With the 2024-25 regular season winding down, the New York Knicks are closing in on a monumental feat. They're just two wins away from securing their first back-to-back 50-win seasons in 30 years, with the most recent example being 1993-94 and 1994-95.
Unfortunately, despite leading New York to this resounding success, Jalen Brunson is dangerously close to losing his All-NBA eligibility—and he's finally commented on it.
Brunson has become the face of the franchise in hardly any time at all. He led New York to its first 50-win season in 11 years, as well as its first playoff series win in 10. Unfortunately, an ankle injury has disrupted an All-NBA level 2024-25 campaign—and the likelihood that he meets the minimum requirement of 65 games played has thus been called into question.
According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, Brunson wants to secure the All-NBA honor, but his bigger priority is getting back to 100 percent before the playoffs.
"Realistically, I'm hoping to play before the playoffs...It's good for me to get some game reps before we go into that type of stretch run, but the most important thing is trying to be 100 percent healthy."
Brunson added:
"Individually, yeah," Brunson said, when asked if contending for awards matters to him, "but I just want to make sure I'm fully healthy before I go out there."
It's simple enough, but Brunson prioritizing his health and the team's championship ambitions over a well-earned All-NBA nod epitomizes his quality as a leader.
Jalen Brunson prioritizing health over award eligibility as playoffs near
Brunson has appeared in 61 games in 2024-25, meaning he only needs to play four more to be eligible for post-season awards. Unfortunately, the Knicks only have six games remaining on the regular-season schedule.
As such, it's entirely possible that Brunson will fall just a few games shy of securing the honor that he so clearly deserves.
Brunson has been otherworldly in 2024-25, putting the Knicks on his back in the clutch and thriving as both a scorer and playmaker. He ranks in the top 10 in the NBA in both points and assists per game, and was reaching an entirely new level at the time of his injury.
That was on firm display when Brunson posted 39 points and 10 assists during the very game against the Los Angeles Lakers in which he sprained his ankle.
On the season, Brunson is posting averages of 26.3 points and 7.4 assists per game on .490/.384/.825 shooting. He's No. 3 in the Association in both points and assists via drives per game, and is on pace to finish in the top 10 in points created via assists per contest.
Compounded by the fact that he's No. 1 in the NBA in clutch points per game, Brunson should be an All-NBA lock.
The rules are what they are, however, and Brunson's untimely ankle injury could thus result in a historic Knicks season being improperly reflected in the record books. Brunson should receive this honor to reflect his impact on one of the best regular seasons in franchise history, but it's becoming exceedingly less likely that it'll transpire.
One can only hope that Brunson will be back at 100 percent before he runs out of time to secure the All-NBA distinction his play certainly warrants.