Getty Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks celebrates with former New York Knicks John Starks (R) after defeating the Miami Heat in game five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is not only shining on the court—but off the court as well.
After leading the Knicks to their best season in a decade, culminating with a second-round playoff appearance, Brunson’s leadership and unselfishness spill outside the NBA.
Brunson is set to receive this year’s Beacon of Hope Award from Covenant House, the largest charity in the Americas helping homeless and trafficked youth.
The prestigious award will be presented to Brunson on Monday in recognition of his advocacy work lifting the voices of young people overcoming homelessness at the annual gala at the Javits Center Rooftop Pavilion and Terrace in New York City.
“Jalen and his entire family have been amazing champions for Covenant House, providing gifts over the holidays, support throughout the year, and funds that we have used for job training and educational support for our young people,” said Covenant House President & CEO Bill Bedrossian in a statement sent to Heavy Sports.
“Millions of people know that Jalen is an inspiring leader and player on the court. At Covenant House, we are honored to witness how Jalen quietly supports the young people at Covenant House who, every day, are working so hard to overcome homelessness and pursue the great promise of their lives. Jalen is an inspiration to our young people, and I’m so proud to be able to present the Beacon of Hope Award to him on behalf of all the young people at Covenant House,” Bedrossian added.
Brunson joins a distinguished list of Beacon of Hope recipients.
Past recipients include American singer and actress, Diana Ross; ABC’s Good Morning America’s anchor Robin Roberts; six-time Tony Awards winner Audra McDonald; Primetime Emmy Awards winner and two-time Golden Globes Awards winner Rachel Brosnahan; New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman; the late Beatles’ lead guitarist George Harrison and his widow Olivia, an American author and film producer; Rock star Jon Bon Jovi; Musician Herbie Hancock; former First Ladies Barbara and Laura Bush; two-time Grammy winner Sara Bareilles and country music icon Martina McBride.
Brunson’s charity works can be found on his website, jalenbrunson.com, where his fans can donate to the communities, including the Covenant House, he supports.
Knicks Discussed Trading for Veteran Help for Jalen Brunson
Brunson’s emergence as a bankable star has the Knicks’ front office mapping out plans to get him much-needed help, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
“Something worth noting on potential Knicks trades: during the season, New York internally discussed some veteran shooting guards that would fit [Bobby Marks’] No. 2 description and could become available via trade,” Begley wrote.
The report came on the heels of ESPN’s NBA front office insider Bobby Marks saying the Knicks are in a better situation now than two years ago when they lost to Atlanta in their first playoff appearance under team president Leon Rose’s regime.
“[Jalen] Brunson is a franchise player. The question [for the team now] is, ‘Do you have a solid No. 2? If you don’t, what is the cost to go out and get one of those players? There’s a significant cost to that,” Marks told Begley.
Knicks View a Potential Embiid-Brunson Tandem as Title Contender
The Knicks are monitoring Joel Embiid‘s situation in Philadelphia with the belief that the reigning MVP could catapult them into being championship contenders, according to ESPN’s Tim McMahon.
“[With] Donovan Mitchell [last summer], they decided not to go all in,” MacMahon said on the May 15 episode of “The Lowe Post” podcast. “They were willing to go a lot in, [but] they did not go all in because they did the calculus — or whatever you want to say — and did not feel like getting Donovan Mitchell to pair with Jalen Brunson put them in a championship position.
“I am pretty confident in saying that they feel like putting Joel Embiid on that roster with Jalen Brunson as their second-best player would give them a legitimate chance to win championships, and I believe that to be true despite the fact that what we just said about Joel Embiid and his history of playoff disappointments,” MacMahon added.