Jalen Brunson Continues Inching Closer to Knicks Immortality

Jalen Brunson hit the ground running upon joining the New York Knicks during 2022's free agency period, and all he's done since is continually reward the franchise for believing in him to the tune of seven playoff series appearances over three postseasons.

Once he proved worthy of pushing the squad to last season's Eastern Conference Finals, though, conversations around the little scoring guard changed. He was generally compared to Carmelo Anthony amidst fans' comparisons between the two most popular Knicks of the 21st century, but now that he's set to guide another top-shelf contender to the playoffs, he's entering a different tier of franchise glory.

Kendrick Perkins certainly hears such an opportunity knocking; he's been no stranger to hyperbole since making the transition from the hardwood to television, but when he claimed that Brunson is already a top-three Knick all-time with the chance to clinch the franchise's GOAT position with a title run during an appearance on the Roommates Show, he successfully captured the viewers' imagination.

“I feel like you already a top 3 Knick of all time. Bro, you one championship away from being the greatest Knick of all-time, hands down. Do you know how special that s*** is?” @BetMGM pic.twitter.com/PkkRYNz2hs
— Roommates Show (@Roommates__Show) February 19, 2026

Investigating Perkins' Claim

For the historic reputation that the Knicks are granted with between the multiple championships lining their trophy case and the demanding market in which they play, that recent conference finals appearance did reveal a few underlying droughts. That marked the first time in a quarter-century that the Knicks managed to string together back-to-back playoff series wins, though they'll have to keep waiting to snap the 53-year gap since the last instance in which they ended a season atop the league.

Brunson's still got a ways to go before he's on the statistical tails of Patrick Ewing and Walt Frazier, though bringing the long-struggling Knicks back to the NBA's summit would immediately stamp him as a legend of the sport, let alone New York. And for all of their All-Star appearances, Ewing never won it all, and the days of Frazier and Willis Reed are long-enough ago for some fans to discount that era entirely.

New York Knicks Guard Walt Frazier and Center Willis Reed — Unknown date; Los Angeles, CA, USA: FILE PHOTO; Los Angeles Lakers center Wilt Chamberlain (13) grabs a loose ball in front of New York Knicks guard Walt Frazier (10) and Willis Reed (19) at The Forum. Mandatory Credit: Darryl Norenberg-Imagn Images | Darryl Norenberg-Imagn Images

Brunson hasn't put in the same years as those Hall of Famers due to his late entrance into the NBA and the early-career stint he spent with the Dallas Mavericks, which will unquestionably hold him back from joining the familiar New Yorkers on the Knicks' all-time scoring or win shares lists, but a theoretical Finals win would hold more meaning for Brunson than some of the game's recent wins.

Even if the Knicks weren't held back by so much baggage from their lean years, whether that be from the 90s squads that at least came close to winning or the more recently-repulsive rosters that tortured the fans, we're talking about a small, score-first guard taking over a league ran by giants. Outside of Stephen Curry, an anomaly in his own right, that's the sort of feat that the modern league hasn't seen.

Brunson's already stamped himself across several of the Knicks' all-time great business moves, with his ultra-cheap extension only eclipsed by the initial free agency offer it took to first woo him to the country's basketball capital. Now that his team is once again in a position to win behind his clutch bucket-generating prowess, other tiers of legend-status could await the team's centerpiece.

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