Jalen Brunson has finally revealed when he first realized the wrist injury that eventually required surgery began bothering him during the Knicks’ unforgettable championship run.
Brunson admitted he couldn’t identify one specific play that caused the injury, but he knew something wasn’t right during the Eastern Conference Finals.
“I’m good. Obviously, it’s going to take a little bit of time,” Brunson said speaking with ESPN NY Radio’s Don, Hahn & Rosenberg. “There isn’t a play where I remember it happening; I just remember being at the free-throw line in the third or fourth quarter of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals and my wrist is starting to feel weak.
Despite the issue affecting his shooting hand, Brunson never came out of the lineup.
He finished with 19 points in New York’s Game 2 victory as the Knicks took a commanding 2-0 lead before eventually sweeping the series to reach the NBA Finals.
The injury also didn’t stop him from delivering some of the biggest moments in franchise history.
Brunson spearheaded New York’s stunning comeback victory in Game 4 of the Finals before exploding for a franchise-record 43 points in the title-clinching Game 5, securing the Knicks’ first NBA championship in 53 years.
Following the season, Brunson underwent surgery to repair the injury and is expected to spend at least two months recovering, according to SNY reporter Ian Begley.
Although the procedure temporarily brought him back to reality after the celebrations, Brunson has no regrets about playing through the pain.
“It’s been a rollercoaster, honestly,” Brunson said of life after winning the title. “Once we won and everything, everything was up high…everything after we won was amazing. And then getting back to real life, it was probably best to get surgery done for my wrist. That brought me back down. But I would do it all again.”