2023 Eastern Conference semifinals, which New York lost 4-2 to the Miami Heat.
Parker’s on-air criticism sparked a social media backlash from Knicks fans, to which Parker responded January 24 on X: “Listen y’all, I’m a Bears fan. I get it Knicks. Everything someone says, you take it personally. My comments yesterday have NOTHING to do with what I think about Brunson as a player. I think he’s an Fn monster. I love villanova guards and jay wright. Having a helluva season…..ALL STAR!”
After Brunson scored 21 points in the Knicks’ 122-84 blowout of the Denver Nuggets on January 25, his sister took to Instagram Stories and called out Parker, who is also a WNBA star.
“Shoutout to all the Bears fans!” she wrote.
Brunsons sister on IG 😭😭
“Shoutout to all the Bears fans!”
Candace Parker’s Comments About Jalen Brunson
During her January 23 appearance on “NBA on TNT,” Parker compared Brunson’s 2022 playoff performance with the Dallas Mavericks, where he took a back seat to superstar Luka Doncic, with that of last year's performance as the star of the Knicks.
“When the game slows down in the playoffs, and you get jammed up, we’ve seen Jalen Brunson in the playoffs with the Mavs and he was No. 2, No. 3. [He] came in, played minutes, supplemented Luka handling the ball,” Parker said. “But as a No. 1 option last year in the playoffs, great first round, second round not so much.”
Knicks fans took to social media to let Parker know that she said was inaccurate. A comparison of his stats in the first and second rounds of Eastern Conference playoffs shows he was more productive in the semifinals.
Against the Heat, Brunson averaged 31 points, 6.3 assists and 5.5 rebounds in six games. In the first round, against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he averaged 24 points, 4.8 assists per game and 4.2 rebounds in five games.
Candace Parker questions Jalen Brunson’s playoff performances, saying he did a good job in the first round last year, but not the second.
2023 First Round: 24 PPG, 4.8 APG, 4.2 RPG
2023 Second Round: 31 PPG, 6.3 APG, 5.5 RPG
Candace Parker Compares Jalen Brunson to Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo was constantly told he couldn’t be a No. 1 option on a championship team because of the way he played. Despite the two MVPs, the superstar had doubters.
Parker deflected her comments and noted that Brunson has to prove people wrong like Giannis did. She again, however, compared this to being a Chicago Bears fan.
“It’s the same questions people had about FTs and can you win when your best player (Giannis) can’t hit free throws… It happened and people had to eat their words on his 50 pt triple double. All I’m saying is I hope Brunson makes me eat words. Sincerely, a sympathizing Bears fan.”
In late December 2023, Becky Hammon, coach of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces (for whom Parker plays) and ESPN analyst, said Brunson, who is 6-foot-2, was “too small” to carry a team to an NBA title.
“You gotta have a dude, you gotta have a 1A dude and they’re missing that at the end of the day if we’re just getting down to brass tacks,” Hammon said, according to the New York Post.
Brunson, in his sixth year in the league, is having his best season, averaging career highs in points (26.5) and assists (6-4), as the Knicks have gotten off to a 28-17 start, good for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
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Jalen Brunson’s Sister Has His Back by Calling Out Famous Chicago Bears Fan