Jalen Brunson sprints back into action for Knicks

CHICAGO — The only sighting of Jalen Brunson since he limped off the court and to the locker room at Madison Square Garden Sunday night was a picture that showed up on the team’s social media feed of him at a team holiday party with his right foot encased in a protective boot. 

That set off speculation of how long he could be sidelined with what the team first called a sprained ankle and then shifted to a contused right foot Monday. But when the Knicks took the floor for pregame warmups Wednesday night Brunson was there, sprinting onto the court as he has every game this season. 

Brunson has taken a beating this season, from the constant efforts to draw charges to hurling his body into the air against bigger defenders, he has gone down and every time he has gotten back up. For Thibodeau, who treasures availability, having a leader who is always there is invaluable.

“From the moment we signed him,” Thibodeau said. “All the things that he does, coming into the gym every day all summer, the way he works, the way he takes care of his body, the type of teammate he is. He’s happy whether he’s scored, whether he hasn’t scored, if we win. Winning has always been first and foremost with him. He enjoys his teammates having success. 

“The best leadership you can have is what a player does in all aspects. So how does he practice? How does he prepare? How does he conduct himself in a team meeting? He’s the ultimate winner.”

While the game seemed like a homecoming for Derrick Rose, it is for Brunson, too. His father Rick, now a Knicks assistant coach, was an assistant to Thibodeau in Chicago when Jalen was a high school star. 

“It’s surreal. You never know,” Thibodeau said. “When I first started Rick was playing for the Knicks and I was an assistant for the Knicks and [Jalen Brunson] was five or six years old. He’d come in the locker room and we all got a kick out of him because he would imitate all the players on the team. 

“When Rick was here as an assistant in Chicago [Jalen Brunson] was playing high school basketball. What he did and what he accomplished in this state and this city was unbelievable. To see him carry that on to Villanova and then to carry it on to the start of his career in Dallas and now what he’s doing here, it’s great because you watched him grow up. … He’s worked extremely hard for everything he’s gotten. He’s earned it all and he’s an incredible person and a great leader.”

By Steve Popper

steve.popper@newsday.com@StevePopper

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.