Knicks star Jalen Brunson looks unrecognizable without signature braids and beard as he chases NBA Finals glory

Jalen Brunson has fired the New York Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Many an opposing NBA player must fear what’s coming when they see the signature beard and braids lining up across the court.

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Brunson averaged 26 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists across an impressive regular season, which saw the Knicks finish 53-29.

The 29-year-old also dropped 25 points and eight assists in an NBA Cup final win over the San Antonio Spurs, which ended New York’s 52-year wait for a trophy.

Now, he’s got even more glory in his sights, and will hope to drag his franchise back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 — with Knicks super fan Spike Lee already backing them for glory.

But long before he was tearing up the NBA, Brunson was a fresh-faced kid looking to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Jalen Brunson unrecognizable without signature on-court look

Dad Rick played nine seasons in the league and put Jalen through his paces early on in his career.

Raised in New Brunswick, New Jersey, until the sixth grade, it was at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, that Brunson Jr. showed signs that he could continue the family legacy.

Averaging 23.3 points in his senior year, the five-star recruit and Illinois Mr. Basketball arrived at Villanova in 2015 ranked 16th in the country by ESPN and the No.2 point guard behind Isaiah Briscoe.

It proved to be a steep learning curve.

“So I thought I had good habits of winning, going into college. But then I realized that I had good habits, but I needed better ones because college is different,” Brunson told the Come And Talk 2 Me podcast in 2024.

“And so being able to be held accountable by the older guys on the team and by Coach [Jay] Wright and stuff, it definitely helped me.”

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A beardless Brunson averaged 9.6 points as a freshman, sporting a now-unfamiliar close-cropped hairstyle. He started as the Wildcats won the NCAA Tournament.

He won another title in 2018 before declaring for the NBA Draft as the National Player of the Year. Villanova later retired his No.1 jersey.

“Learning how to be effective in a limited role my freshman year kind of taught me that I can help win in different ways,” Brunson later revealed. 

“And so I don’t have to be the guy I can have. I can be a person who can help to win a team, to help to win a championship.

“And then I got the chance to lead a team and win a championship my junior year.

“And so I was able to learn how to win in different roles. And I think that helped me get to the league.”

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The 6ft 2in, 190lb guard somehow fell to the Dallas Mavericks with the 33rd pick due to concerns over his size and defensive work.

What has Jalen Brunson achieved in NBA career to date?

Brunson improved every season in Dallas and broke out in 2021-2022 — starring in the playoffs with then-Mavericks talisman Luka Doncic injured.

His father was hired as an assistant by the Knicks on June 2, 2022.

Brunson signed a four-year, $104million deal a month later with New York later punished for engaging in talks before the free agency window.

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He is averaging well north of 20 points in every season with the Knicks, emerging as one of the NBA’s brightest talents.

Named Clutch Player of the Year in April 2025, the 28-year-old said he first developed those important skills as a fresh-faced youth.

“I think some people are born into it,” Brunson told TNT’s Inside the NBA.

“I think I had to learn back in high school, and I’ve gotten better and better at each stage, and here we are.”

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Now, the three-time All-Star is looking to do what his dad never managed — and win a ring.

The Knicks are back in the postseason again, and in 2026, Brunson has been key as New York knocked off the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, and swept the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Semifinals.

Now, the Cleveland Cavaliers stand between the franchise and their first Finals appearance in 26 long years.

Should the Knicks make the promised land, they will be dreaming of going one step further, and winning a chip for the first time since 1973.

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