Dirk Nowitzki admits that he never thought Jalen Brunson would become a superstar image
Jalen Brunson has become one of the best players in the league over the past few years. The New York Knicks are glad to have him as their superstar, especially given how they managed to win a championship with him shining as the main man.
During his early years, he was a backup guard on the Dallas Mavericks. He was the primary backup to Luka Doncic, so it was normal for him to play a role because he was behind one of the world's most talented players. This led Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki to appreciate Brunson's hard work behind the scenes, but he never expected the guard to pivot into becoming a star himself.
Dirk Nowitzki never expected Jalen Brunson to become a superstar
Nowitzki was teammates with Brunson during the latter's rookie season in the 2018-19 campaign. Considering they worked together quite often during that year, Nowitzki got to see how the young point guard was working out. Brunson managed to impress during his rookie season, playing 73 games and even starting 38 of them.
For the next couple of seasons, Nowitzki watched Brunson and the Mavericks from the sidelines. Since Brunson played more of a sixth-man role until the 2021-22 season, it was clear to Nowitzki that he would be a rotational guard.
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That suddenly shifted when Brunson secured the move to the Knicks. In the 2022-23 season, Brunson became a star player in the Big Apple. He was not an All-Star just yet, but he firmly established himself as a top player. Brunson started to garner attention as a superstar from there, proving Nowitzki and other doubters wrong.
"I was skeptical when he went to New York as the franchise player there. He's a quiet guy, shy guy; to go to that media market, I was a little worried. Man, it's been unbelievable on and off the floor. Really carried his franchise, so well-deserved to bring back the championship there after 50-something years," Nowitzki said about Brunson on the DLLS Mavs Podcast.
Nowitzki knows that he was proven wrong, which is why he is giving his former teammate some well-deserved praise. It was an amazing run Brunson during the 2026 season, and it is not over. He wants to keep it going, so he can further prove the doubters wrong.
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