Getty Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks.
The New York Knicks have pieced together a solid season thus far. As things currently stand, the Knicks are 25-22 on the season, which places them in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings. That being said, they are tied with the Miami Heat in sixth.
However, while the team has gelled well, that doesn’t mean they don’t have their fair share of lighthearted disagreements. Jalen Brunson recently called out his teammate, Obi Toppin, on Twitter over an apparent football beef.
“Y’all can blame @obitoppin1 I haven’t said a word until he started chirping. Dude don’t even know what a touchdown is 🤦🏽♂️,” Brunson tweeted.
Brunson, who is from New Brunswick, New Jersey, is a Philadelphia Eagles fan, while Obi Toppin, who is from Brooklyn, New York, is a New York Giants fan. The two teams faced off in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, and the Eagles took home the win by a score of 38-7.
As noted by Brunson, Toppin was, in fact, the one who started the beef. Back on January 16, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweeted that Toppin ran up to him and asked to be interviewed so he could call out Brunson and say that the Giants were going to win.
“Obi Toppin immediately upon me walking into the locker room: ‘Hey! Interview me right now. The Giants are gonna whoop the Eagles’ ass! And tag JB,’” Katz tweeted.
Toppin then proceeded to quote-tweet the message and tag Brunson in the process. Unfortunately for the young Knicks forward, Brunson will likely be getting the last laugh after Philadelphia’s malicious beatdown of the Giants in the game. The Eagles will be moving on to the NFC Championship, while the Giants are headed home.
Julius Randle Sounds Off After Loss to Hawks
As for the Knicks themselves, they’ve been struggling as of late, similar to their New York football counterparts. The Knicks have lost three games in a row, with their most recent defeat coming against the Atlanta Hawks.
After the game, Knicks star Julius Randle sounded off on New York’s defensive issues throughout the contest.
“I don’t think on the defensive end they felt us at all and it was just too easy,” Randle told MSG Go. “They were in a rhythm all night…We didn’t stop the ball in transition, pick-and-roll we weren’t great. You know, [we were a] step late when they kicked out on closeouts and gave guys like [DeAndre] Hunter and [John] Collins and [Bogdan Bogdanovic] shots and they stepped up and made them so we didn’t do anything well, to be honest.”
Kyle Kuzma Praises Jalen Brunson
But while their recent losing streak may have caused some fans to get upset, Brunson was playing extremely well before it. He’s been playing at an All-Star level this season, and after New York’s win over the Washington Wizards, Kyle Kuzma said as much.
“Jalen Brunson. I mean, he just took over the game,” Kuzma said via New York Basketball. “He’s an All-Star this year. He’s been playing phenomenal basketball…You can just tell from the team last year to this year, they have more poise and patience, and they look for him. And he delivered tonight.”