Jalen Brunson is enjoying an impressive 2024-25 season with the New York Knicks, earning his second consecutive selection to NBA All-Star Weekend. Notonly will he be featured in the main event on Sunday, but he also has high expectations for the Three-Point Contest on Saturday. The guard even took the time to predict the standout performers.
“I’m going to put myself third,” Brunson said during an appearance on The Roommates Show podcast. He then laid out his ranking of the competitors: “Dame (Damian Lillard) is the reigning champ, so I’m gonna say Dame first, Darius Garland second, not gonna say Cam Johnson because I’m gonna be third, hopefully.” He also mentioned two additional names: “Tyler Herro, Buddy Hield, those guys. I don’t know, it’s gonna be very interesting.”
The Knicks guard, however, doesn’t see himself as the favorite to win the event, offering a humorous explanation for his modest ranking. “Because we all know what happened last year,” he said, reflecting on his first All-Star Weekend appearance. “I had a chance to make it to the finals, and on the last rack, I just (expletive) the bed.”
Looking to improve on that experience, Brunson explained how he plans to approach the contest this year. “I have my dad sit somewhere else, not behind the bench, so I don’t get (expletive) on by my own family,” he laughed. “It’s kind of sad.”
Jalen Brunson shares thoughts on the All-Star teams
In addition to discussing the Three-Point Contest, Jalen Brunson also shared his thoughts on Sunday’s main event and the structure of the teams that will compete in the new format mini-tournament.
“You got the international players versus the older players, excuse me, the more veteran All-Stars,” Brunson began, analyzing the matchup. “And then you have the younger All-Stars… Coincidentally, it doesn’t seem planned at all.”
Saturday’s events at NBA All-Star Weekend
Alongside Jalen Brunson, the stars set to compete in the Three-Point Contest include Cade Cunningham, Darius Garland, Tyler Herro, Buddy Hield, Cameron Johnson, Damian Lillard, and Norman Powell. Notably, stars who have previously won the contest, such as Stephen Curry and Karl-Anthony Towns, will not be participating this year.
The Slam Dunk Contest will feature Chicago Bulls’ Matas Buzelis, San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle, Milwaukee Bucks’ Andre Jackson Jr., and Orlando Magic’s Mac McClung. Additionally, the teams competing in the Skills Challenge will be Team Cavaliers (Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley), Team Rooks (Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr), Team Spurs (Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama), and Team Warriors (Draymond Green and Moses Moody).