NBA ALL-STAR MEDIA DAY

February 14, 2026

Jalen Brunson

Media Day Press Conference

Q. What are your thoughts on Jayson Tatum potentially returning this season?

JALEN BRUNSON: Obviously seeing him go down last year, it sucks to see. You never want to see that from anyone in any sport. The fact that he's worked so hard to get where he is and is preparing a comeback is a testament to who he is. Basketball fans are definitely excited to see his comeback.

Q. You have a new teammate in Jeremy Sochan. Can you tell us what he can add to the team?

JALEN BRUNSON: Yeah, I'm very excited to see him. I think he brings a level of toughness. From what I've seen, he's been a great teammate. Very excited. It's a great opportunity for us and for him. We'll see when we get back.

Q. Obviously as players the pinnacle of success is obviously a championship, but aside from that for you at this stage in your career, what would you say is your holy grail, that could be something that you have or something that you are still trying to chase?

JALEN BRUNSON: Honestly, I feel like my journey has been very different from most. I'm very thankful for it. It's made me work extremely hard. It's made me realize the opportunity that I've had. I'm still chasing it. I'm still chasing a lot, and I write down goals, long-term, short-term goals, at the beginning of every year. I keep that to myself.

Q. JB, from your previous Eastern Conference Finals run, what have you learned from yourself that maybe you can take into this next postseason run to help make sure you all get over the hump?

JALEN BRUNSON: Yeah, never looking ahead. You never want to look ahead. You want to focus on the task in front of you. I think most importantly after last year you can't just jump right back into where we were. You have to start the journey all over again.

Taking one day at a time, taking it a step-by-step process, not focusing on down the road. Just focus on being present.

Q. If you played Boban [Marjanovic] on a 1-on-1 to 11, who would win?

JALEN BRUNSON: I have, and I won.

Q. What if I was on the same team?

JALEN BRUNSON: It would be the same outcome [laughing].

Q. I just wanted to ask you about Jose Alvarado and what kind of impact he's made for the Knicks so far? And also, if you could pick one person that you haven't had on your podcast yet, who would it be?

JALEN BRUNSON: He’s had a great impact so far, and that's with his energy, with who he is on and off the court, what it brings to the table.

He's a great person to be around as well. He's already impacting our team. He's going to be great for the Garden. Fans are going to love him, if they already don't. It's really exciting to get ready for this run and for the end of the season.

One person that I want on my podcast, I'm a big, big [Law & Order] SVU fan, and she knows that, Mariska Hargitay.

Q. Who is the most annoying person in your locker room, and what does he do to annoy you?

JALEN BRUNSON: I'm pretty sure the world saw what he's done, so I'm not going to say his name. No. 3 on the Knicks, he's the most annoying person ever.

Q. I'm a sports psychiatrist, and I was wondering on game day how do you mentally prepare to play at your best?

JALEN BRUNSON: Very routine-based. I try and stick to the same routine. I think most importantly when you are getting ready for a game, you try not to do too much, try not to deviate what you do on a game-day basis.

My focus comes from preparing. It's not just game day. It's the days leading up to game day. It's the preparation from the summertime. It's all the work you've put in your entire life. Your confidence comes from your work ethic. So that's how I prepare on game day.

Q. What is it about podcasting that you -- what do you like about podcasting, and what do you think makes a good podcast? What advice would you give to players who want to do it?

JALEN BRUNSON: Yes, he's very annoying, but I get to talk to one of my best friends. We could talk about things that we want to talk about and we don't have to answer every question that people want us to answer. You don't have to talk about every topic. You can talk about what you want to talk about. You can create your own narrative. You can say the things you need to to get off your chest. It's your own platform.

I enjoy it, because it's something that I didn't think we would want to do, and then it got to the point where we felt comfortable doing it, and now here we are in year three.

It's fun. It's unique. It's a great opportunity for us for possibly life after basketball, if we want to continue this. We're just always thinking about what's next, and I think it's a great foray for us.