Jalen Brunson is Captain of the Ship Now

Jalen Brunson is the hottest thing in New York since Bodega Cat. After a season that saw the New York Knicks fall one game short of the Eastern Conference Finals, their leader played an admirable series. On one healthy leg, Brunson averaged 29.7 points vs. the Indiana Pacers.

Although Brunson didn't have an ideal campaign regarding injuries, he played to the best of his ability.

The Knicks have named the Villanova alum a team captain in light of his courageous performances and iron-man-level toughness. New York publicized a press release announcing Brunson's accomplishment.

"The New York Knicks have a deep and storied history, and today we are immensely proud to add to that lineage by naming Jalen Brunson as our captain," said Knicks president Leon Rose. "Jalen is a natural-born leader, and I am confident he will continue to represent our organization, fans, city and his teammates with the same heart, grit and class that he has displayed each and every day since he came to New York."

Brunson became the 36th captain in Knicks' history, particularly the 18th guard in franchise history, and most notably, only the fourth second-round pick to receive such an honor. The last second-round pick to receive the team captain nod was Lance Thomas for the 2018-19 season.

Aside from Brunson's on-court accomplishments, the All-Star guard became a New York saint when taking a massive discount on a contract extension.

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Instead of signing a maximum extension, Brunson signed on the dotted line for $156 million and sacrificed over $100 million, leading the Knicks fan base to consider Brunson an otherworldly being.

With Brunson leading the Knicks, the New York franchise aligns with the top competitors in the Eastern Conference.