Jalen Brunson Shocks His Dad With Response During Knicks Game

Rick Brunson has coached plenty of players who've talked back during games. But hearing those words from his own son hit differently.

The New York Knicks assistant coach recently shared a story on The Check Game Podcast with Alvin Williams about the first time Jalen cursed him out during a game. It happened after a turnover when Rick yelled at his player from the bench like any coach would.

Jalen turned around and told his father to sit down, using language that made it clear he wasn't interested in hearing it. Rick's initial reaction was pure shock.

"But I will tell you this, the first time I yelled at him, like, you know, I turned the ball over and he turned around and said, 'Man, sit the F down.' And I looked at him like, 'what the f---?' But then I had to realise, me and you played and we've yelled at a coach. So I said, 'You know what? You can do that. But, you ever do that off the court? I'll beat you up, man,'" Rick said.

He explained further, "Because if another player yelled at me, I'd be like, 'Alright'.... So I would say once or twice a year, he'd give me the 'Yo man chill the f--- out,' but it's been great."

The shock wore off quickly. Rick remembered his own playing days when emotions ran high, and coaches heard things they probably didn't want to hear. He drew a hard line, though. On the court, Jalen could treat him like any other coach. Off the court, those rules didn't apply.

Rick Brunson's First Year Coaching His Son

Jan 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) celebrates a three point shot against the Phoenix Suns in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Rick admitted that the moment stemmed from deeper anxiety during his first season on the Knicks bench. The pressure of watching Jalen try to live up to a massive contract consumed him and affected how he coached the entire team.

"My first year here, I was bad as a coach. I was bad to the other players because I was like, 'He got all this money and if it fails, that's my son, they're gonna kill him.' So I was on, he had to play great for 82 games. I was on pins and needles. Now, as he became who he was, it's so much easier to sit there and relax and watch him do his thing."

Once Jalen established himself as one of the league's elite point guards, that weight lifted off Rick's shoulders. He can finally enjoy watching his son play instead of worrying about every possession going wrong.

Rick deflects all credit for Jalen's success. He insists he only showed his son the foundation, but Jalen built everything else himself.

Now, the Knicks are finding their rhythm after a rough patch. They snapped a four-game losing streak with a franchise-record 120-66 demolition of Brooklyn, where Jalen scored 20 points. New York followed that with a win over Philadelphia on Jan. 24 to improve to 27-18. Rick continues as an assistant under Mike Brown, managing one of the most unique coaching dynamics in the NBA.

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