Jalen Brunson spent the first few seasons of his NBA career as second fiddle to Luka Doncic in the Dallas Mavericks.
There, Brunson was overlooked as just a secondary option behind Doncic. A Mavericks legend who played for the franchise throughout his two-decade NBA career also doubted Brunson’s capabilities when he was in Dallas.
According to Dallas legend Dirk Nowitzki, he was skeptical of Brunson’s star potential, especially when he left the Mavericks for the Knicks in free agency.
“I loved following his evolution. I have to admit that I was skeptical when he went to New York to become the franchise player in a market like that,” Nowitzki said in his interview with DLLS Sports. “He’s someone quite calm, rather reserved, so I was a bit worried to see him arrive in that media environment. But honestly, he’s been incredible, on and off the court, and he’s really carried that franchise.”
Dirk Nowitzki Now Has A Different Perception of Jalen Brunson
Now, Nowitzki is proud that Brunson proved him wrong, lauding him for leading the Knicks to a historic NBA championship on top of his NBA Finals MVP award.
“Winning the title, bringing a championship to New York after more than 50 years, being Finals MVP… his journey is incredible,” Nowitzki said. “I didn’t see such an evolution coming. I already knew during his rookie season that he was very solid. He was smart, knew how to get to his spots, and you could see he had an incredible work ethic.”
“He was always in the gym, before and after practices, to shoot and work with the coaches. But I didn’t think he had a franchise player ceiling, let alone Finals MVP. I’m really happy for him. His footwork, his changes of pace, his way of going exactly where he wants on the court… it’s really great to watch.”
Brunson left the Mavericks as an unrestricted free agent by signing a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knicks in 2023.
Why Jalen Brunson Left The Dallas Mavericks For The New York Knicks
His departure stems from a series of contract extension failures during the 2021-2022 season. Prior to his breakout year, Brunson was willing to sign a four-year, $55 million extension with Dallas for financial security, but the Mavericks’ front office hesitated.
Dallas later refused to trade other player assets to clear optimal cap space for a higher offer ahead of the February trade deadline. When the Mavericks finally offered the $55 million deal after the deadline passed, Brunson rejected it.
By the time the offseason arrived, family ties sealed the deal, as the Knicks had hired his father, Rick Brunson as an assistant coach and team president Leon Rose was a close family friend. Ultimately, Brunson canceled his scheduled free-agency meeting with the Mavericks, choosing to join New York.
Brunson redefined his career and cemented his status as a legitimate superstar during his breakout campaign with the Knicks last season.
It was his legendary playoff execution that captured the basketball world as he routinely dismantled opposing defenses, culminating in a spectacular 45-point performance in the decisive game of the NBA Finals.
Brunson averaged an outstanding 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game during the 2026 NBA Finals.
Brunson can now say that he is an NBA champion before his former co-star in Dallas Luka Doncic has.
Mavericks Legend Reveals Why He Doubted Knicks NBA Champion Jalen Brunson