Jalen Brunson is proving yet again why he is considered the main reason why the Knicks have been worthy of qualifying to the playoffs again, as heโs playing his second season in Manhattan. As the star wasnโt selected to last yearโs All-Star Weekend, Charles Barkley decided to threaten the NBA of missing out on this yearโs spectacle if the player isnโt chosen to participate.ย
Thatโs how badly the Hall of Famer thinks Jalen is one of the top stars in the league! Of course there is no way the broadcasting icon can miss the All-Star show in Indianapolis next month, but it sure is fun watching him defend the New York guard.
โJalen Brunson better make the All-Star team or Iโm not going to Indianapolis. Iโm telling you, if Jalen Brunson is not an All-Star, I am not going,โ he insisted this weekend on ESPN.
Knicksโ Jalen Brunson building All-Star case after winning second Player of Week award https://t.co/XElsFbgzFp pic.twitter.com/zHAwS115gn
โ New York Post (@nypost) January 10, 2024
Alongside Julius Randle, thereโs no doubt that the 27-year-old is one of his teamโs best athletes. Both of them have been posting similar numbers and are leading the pack to a 23-17 record in the contested Eastern Conference. Even though they are only ranking 7th, the Knicks are only 0.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are sitting in the fourth spot (23-15).
Jalen is once again proving his worth this campaign, stacking up averages of 25.8 points, 6.4 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals per contest. The point guard is currently leading his squad in scoring and assists, which makes him arguably New Yorkโs best player this season.
Last year, Barkley also claimed he was worthy of an All-Star selection.ย โJalen Brunson is arguably one of the best free agent pickups in NBA history,โ Barkley said. โWhat heโs done this year is historical.ย We didnโt know Jalen Brunson was this good of a player โ nobody thought that.โ
According to the NBA legend, the Knicks star proved critics wrong when they first said he was wildly overpaid after signing a four-year, $104 million contract in Manhattan.
โEverybody thought going into this season that he got overpaid,โ the ESPN analyst shared in 2023. โWhen did he shine [last season]? When Luka got hurt.โ
Indianapolis is already decorating the city in preparation for Februaryโs upcoming All-Star weekend
This weekend, the Indianapolis International Airport has already started to greet guests with their new All-Star decorations. However, this is just the beginning as the entire city is starting to change its colors to blue, yellow and silver to honor their hometown Pacers.
โSoon, All-Star will convene in the greatest hosting city and the greatest basketball state in the nation. It wasnโt just our love for the game that landed All-star here; it was our collaborative community mindset and long resume of hosting hundreds of national and international sporting events, among so many other significant conventions and events,โ said Stephanie McFarland, who serves as the cityโsย Senior Public-Affairs Consultant.
In the coming weeks, visitors to the airport can expect a colorful campaign.ย โIndy has an impressive track record! The community and its leaders rally around big events, like All-Star, and the Indianapolis International Airport is among the first to welcome fans with Hoosier Hospitality. Weโre ready to deliver a world-class experience that continues to make us known as the Best Airport in North America, year after year,โ she guaranteed.
The All-Star Weekend will take place in Indianapolis at Gainbridge Fieldhouse from February 16 to 18.