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Rick Brunson

American basketball player and coach (born 1972)

Rick Brunson

Eric Daniel "Rick" Brunson is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Temple Owls. He played nine seasons in the NBA and has worked as an assistant coach for several teams. As a coach, Brunson won an NBA championship with the Knicks in 2026, where his son Jalen also played.

Rick Brunson

Rick Brunson
Brunson watching the 2014 IHSA tournament at the Peoria Civic Center
New York Knicks
TitleAssistant coach
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1972-06-14) June 14, 1972 (age 54)
Syracuse, New York, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolSalem (Salem, Massachusetts)
CollegeTemple (1991–1995)
NBA draft1995: undrafted
Playing career1996–2006
PositionPoint guard
Number9, 11, 40, 5
Career history
Playing
1996Adelaide 36ers
1996–1997Quad City Thunder
1997Connecticut Pride
1997–1998Portland Trail Blazers
1998Ginebra San Miguel
1998–1999Connecticut Pride
1999–2000New York Knicks
2000Boston Celtics
2000–2001New York Knicks
2001–2002Portland Trail Blazers
2002–2003Chicago Bulls
2003Toronto Raptors
2003–2004Chicago Bulls
2004Progresso Castelmaggiore
2004–2005Los Angeles Clippers
2005–2006Seattle SuperSonics
2006Houston Rockets
Coaching
2007Denver Nuggets (assistant)
2009–2010Hartford (assistant)
2010–2012Chicago Bulls (assistant)
2012–2013Charlotte Bobcats (assistant)
2016–2018Minnesota Timberwolves (assistant)
2019–2022Camden HS
2022–presentNew York Knicks (assistant)
Career highlights
As player:

As assistant coach:

Career NBA statistics
Points1,090 (3.2 ppg)
Rebounds447 (1.3 rpg)
Assists876 (2.6 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Eric Daniel "Rick" Brunson[1] (born June 14, 1972) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Temple Owls. He played nine seasons in the NBA and has worked as an assistant coach for several teams.[2] As a coach, Brunson won an NBA championship with the Knicks in 2026, where his son Jalen also played.

Early life

Born in Syracuse, New York, he attended Salem High School, becoming one of two McDonald's All-Americans from Massachusetts in 1991.[3] Rick was raised with four siblings in a modest two-bedroom apartment in Syracuse.[4]

Brunson played college basketball for the Temple Owls.[5] He averaged 16.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists during his senior season.[6] Brunson's 1,493 career points ranked 11th in program history while his 253 steals and 191 three-pointers each ranked third.[5]

Professional playing career

Brunson was not selected in the 1995 NBA draft, which was attributed to his inconsistent shooting and lack of speed.[5] He spent the preseason with the Philadelphia 76ers and was the last player the team cut before the 1995–96 NBA season.[7] Head coach John Lucas II called it one of his toughest decisions ever as a coach because he wanted a local player for the team and Brunson "was very, very close".[7]

On November 20, 1995, Brunson signed with the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).[8] He was selected as the team's most valuable player during the 1996 NBL season.[9] He played in the Continental Basketball Association the next season. He was signed as a free agent by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1997–98, playing again in the CBA at the start of the 1998–99 season. He also had a brief stint in the Philippines as the import for the most popular ball club in the Philippine Basketball Association, Ginebra San Miguel, in 1998.

Brunson then signed with the New York Knicks, and was a member of the 1999 Eastern Conference championship team. In the 1999 NBA playoffs especially 1999 NBA Finals, he amassed a few stat lines that later became known as Club Trillion (Only non-zero stat is minutes followed by 0s in all other stats).[10] In 2000–01, he started with the Boston Celtics, but finished the season with the Knicks again. He rejoined the Trail Blazers in 2001–02. The next season he signed with the Chicago Bulls, splitting between the Bulls and the Toronto Raptors in 2003–04. He joined the Los Angeles Clippers for the 2004–05 season, his best season as a pro, during which he averaged a career-high 5.5 points per game. This helped him land a contract the next year with the Seattle SuperSonics, but he appeared in only four games that season due to injury. On February 28, 2006, the Sonics waived Brunson. He was subsequently signed by the Houston Rockets, with which he finished his ninth and final season as a professional basketball player.

Coaching career

From January to April 2007, Brunson worked as an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets, focusing on player development. From 2007 to 2009, he was the University of Virginia Cavaliers' director of basketball operations. In May 2009, Brunson was hired as assistant coach for the Hartford Hawks men's basketball team.[11] On September 8, 2010, he was hired as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls.[12]

During the 2012–13 season, Brunson served as an assistant coach to Mike Dunlap on the Charlotte Bobcats' staff.[13]

On September 25, 2016, Brunson was hired by the Minnesota Timberwolves as an assistant coach.[14] In May 2018, he resigned amid allegations of misconduct toward two women, but strongly denied the allegations.[15]

Brunson coached at Camden High School in Camden, New Jersey.[16] He was Dajuan Wagner Jr.'s head coach. Brunson resigned before the 2020–21 season while Camden High was ranked the #7 team in the country,[17] but changed his mind a couple of days later and remained coach until 2022.[18]

On June 2, 2022, the New York Knicks hired Brunson as an assistant coach.[19] His son, Jalen, joined him on the Knicks a month later, when he signed a four-year $104 million contract.[20][21] They would both become NBA champions after the Knicks' victory in the 2026 NBA Finals.

Personal life

Brunson with son Jalen and wife Sandra in 2015

Brunson met his wife, Sandra, at Temple University, where he played for the Owls men's basketball team and she played volleyball.[22] The couple has two children: Jalen (born 1996) and Erica (born c. 2000/01).[22][2] The family lived in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, for much of his NBA career,[22] but moved seven times before settling in 2010 in Lincolnshire, Illinois, where Jalen played for Adlai E. Stevenson High School before joining Villanova.[22]

Jalen was named the 2014 and 2015 Illinois Boys' Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior and senior,[23][24] was named to the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game roster,[25] was named Illinois Mr. Basketball,[26] and led his team to the 2015 Illinois High School Association Class 4A championship.[27][28] He now plays for the New York Knicks, winning a championship for the team in 2026, ending their 53-year championship drought.

Brunson met Tom Thibodeau in 1987, when he was 15, and they both played in men's league games in Salem. Both have said their shared competitiveness on the court led to a partnership that saw Brunson being an assistant with Thibodeau on the Timberwolves, the Bulls, and the Knicks until the end of the 2024–25 season.[29] In 2026, Brunson and his son became the first father and son duo to reach the NBA finals as players with the same NBA franchise.[30] Jalen and Rick became the first father-son duo to win an NBA championship together on the same team with one as a player and the other on the coaching staff.[31]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 *  Led the league

NBA

Source[32]

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1997–98 Portland 381016.4.348.361.6771.52.6.7.14.3
1998–99 New York 1705.6.286.000.278.61.1.5.01.0
1999–00 New York 3707.8.414.154.611.71.3.2.01.9
2000–01 Boston 7020.3.286.182.4441.33.41.0.13.7
New York 1504.4.421.000.667.8.5.1.01.3
2001–02 Portland 5928.8.398.545.7071.21.9.4.02.1
2002–03 Chicago 17011.5.460.667.8331.12.1.6.23.5
2003–04 Toronto 303.3.500––.0.7.0.01.3
Chicago 37010.9.376.478.8711.02.2.7.13.1
2004–05 L.A. Clippers 803924.3.376.369.7702.35.11.0.15.5
2005–06 Seattle 407.8.625.000–.5.5.0.02.5
Houston 2309.3.348.417.583.91.4.3.01.9
Career 3375113.5.378.362.6931.32.6.6.13.2

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1999 New York 902.0.400–1.000.1.2.0.0.7
2000 New York 301.3.000––.0.3.3.0.0
2001 New York 202.0.000–.750.0.0.0.01.5
2002 Portland 201.0–––.0.0.0.0.0
Career 1601.8.286–.833.1.2.1.0.6

References

  1. ↑ "BULLS: Rick Brunson Player Profile". NBA.com. Archived from the original on October 5, 2002. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Jalen Brunson". USA Basketball. June 15, 2014. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  3. ↑ Bonato, Bryan (May 11, 2014). "Chris Herren, Jalen Brunson's dad reunite at Stevenson High presentation". Lake County News-Sun. Retrieved June 25, 2014.[dead link]
  4. ↑ Jenkins, Lee (December 3, 2015). "How Jalen Brunson was shaped by his father's lessons—and his scandal". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Smith, Stephen A. (July 10, 1995). "NBA lockout leaves Brunson unable to get another chance". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 17. Retrieved December 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "In with the new". The Sydney Morning Herald. November 21, 1995. p. 41. Retrieved December 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 Cawthon, Raad (November 3, 1995). "Now, 76ers will begin to get some answers". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 56. Retrieved December 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "New 36er". The Age. November 21, 1995. p. 39. Retrieved December 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Adelaide 36ers: Year-by-Year History". Archived from the original on October 7, 2009. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Rick Brunson 1998-99 Game Log". Sports Reference. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  11. ↑ ESPN – Andy Katz Blog: 10 programs primed to rise this season
  12. ↑ "Bulls name assistant coaches". NBA.com. September 8, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Charlotte Bobcats Name Assistant Coaches". Charlotte Hornets. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Timberwolves Announce Coaching Staff Additions". NBA.com. September 25, 2016.
  15. ↑ Krawczynski, Jon (May 8, 2018). "Assistant coach Rick Brunson resigns from Wolves amid allegations of improper conduct toward women (UPDATES)". The Athletic. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  16. ↑ Youngmisuk, Ohm (May 15, 2020). "Too young to know the GOAT: How today's NBA players learned to love Jordan". Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Rick Brunson resigns as Camden basketball coach". November 11, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Rick Brunson changes course, returns as Camden basketball coach". November 13, 2020.
  19. ↑ Begley, Ian. "Knicks finalizing Rick Brunson hire as assistant coach". SNY.Com. SportsNet New York. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Knicks Sign Jalen Brunson". NBA.com. July 12, 2022. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Agents: New York Knicks, Jalen Brunson agree to 4-year, $104M deal". ESPN. July 1, 2022. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Breen, Matt (June 21, 2014). "Temple, Villanova on Jalen Brunson's list". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philly.com. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Stevenson High School Standout Named Gatorade Illinois Boys' Basketball Player of the Year" (PDF). Gatorade. March 21, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 29, 2014. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
  24. ↑ Narang, Bob (March 20, 2015). "Boys' basketball: After season, Morgan Park's LoVett to tackle recruitment". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  25. ↑ Borzello, Jeff (January 28, 2015). "East, West rosters unveiled". ESPN. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  26. ↑ Mayor, Rich (March 24, 2015). "Boys' basketball: Stevenson's Jalen Brunson wins Mr. Basketball of Illinois". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  27. ↑ Helfgot, Mike (March 21, 2015). "Boys' basketball: Jalen Brunson, Stevenson win first state title". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  28. ↑ Reynolds, Dave (March 22, 2015). "Stevenson all-stater Jalen Brunson does talking on court". The Journal Star. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  29. ↑ Porter, Matt (May 12, 2025). "Before Tom Thibodeau and Rick Brunson coached the Knicks, they were basketball icons in Salem". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 30, 2025. According to comments made by both, those ferocious fights on the blacktop started a partnership that now threatens the playoff life of the Celtics. Brunson, the former NBA journeyman and father of the Knicks' leading scorer, Jalen Brunson, has been Thibodeau's trusted assistant coach with the Bulls, Timberwolves, and now the Knicks, who are leading their second-round series with the Celtics, 2-1.
  30. ↑ Schneider, Rachel (June 14, 2026). "Jalen Brunson and His Dad Just Achieved Something No NBA Family Ever Has". Men's Journal. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Jalen Brunson reflects on celebrating NBA title with his dad: "It was a crazy moment"". CBS News. June 17, 2026. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Rick Brunson NBA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2026.