New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson had a breakout 2023-24 NBA season, during which he earned his first All-Star nod and All-NBA selection. In the playoffs, JB took his game to the next level, delivering one big-time performance after the other.
Brunson played so well last season that he finished 5th in the MVP voting, 5th in the Most Improved Player race, and also 5th for the Clutch Player of the Year award. With how well he played in the previous campaign, you could argue that Jalen deserved a spot on the U.S. men's basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. If you ask the Knicks guard, he believes he earned a spot on the team.
"So, let's clarify, for sure. The team was chosen before I broke my hand," Brunson said . "But I clearly want to be out there and playing for the United States."
Brunson thought he earned a spot on the team
As early as after the 2023 FIBA World Cup debacle, the first names for the Paris Dream floated around after LeBron James declared he wanted in. But it wasn't until mid-April that USA Basketball officially announced the team's 12-man roster.
Meanwhile, Brunson fractured his hand in Game 7 of the Knicks' second-round series against the Indiana Pacers on May 19th, one month after Team USA was finalized. Brunson believes that based on his body of work during the NBA season, he should have made the team.
"Yeah, for sure," he added. "The way I played last year, I thought I was deserving. I thought I could have fit in. I've played many roles throughout my career; I could play another. But obviously, it just wasn't in the cards at that time. And so, you move on, and you find ways to get better. You keep having goals, and that's a goal of mine. I want to play next time."
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His body of work was not enough
Jalen was actually one of the 41 finalists for the 12 Olympic roster slots announced at the start of the year. However, unlike in previous major international tournaments where USA Basketball held tryouts, this year's U.S. men's basketball team was handpicked by USAB Director Grant Hill and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.
Brunson averaged career-highs at 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game last season for the Knicks while posting shooting splits of .479/.401/.847. He was even more spectacular during the playoffs, with averages of 32.7 points and 7.5 assists per game. He helped the Knicks win 50 games for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign and finish as the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. These accolades weren't enough to put him on Team USA .
The next time for Brunson could be the 2027 FIBA World Cup, which is set to take place in Qatar. Being part of that team could help his case to play for the 2028 Olympics , where the Americans will look to defend the title on home soil. But that's still looking too far ahead.
For now, Brunson's goal is to help the Knicks win their first title since 1973. If they do that, and he continues to play like last season, the rest could follow.
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