For years, one rumor has followed Jalen Brunson and New York Knicks president Leon Rose almost as closely as their remarkable rise together.
On the latest episode of the Roommates Show podcast, Rose finally put it to rest.
“No, I’m not Jalen Brunson’s godfather.”
The famously private Knicks executive, who has long avoided interviews, fulfilled a promise he made to Brunson by appearing on the podcast after New York captured its first NBA championship since 1973.
Along the way, Rose debunked one of the NBA’s most persistent misconceptions while explaining why he believed in Brunson long before much of the basketball world did.
Knicks President Finally Sets the Record Straight
Early in the conversation, Brunson wanted to clear up a rumor that had followed both men since the Knicks signed him away from the Dallas Mavericks in 2022.
“Can we address that to the world that you’re not my godfather?” Brunson asked.
Rose smiled before answering directly.
“Let’s put that out on the table. I am not Jalen’s godfather,” Rose said. “I don’t know where that came from, where that started, but now the world knows I’m not his godfather.”
Brunson quickly added one detail that may have helped fuel the misconception.
“But he did see me before my actual father did.”
Rose confirmed the story.
“I saw him, and I think I held you probably before your dad did because your dad was still playing,” Rose recalled.
The relationship, however, began decades before either arrived in New York.
Rose-Brunson Connection Started Long Before the Knicks
Long before Rose became one of the NBA’s most respected executives, he represented Brunson’s father, Rick Brunson, as the very first client of his sports agency.
Rose agreed to represent Rick Brunson in 1995 after another agent stopped representing the undrafted Temple guard. Although Rick Brunson never landed a long-term NBA contract, Rose remained by his side throughout his playing career before later helping him transition into coaching.
That relationship naturally extended to the next generation.
When Jalen Brunson entered the NBA in 2018 after being selected by the Mavericks, Rose also became his agent, representing the young point guard during the first two years of his professional career. Rose stepped away from player representation in 2020 after accepting the role of Knicks president.
By the time Brunson reached unrestricted free agency in 2022, Rose wasn’t betting on someone he barely knew.
He was betting on a player whose work ethic, leadership and development he had witnessed firsthand for years.
Rose cleared enough salary-cap space to sign Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract, a move widely criticized at the time as an overpay for a guard who had never been an NBA All-Star.
Jalen Brunson Rewarded Leon Rose’s Belief
Four years later, that contract is viewed as one of the defining free-agent signings of the decade.
Brunson didn’t stop there.
In the summer of 2024, he signed a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension instead of waiting another year to become eligible for a projected five-year, $269 million maximum contract, sacrificing approximately $113 million in potential earnings.
The decision dramatically reshaped New York’s financial outlook, helping the Knicks acquire Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges in separate blockbuster trades while preserving the championship core that ultimately delivered the franchise’s first title in 53 years.
Brunson then rewarded that investment with the greatest postseason of his career.
He averaged 32.6 points, 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds during the NBA Finals, leading the Knicks past the San Antonio Spurs in five games to capture the NBA championship. Brunson was the unanimous choice for Finals MVP.
Brunson and Rose Respond to the Critics
Brunson also addressed criticism that his relationship with Rose somehow diminished what he accomplished on the court.
“I do think I owe it to Leon,” Brunson said. “But it’s not the top of my mind.”
He said he has learned to tune out suggestions that he received special treatment.
“I still feel like I put the work in to get to where I’m at. I still feel like I earned everything that was brought to my plate.”
Rose immediately rejected the notion that Brunson owed him anything.
“He doesn’t owe me anything,” Rose said. “I did it because I fully believed in this guy and thought he was that good. He had put in the work, and he had proven himself. Maybe the rest of the world hadn’t caught up yet.”
Rose also reflected on another criticism that followed Brunson for years.
“One of the greatest things about this championship right here is, ‘Hey, you can’t win with a small guard,'” Rose said. “You know how many times we heard that over all these years?”
The championship finally ended that debate.
It also validated Rose’s conviction that Brunson was worth betting on long before the rest of the league agreed.
The rumors about Rose being Brunson’s godfather may finally be over.
The truth, Rose explained, is much simpler.
He represented Brunson’s father. He later represented Brunson himself. He believed in him when much of the basketball world didn’t.
Brunson repaid that belief—not only by becoming one of the NBA’s biggest bargains, but by sacrificing $113 million to help build a championship roster before leading the Knicks to their first title since 1973.
It wasn’t favoritism that connected them.
It was belief that ultimately changed the course of Knicks history.
Knicks President Leon Rose Finally Addresses Long-Running Jalen Brunson Rumor