Jalen Brunson has fired the New York Knicks to the NBA FinalsMany an opposing NBA player must fear what’s coming when they see the signature beard and braids lining up across the court.Brunson and the Knicks are three wins away from an NBA championship after Game 1 of the Finals vs San AntonioGettyBrunson averaged 26 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists across an impressive regular season, which saw the Knicks finish 53-29.The 29-year-old also dropped 25 points and eight assists in an NBA Cup final win over the San Antonio Spurs, which ended New York’s 52-year wait for a trophy.Now, he’s got even more glory in his sights after dragging his franchise back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 — with Knicks super fan Spike Lee already backing them for glory.But long before he was tearing up the NBA, Brunson was a fresh-faced kid looking to follow in his father’s footsteps.Jalen Brunson unrecognizable without signature on-court lookDad Rick played nine seasons in the league and put Jalen through his paces early on in his career.Raised in New Brunswick, New Jersey, until the sixth grade, it was at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, that Brunson Jr. showed signs that he could continue the family legacy.Averaging 23.3 points in his senior year, the five-star recruit and Illinois Mr. Basketball arrived at Villanova in 2015 ranked 16th in the country by ESPN and the No.2 point guard behind Isaiah Briscoe.It proved to be a steep learning curve.“So I thought I had good habits of winning, going into college. But then I realized that I had good habits, but I needed better ones because college is different,” Brunson told the Come And Talk 2 Me podcast in 2024.“And so being able to be held accountable by the older guys on the team and by Coach [Jay] Wright and stuff, it definitely helped me.”Brunson was a fresh-faced high-school baller with an NBA dreamGettyHe starred for Villanova before a shock NBA Draft slideGettyA beardless Brunson averaged 9.6 points as a freshman, sporting a now-unfamiliar close-cropped hairstyle. He started as the Wildcats won the NCAA Tournament.He won another title in 2018 before declaring for the NBA Draft as the National Player of the Year. Villanova later retired his No.1 jersey.“Learning how to be effective in a limited role my freshman year kind of taught me that I can help win in different ways,” Brunson later revealed. “And so I don’t have to be the guy I can have. I can be a person who can help to win a team, to help to win a championship.“And then I got the chance to lead a team and win a championship my junior year.“And so I was able to learn how to win in different roles. And I think that helped me get to the league.”Brunson was drafted by the Mavs before joining the Knicks in 2022GettyThe 6ft 2in, 190lb guard somehow fell to the Dallas Mavericks with the 33rd pick due to concerns over his size and defensive work.What has Jalen Brunson achieved in NBA career to date?Brunson improved every season in Dallas and broke out in 2021-2022 — starring in the playoffs with then-Mavericks talisman Luka Doncic injured.His father was hired as an assistant by the Knicks on June 2, 2022.Brunson signed a four-year, $104million deal a month later with New York later punished for engaging in talks before the free agency window.Brunson joined dad Rick on the Knicks in 2022GettyNBA's GreatestGreatest NBA players in the world right now – from Luka Doncic to Spurs phenom Victor WembanyamaBest players in NBA history to never win a championship – James Harden and Carmelo Anthony to Allen Iverson and Karl Malone10 richest owners in the NBA – family empires, media moguls and investment gurusMichael Jordan’s top 10 scoring games – counting down MJ’s most extraordinary totalsHe is averaging well north of 20 points in every season with the Knicks, emerging as one of the NBA’s brightest talents.Named Clutch Player of the Year in April 2025, the 28-year-old said he first developed those important skills as a fresh-faced youth.“I think some people are born into it,” Brunson told TNT’s Inside the NBA.“I think I had to learn back in high school, and I’ve gotten better and better at each stage, and here we are.”Now, the three-time All-Star is looking to do what his dad never managed — and win a ring.Brunson has led the Knicks on postseason tear all the way to FinalsBrunson has been key as the Knicks have torn through the postseason, knocking off the Atlanta Hawks in the first round before sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.Brunson dropped 30 points in a Game 1 win against the SpursGettyBrunson shrugged off a couple of injury scares to lead the Knicks to victoryGettyBrunson also showed out in the next round as the Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers and he was named Eastern Conference Finals MVP.Now, the franchise is in the Finals for the first time since 1999 and dreaming of winning a chip for the first time since 1973.On Wednesday, the Knicks took one step closer to realizing that dream with a 105-95 Game 1 win against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in the Alamo City.Brunson finished 12-for-31 with 30 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, after making instant history before the Game 1 ball was even tipped.Brunson managed to bounce back colliding with San Antonio’s Harrison Barnes and leaving the game with a knee injury in the first quarter. He returned in the second quarter and appeared to hurt his ankle after a layup but stayed in the game and extended the Knick’s postseason winning streak to 12 games.“Just sticking together – it wasn’t really our night and wasn’t really my night most of the night but we kept finding a way, kept chipping away,” Brunson said when asked how his team had managed to pull away from the Spurs. “Just knowing we have each other’s back – there’s a lot of things we could have done better, but I think our togetherness was really the biggest difference.”The Knicks are now just three wins away from an NBA title, with Game 2 set for Friday night in San Antonio.Stay up to date with the NBA across all our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET