- Jalen Brunson didn’t know who Michael Jordan was during childhood meeting with NBA legend
- Knicks guard refused to let MJ “ruin” his jersey with a signature
- Failed Jordan encounter is a major regret for Brunson
As the son of a former NBA veteran, Jalen Brunson was living every kid’s dream growing up, but it doesn’t mean he was always in the loop on what was going on around him. In a hilarious story told by league insider Ohm Youngmisuk, Rick Brunson claims his son, Jalen, snubbed Michael Jordan after he offered his son an autograph during his run with the Wizards.
Apparently, Jalen had no clue who Michael was despite sporting a no. 23 jersey. “When Jalen used to go watch his dad play he would always wear a jersey of that team,” said Ohm. “Rick Brunson played for a lot of teams, but at this time he played with the Wizards so he bought a Michael Jordan jersey, no. 23, a brand new white jersey. Rick Brunson took him to the locker room, introduced him to Patrick Ewing, and he said, ‘Hey do you want Michael Jordan to sign that jersey?’ Michael comes over and says ‘Do you want me to autograph the jersey?’ Jalen Brunson doesn’t know who Michael Jordan is and says, ‘No, you’ll ruin the jersey.’ Five-year-old Jalen Brunson. To this day, he still regrets that… but yeah he turned down the GOAT and said ‘I don’t want you to ruin this jersey!'”
This story on how 5-year-old @jalenbrunson1 turned down an autographed jersey from MJ is hilarious 🤣 pic.twitter.com/MVVvJNXO1y
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 25, 2023
Most fans would kill for a chance to meet Michael Jordan, and Jalen had an opportunity to go a step beyond that by getting his own autograph from the basketball legend. Unfortunately, at just five years old, Jalen didn’t yet recognize the face behind the name.
Everybody Wanted Michael Jordan’s Autograph
During the time of Jalen’s encounter with Jordan, he was already on the Wizards in the final stages of his career. Even at that point, well beyond his prime years, Jordan was a legend who had already established himself as one of the best players ever. Today, the price for a signed Wizards jersey from the GOAT would go for a ridiculous price but the demand for his signature was even greater during the height of his run with the Bulls.
“I’m still pissed that I had a teammate that just had a newborn son and he bought (shoes) and he sent the shoes over for Jordan to sign,” said Karl alone in a story for The Players Tribune podcast. “You know what Michael did? Like a O.G. should do: we’ll kick your a** in (Game 4)… This motherfu**er is over here kicking our ass, and you want his autograph for your son?”
During the 90s, Jordan had the entire NBA in his grip and his influence knew no bounds. By the time of ‘The Last Dance’ in 1998, MJ was already considered the GOAT by many experts as a 6x champion, 5x MVP, and 10x scoring leader. It wouldn’t be until years later that Jordan would suit up for the Wizards — and while the experience was different from the rest of Michael’s career, it was the last chance for many young fans to catch him live.
Is Jordan’s Run With The Wizards Underrated?
Starting in 2001, Michael Jordan made his third, and final, comeback for two seasons with the Washington Wizards. In that span, MJ was clearly not the same dominant force he used to be but there is no denying that he was still elite, which is an incredible feat given the years of wear and tear on his body.
Over 142 games with the Wizards, Jordan averaged 21.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game on 43% shooting. Despite the lack of team success for D.C., Jordan still had some sparks of stardom for the franchise and it’s incredible what he was able to do at 38 and 39 years old. Looking back on it all, Jalen Brunson must be kicking himself knowing what he missed out on, but at least now he can say that he’s made up for it through his spectacular play with the Knicks.
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