Jalen Brunson “high on the list” for Team USA

An undersized point guard who won’t outjump anyone or be the most explosive guy on the court, Jalen Brunson has spent much of his basketball career being a perennial underdog, often labeled as a solid player, but rarely thought of as anything more. Yet at each level, Brunson has proved critics wrong time and time again. And the same exact thing can be said for his time as a Knick. There were so-called analysts of the game who thought that the Knicks overpaid him because they believed Brunson had already reached his potential and that he’d just be a mediocre player who wouldn’t be able to elevate his team. Well, in just over a season and a half, not only has he been an All-Star and led the Knicks within a couple of games of making a conference final, he’s quickly become one of the best point guards in the world, one of the most team-friendly contracts in the league, and one of the best free agent signings ever. And the league, and the people around it, are starting to notice.

It was reported early Tuesday morning that Brunson is “high on the list” of potential players being considered to represent Team USA for Steve Kerr in this year’s Summer Olympics in Paris. Brunson, who was on the disappointing USA team that finished fourth in the FIBA World Championships last summer, started the season as an afterthought and a longshot. But given his incredibly strong play as of late, which includes a 34-point performance in a win against the aforementioned Kerr, it seems like he’s being strongly considered. When asked about the Knicks point guard, the Warriors coach said, “There’s a reason he’s on our list. Because he’s a great, great player and high character, a leader,” Kerr went on to say, “He’s everything you want as a player. He’s high on our list and he’s definitely somebody we’re considering.”

Brunson still has some tough competition, though. Assuming they are healthy, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, and Kawhi Leonard all seem to be locks. That leaves just five spots for guys like Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young, Jimmy Butler, Tyrese Haliburton, and Brunson, who are all a part of a 41-player pool that have been chosen to compete for the final spots. It will be an uphill battle for Brunson, but given his history of surprising people and proving people wrong, he may just do it.