Kendrick Perkins: Knicks' Jalen Brunson is 'Legit Superstar'
Every year, NBA fans are outraged when a certain player isn't selected to the All-Star Game. New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson was widely considered among the most glaring All-Star snubs last season and proved voters wrong by leading his team to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
Brunson emerged as a household name in the city that never sleeps last year, finishing with 24.0 points and 6.2 assists per game. The $104 million man has continued to go above and beyond on the court as a member of Team USA's FIBA World Cup roster this summer, especially after he pitched a perfect game during Team USA's victorious Sunday exhibition against Spain.
His play has caught the attention of ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins, who believes Brunson deserves more credit than being considered a fringe All-Star. Perkins explained that Brunson is "the engine" of Team USA, but his talent far exceeds FIBA World Cup stardom.
"He's a legit superstar-caliber player that gets it done when it matters the most," Perkins said during Tuesday's edition of ESPN's NBA Today. "He continues to get better and we have to start putting him in the conversation with the likes of the other young superstars around the league."
"At what point are we going to put Jalen Brunson in the same category with guys like Bradley Beal and Jaylen Brown?" Perkins asked rhetorically. "We're talking about the guy outside of Team USA that helped the (Dallas) Mavericks go to the Western Conference Finals (in 2021-22) and put the Knicks on his back last season."
Brunson's focus is solely on winning with Team USA at the moment. He and the Americans are perfect in three World Cup tune-ups thus far and two more await this weekend in Abu Dhabi. The first lands on Friday against Greece (12 p.m. ET, Fox).
You can follow Hunter De Siver on Twitter @HunterDeSiver.
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