New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson played an integral role in his team winning the Shooting Stars competition, an event that marked his spectacular return to the NBA All-Star Saturday after an 11-year hiatus, but there was one thing that was dampening his excitement. And he shares a last name.
After Brunson, fellow 2026 All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and fan favorite Allen Houston led the Knicks to victory, No. 11 took the opportunity to deliver a verbal jab at the celebrity passer, who is also his father and coach. New York assistant and former NBA player Rick Brunson was roasted during the trophy presentation.
When asked if he was enjoying, the younger Brunson decided to lie down next to his old man.
"No, whenever I'm with him, it's never fun," he told NBC Sports reporter Ashley Shahahmadi via the BrickCenterX account. "It was a passer, I wouldn't call it a 'celebrity' passer, but he did his job."
Jalen Brunson on whether he's still enjoying:
"No." pic.twitter.com/ZdyPZTXdv9
- BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) 14 February 2026
Team Knicks is your shooting stars champion
He ensured victory by scoring 47 points in the second round.
(via @nba)pic.twitter.com/SdpYtHt6Zj
- ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 14 February 2026
The Brunson men spend so much time together in the locker room and on the road, so one can assume they regularly engage in some old-fashioned ribbing. Ultimately, everyone did their job effectively enough to lead New York to the win. The Knicks trio scored 47 points in the final round to defeat Team Cameron, which included former Duke stars Jalen Johnson, Kon Knueppel and Corey Maggette.
Jalen Brunson will continue to be an important part of the festivities, as he is set to be an All-Star Game star for the second year in a row. Since his father won't be on the court during the action, one can only hope that the 29-year-old will have some fun before leaving the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
