How Jalen Brunson’s high school rise set the stage for his path to Knicks superstardom

There’s a natural progression with Jalen Brunson. He gets more comfortable, more understanding of what’s required to succeed, and he attacks those angles. Ultimately, he gets to the top. He rises above the expectations.

We’re seeing it in the NBA. Brunson started as a second-round pick. He’s now producing better than anybody in the playoffs while being mentioned alongside Michael Jordan for stringing together 40-point-plus performances. It’s remarkable viewing from the press box. We saw it previously at Villanova, where Brunson was a freshman averaging fewer than 10 points per game before developing into the National Player of the Year two seasons later.

And the point guard also did it in high school, with a story that’s less familiar to Knicks fans and worth retelling today.

Consider it an origin story of today’s biggest New York sports star.