Final 11: Jalen Brunson Addresses Knicks Number

As if Jalen Brunson hadn't done enough for New York Knicks fans, he has apparently saved them big bucks in purchasing a new replica jersey.

Brunson embarked on a bit of a history lesson as the Knicks prepped for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, explaining how he donned his iconic No. 11 jersey. The digits were not were not his first choice, but he has grown to appreciate seeing them populate Madison Square Garden's seats on a nightly basis.

"Seeing the little kids wearing No. 11 around The Garden, it's a special feeling," Brunson said in video from SNY. "I didn't want to change my number."

Jalen Brunson originally chose number 11 with the Knicks because Evan Fournier was number 13 and Obi Toppin was number 1, two numbers he would have preferred: "I wanted to earn things"

Now, he says he loves seeing young Knicks fans rocking number 11 jerseys pic.twitter.com/JC5jXVnKBA
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 7, 2025

Brunson originally wore No. 1 when he burst onto the national scene at Villanova. When he was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 2018, he switched to No. 13 as both a necessity (Courtney Lee had No. 1 at the time) and a tribute to previous North Texas backcourt legend Steve Nash. Both numbers were occupied by the time Brunson signed with the Knicks in 2022: Obi Toppin had No. 1 while Evan Fournier carried No. 13.

Brunson thus opted to handle business on his own and wear two ones. Twenty-three Knicks had worn the number prior to his arrival, including Bob McAdoo, Rod Strickland, Derek Harper, and Jamal Crawford.

"I wanted to earn things. I didn't want to do anything to kind of show status or anything," Brunson recalled. "Eleven came out, and I've been rocking it ever since. Glad I chose that number."

Brunson will likely go down as the final Knick to wear No. 11 and this postseason (which has him averaging over 31 points a game) is only adding more to his case to have the digits raised to the Madison Square Garden rafters. Should that fate come to pass, he'd be the second MSG captain to earn the honor, joining New York Rangers Stanley Cup hoister Mark Messier.

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