While those who bought tickets to watch all 33 minutes of the NBA All-Star Game(s) were more than likely left unsatisfied with their purchase—for obvious reasons—one New York Knicks fan who traveled to the Bay Area got his money’s worth through sheer happenstance.
After leaving the Chase Center to have dinner (presumably in celebration of no longer having to suffer through the All-Star “Game”), X user @goatcollect found himself and his family sitting just a couple of tables away from New York Knicks captain Jalen Brunson in the restaurant they were at.
The user’s son, donning his Jalen Brunson All-Star jersey, was understandably enamored just by being in the presence of his favorite player, but he had enough respect not to interrupt his meal to ask for anything.
“Well, thankfully for Knicks fans, Jalen Brunson is the biggest class act I’ve seen from a professional athlete,” the post said. “Jalen came over to our table before my son could even walk over to him. He saw him wearing his jersey earlier on.”
Brunson, 28, created a lifelong memory for a young fan during a time and showcase that’s brought nothing but trouble to the NBA.
For what is meant to be a celebration of the league’s biggest stars, fans, and history, NBA All-Star Weekend is a product that has been collapsing on top of itself in unspectacular fashion for the greater part of a decade now—at the very least.
As the league’s top brass have desperately attempted to rejuvenate fan interest in the All-Star Game over recent years—through format changes and other often hardly basketball-related gimmicks—they seem to be drifting increasingly further from these core values of the event.
The 2025 NBA All-Star Game might have been its quietus for the foreseeable future, and maybe that’s for the best.
Although Brunson only played eight minutes of basketball despite being voted in as an All-Star starter, he still managed to give a fan an experience that will last a lifetime.
“Just an unbelievable interaction and obviously seeing first hand the culture Jalen has brought to the Knicks franchise was tremendous … When an athlete takes the time to create a lifetime experience for a kid, it’s just game-changing.”
The NBA All-Star Game is in a bad place, but it’s reassuring to see that the New York Knicks aren’t with Jalen Brunson as their captain.
