Since landing in the Big Apple back in the summer of 2022, Jalen Brunson has established himself as not only one of the biggest stars in the association but also one of the greatest players in New York Knicks history.
From being crowned one of the club's most clutch players ever to receiving the moniker of best point guard since Walt Frazier back in the 1970s, with every passing day, Brunson etches himself more and more into the franchise's history books.
Considering Carmelo Anthony was the last great superstar to don the white, blue, and orange threads, it's also become the norm among fans and pundits to compare and contrast the 29-year-old with the recently inducted Hall of Famer as to where they fall in the organization's all-time pecking order.
Though some old heads stuck in their ways may begrudgingly hold strong on their favoritism of Melo, by all accounts, Brunson has already laid out his claim for superiority, and former Knicks forward Tim Thomas just proved it.
Tim Thomas puts Jalen Brunson ahead of Carmelo as all-time Knick
During a recent appearance on The Real Report, Thomas was asked point-blank who he believes has had the better Knicks career between Anthony and Brunson.
Though he acknowledged that the former has "reached the tip-top" as far as his overall career is concerned, and that he's an already established resident out in Springfield, when it comes to their New York tenures, Thomas believes "you've gotta say J.B."
"He's winning, and that's the bottom line. That's what it comes down to... [Melo] averaged certain points and did his thing, but winning, that takes it all," Thomas said.
In a shorter amount of time spent with the Knicks, Brunson has already accomplished more in the winning department than Anthony ever was able to.
From making it to at least the second round in every season he's played in New York to bringing the team to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, the postseason successes that the fourth-year Knick has come across undoubtedly raise his all-time stock higher than Melo's three playoff berths (only one advanced beyond round one) throughout seven seasons.
Add on the fact that Brunson is averaging more points (26.3 to 24.7), assists (6.7 to 3.2), a better effective field goal percentage (54.4 to 48.9), and clocks in with a higher box plus-minus (4.1 to 3.3), and the answer between who among the two has had the better Knicks career to this point seems to be painfully obvious.