Former US President Barack Obama drops huge praise on New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.
Jalen Brunson played a pivotal role in finally making the New York Knicks an NBA champion for the first time since 1973.
Brunson’s impact was clear in the 2026 NBA Finals as he took home the NBA Finals MVP award after averaging 32.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game vs. the San Antonio Spurs.
Since then, the 3x NBA All-Star has been praised by a plethora of people, and former US President Barack Obama has joined that list.
Barack Obama applauds Jalen Brunson’s ‘mental fortitude’ as a second-round draft pick
As a 6’2″ guard being drafted in the second round, no one expected Brunson to become the star that he is today. It’s evident from the Dallas Mavericks allowing Brunson to leave as a free agent in 2022.
Keeping that in mind, Obama praised the 29-year-old’s career during a recent appearance on All the Smoke podcast.
“It’s the toughness and endurance and mental fortitude of that guy,” Obama said. “Like, like you just felt like I’m just gonna keep coming, and I’m not doubting myself, and I’m not gonna let my team doubt myself.
He added, “And for a second-round draft pick, who was a champion, who was a winner, but I think nobody projected that, you know, you didn’t see it coming.”
Obama then couldn’t help but compare Brunson to Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry due to their similarities in physiques.
Barack Obama says Jalen Brunson is the king of New York
Obama didn’t stop there and the former US President dropped the ultimate praise on Brunson by hailing him as the ‘king of New York.’
“So it’s a cliche, but that dude has the heart of a champion. You can see just watching him with his dad at the end of the game and kind of what that meant, all the work they must have put in,” he continued.
“Real proud of him. And let me tell you, I know, he never has to pay for a meal again in, in New York. … He’s the king of New York, right?” Obama concluded.
Being the captain of the Knicks team that ended their championship drought, it’s indeed safe to crown Brunson as the king of New York.
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