Who is Jalen Brunson's girlfriend, Ali Marks? Taking a closer look at Knicks star's personal life
Jalen Brunson was a prime free-agent signing for the New York Knicks this offseason. He has played up to his big contract and is leading the Knicks in the playoffs. New York holds a 3-1 lead in its Eastern Conference first-round series with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Brunson has scored at least 20 points in every playoff game this year. He dropped 29 points on 11-for-22 shooting and added six assists in a 102-93 win in Game 4 on Sunday. Brunson and the Knicks will try to close out the series in Game 5 on Wednesday in Cleveland.
Brunson is chasing his second ring of the season
Before the season began, Brunson got engaged to his partner, Ali Marks. Brunson set up the proposal in the gym of their old school, Stevenson High in Illinois. The two are high school sweethearts.
Marks is a physical therapist who attended Northwestern University. The pair have a goldendoodle dog named Kona. The dog even has its own Instagram account.
Marks was born in Lincolnshire, Illinois. She is 27 years old. She is of American descent.
Brunson’s father, Rick, was a hooper in his own right. Rick played college basketball at Temple University and had a professional career that lasted 11 years. He played on eight NBA teams.
Brunson played his college basketball at Villanova for three seasons, winning two national championships. He was named national player of the year in 2018.
Brunson was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round in 2018. He played in Dallas for four seasons before leaving for New York this season.
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Brunson signed a four-year, $104.0 million contract this summer with the Knicks. The contract is fully guaranteed and has an average salary value of $26 million. He has a player option in 2025-26.
Brunson averaged 24.0 points per game this season, 20th best in the NBA. He also dished out 6.2 assists per game, 18th best in the league.
If the Knicks advance to the next round, it will be the first time the Knicks won a playoff series since 2013. They have not advanced past the second round since 2000.