Villanova Product Jalen Brunson Earns Second Straight All-Star Starting Nod

Villanova Men’s Basketball alumnus and two-time national champion Jalen Brunson earned a starting position in the NBA All-Star Game for the second season in a row on Monday, Jan. 19. He also made the exhibition during the 2023-24 season.

Brunson is averaging 28.2 points per game for the New York Knicks this season, the eighth-best mark in the NBA; his 6.1 assists rank 20th. The Knicks also roster two of Brunson’s teammates at Villanova, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, and currently hold the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. They also won the NBA Cup Championship in December, an in-season tournament designed to boost viewer interest for games that would otherwise have less significance. Brunson earned MVP honors for his performance in the tournament.

All-Star starting positions were determined through fan voting. During the most recent vote release, Brunson had the second-most votes of any player in the Eastern Conference, trailing only Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks). The All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15 in Los Angeles. It will feature three teams in a round robin format: two of American-born NBA stars, and one of the league’s international players.