The stark difference between being a New York Knicks star and a Brooklyn Nets star was apparent when Jalen Brunson and Michael Porter Jr. went to a Manhattan club together.
Brunson has been proclaimed the King of New York after leading the Knicks to their first NBA Championship in 53 years.
The Knicks will always be New York’s team, something that became apparent to Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. on Saturday night.
Jalen Brunson walks into a club while Michael Porter Jr. gets stopped for a guest list check
Brunson and Porter Jr. appeared to be entering a luxury establishment on Manhattan’s East 16th Street with plenty of security covering the area. Brunson walked right in, but Porter was seen being stopped by the bouncers to double-check his presence on the guest list.
Brunson can genuinely go anywhere in New York that he pleases for the rest of his career, as most local establishments would welcome the 29-year-old with open arms for his impact on the city.
Porter Jr., on the other hand, has spent one season in Brooklyn as the centerpiece of one of the worst teams in the NBA.
Even with the current difference in accomplishments, New York always responds more to the superstars who were Knicks rather than Nets.
Nobody calls Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving a New York sports legend, despite their relatively successful tenure on the Nets. It didn’t lead to a championship, but it was more than what Jeremy Lin did in his career, somebody most consider a bigger New York basketball legend than either KD or Kyrie.
Brunson and the Knicks could lose the title next season, but he’ll always command this respect in a city loyal to its sporting heroes. Porter Jr. is far from being that, lacking the accomplishments and likely having the wrong New York-based basketball jersey on his back.
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