At least Jalen Brunson left the Staples Center with some signed apparel.
The New York Knicks superstar point guard and leader left his team’s 113-109 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers with an ugly ankle injury. But that didn’t stop one of his former teammates from swapping jerseys.
Lakers’ star Luka Doncic, who played four seasons with Brunson in Dallas (2018-2022), sat next to a chair with Brunson’s No. 11 jersey lying there. The video featured Doncic signing his own jersey for Brunson with the following message:
“To my brother, JB. Love, Luka Doncic (signature).”
Doncic, 28, was selected No. 3 overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 NBA Draft. Meanwhile, Dallas smartly selected Villanova’s Jalen Brunson with the third pick in the second round that same year.
After four seasons in Dallas, Brunson signed a 4-year, $104 million deal with the Knicks in 2022. Last month, the Mavericks traded Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis (and more).
Incredibly, after drafting two superstar point guards in one offseason, Mavs fans are left without either player.
These days, Brunson leads the Knicks, a squad with the Eastern Conference’s third-best record (40-22), whereas Doncic’s Lakers are currently second in the Western Conference with a 40-21 mark.
Los Angeles’s thrilling 113-109 overtime win over New York Thursday night was rough for Knickerbockers fans. Not only were they forced to stay up late on the East Coast to catch the ending, but they also saw Brunson go down with what appears to be a severe ankle injury.
Fans can only hope Doncic’s autograph Lakers jersey brings Brunson a little unexpected healing power.
