Jalen Brunson breaks silence on NBA All-Star starter snub in favor of Damian Lillard
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson was gracious after being edged out as an NBA All-Star starter for the Eastern Conference by Milwaukee Bucks' Damian Lillard in fan votes. He said he accepted the outcome and that "Dame" was deserving of the spot.
After the final tally was gathered and released on Thursday, Lillard emerged second in the guards in the East, behind Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton, the All-Star Game hosts.
The Bucks All-Star’s push was helped by the more than 2.3 million votes he received from fans, ahead of Brunson’s 1.45 million.
It played a significant role in the Knicks guard not getting the nod as he was ahead of Lillard in both player (78 to 61) and media (48 to 9) votes.
As per vote count rules for the All-Star starters, fan voting counts for 50%, voting by players themselves 25%, and voting by a panel of writers and broadcasters who cover the NBA for the other 25%.
Asked for his thoughts on the vote results, Jalen Brunson was respectful, saying (as per The Athletic’s Knicks beat writer Fred Katz):
"Congrats to Damian Lillard. That’s it. ... Dame is deserving."
In the ongoing NBA season, his second in the Big Apple, Brunson is having a career year with numbers of 26.6 points, 6.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and a steal in 35.8 minutes of play. His steady solid play has helped the Knicks to a 28-17 record, fourth-best in the Eastern Conference.
Prior to joining New York last season, the former Villanova Wildcat spent four years with the Dallas Mavericks.
NBA legend feels for Jalen Brunson after All-Star starter snub
NBA legend Charles Barkley believes New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson deserved a spot in the All-Star East starting squad and feels for the six-year veteran for not getting the nod.
He highlighted this during a TNT broadcast after the final All-Star voting results were announced on Thursday. "Sir Charles" said it was unfortunate that fans did not feel the same way.
The former league MVP and now TNT analyst said:
“I’m never going to throw shade at Damian Lillard. But I would have loved to see Jalen Brunson be a starter. I can’t believe what a great player he’s turned into. When he went to the Knicks last year I said, ‘That’s a great signing.’ It turned into one of the best signings I’ve ever seen as a free agent.”
Barkley continued:
“I’ll be honest with you, even the Knicks didn’t know he’d be this good. They thought he’d be an upgrade. He’s made the New York Knicks relevant for the first time since Patrick Ewing.”
Brunson lost the second guard spot in the East to Lillard by way of the tiebreaker with a higher fan vote. "Dame" received more than 2.3 million votes from fans, ahead of Brunson’s 1.45 million. The latter, however, have more nods from the players and media votes.
Good thing for Brunson though, with the way he is playing he may still make it to his first All-Star selection as a reserve, which is determined by the coaches.