New Jalen Brunson pal Rajon Rondo visits Knicks practice
The Knicks had a special visitor Tuesday.
NBA legend Rajon Rondo was a guest at the first official practice of the season.
Jalen Brunson, now a championship-winning point guard, has recently built a relationship with the two-time champion point guard and potential Hall of Famer.
“I got to talk to him, got to really get to know him this summer,” Brunson said. “I definitely watched him. He was just so creative and someone who was innovative in the way they play basketball.
“Definitely an icon when I was younger. So it was really cool to get to know him and his family.”
New Knicks center Andre Drummond was on the other side of the team’s rivalry with the 76ers the past two years.
He remembers vividly just how much Knicks fans took over the Philadelphia arena during the second round, when the Knicks swept the 76ers.
“It was crazy,” Drummond said Tuesday. “It felt like an away game the whole series. They came down and took over the entire arena.
“Crazy seeing some of the fans from [Philadelphia] even wearing Knicks jerseys, too, so the Knicks fanbase is just far and wide. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world. It’s the basketball Mecca, so they did what they were supposed to do.”
Two of the biggest moves this offseason were LeBron James signing with the 76ers and Giannis Antetokounmpo being traded to the Heat.
Both praised the Knicks — and specifically, Brunson — at their respective Media Days on Monday.
“I really do appreciate it and I respect the hell out of them,” Brunson said. “It’s honestly really cool, and it’s a sign of respect. To hear that from those guys, I really do appreciate it. It’s just like a lot of things — when you hear praise, when you hear negativity, it has to go through one ear and out the other. You gotta continue to be the best version of yourself or people are gonna pass you. I really do appreciate it, it shows where I’ve grown, but still got a lot of work to do.”