Jalen Brunson Reflects On Mavericks Tenure, Luka Doncic After Knicks Title

Before bringing a championship to New York, Brunson was a beloved member of the Dallas Mavericks.

Jun 13, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) walks to the end of the court prior to the championship trophy celebration after game five of the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Knicks are at the top of the NBA. Led by Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, the Knicks took down the San Antonio Spurs in five games to bring home a championship.

In just a few months, Brunson will be receiving a ring as a banner is raised that will hang forever in Madison Square Garden.

It's hard to believe where Brunson's career has ascended since he departed from the Dallas Mavericks in 2022. He's grinded and crafted his way into one of the best players in the sport.

While Dallas is now just a blip on the radar when fans think about Brunson, he still looks back on the past with a positive mindset.

Jalen Brunson Thankful For Time In Dallas

May 4, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson (13) against the Phoenix Suns during game two of the second round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Brunson recently joined the Chicago Sports Network to discuss the championship and various topics.

Unsurprisingly, Brunson's tenure with the Mavericks came up.

Dallas selected the two-time Villanova national champion with the 33rd overall pick in the NBA Draft. As everyone knows, that was the same year the Mavericks traded for the rights to Luka Doncic.

Doncic wasted no time stepping into a massive role, while Brunson settled in as a part-time starter.

Brunson admitted that he learned a ton during his early days in the league, but stayed focused on improving.

"They were great, honestly, they were all learning experiences. First year we weren't that good of a team, but obviously they were giving Luka the keys, and Dirk's last year too," Brunson said. "Giving Luka the keys to run the show, and I got to see a lot, I got to learn a lot, I got to understand a lot."

"I kept getting better and better, you fast-forward to that fourth year, and being able to thrive under J-Kidd made me a lot better as well," Brunson added.

The hard work paid off as Brunson was in the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year in 2020-21, a year before he helped spearhead the Mavericks' run to the Western Conference Finals despite Doncic missing the first three games of the opening round.

A few months later, Brunson left for the Knicks, who hired his father as an assistant coach. New York was fined a second-round pick for impermissible contact with Brunson prior to free agency.

There were reports that the Mavericks hesitated on a four-year/$55 million offer to Brunson in 2021, which could've aggravated the situation.

Regardless of the ending, which wasn't pretty on either side, the three-time All-NBA selection shared that he was thankful for his time in Dallas.

"It was great for me," Brunson said. "Obviously, I thought I would be there in the beginning for a long time, but I think that whole situation there, I got to learn from Luka, I got to learn from Rick Carlisle and J-Kidd. And I'm very thankful."

"I mean, they brought me to the NBA. They allowed me to be me," Brunson added. "I got better every single year, so I'm very thankful for them."

There will always be a link between Brunson and the Mavericks.

Maybe he'll take it easy on Dallas with a new regime in town. He's averaged 26.0 points and 5.8 assists in his five games against the franchise since signing with the Knicks.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on X for the latest news.