All About Jalen Brunson's Parents, Knicks Coach Dad Rick Brunson and Mom Sandra

Skyler Caruso, Emily BlackwoodFri, June 5, 2026 at 11:00 PM UTC

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Jalen and Rick Brunson in 2025 ; Jalen and Sandra Brunson in 2019.Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; Jalen Brunson/Instagram -

Jalen Brunson was raised in New Jersey by his parents, Sandra and Rick Brunson

His father is a former NBA player for the New York Knicks and now works as an assistant for the team

Jalen and Sandra co-founded the Second Round Foundation to support youth through education, sports and community programs

No one is a bigger fan of Jalen Brunson than his parents, Sandra and Rick Brunson.

The couple welcomed their son on Aug. 31, 1996, in New Jersey, two years before Rick joined the New York Knicks as a point guard. Both of his parents played college sports at Temple University, where they met.

Brunson was taught the importance of discipline and dedication from a young age. Since he was a kid, his parents emphasized the quote, "The magic is in the work," which became his mantra.

"They had it on the wall, in my mirror when I woke up," Brunson told ESPN in April 2023 of the words his parents instilled in him as a young athlete. "They had it in my lunch bag for school. They just made sure I saw that quote."

Brunson and the Knicks played in the team's first conference finals since 2000, and his dad — who played for the Knicks the last time the team made the NBA Finals — coached him on the court. The team is now facing the San Antonio Spurs for the championship title.

Here's everything to know about Jalen Brunson's parents, Sandra and Rick Brunson.

Rick is a former NBA player and trained Jalen as a kid

Rick played in the NBA for nearly a decade, a career that spanned several teams, including the Knicks in 1998. He finished his ninth and final season with the Houston Rockets in 2006.

Due to his time in the NBA, Rick's knowledge and experiences helped him shape his son into the athlete that he is today. Brunson told CBS Mornings in April 2024 that his dad would ask him if basketball was what he "wanted to do for a living" as early as the seventh grade.

"The answer was always 'yes,' " Brunson said. "No matter what mood I was in."

Rick is an assistant coach of the Knicks

Rick Brunson and Jalen Brunson during a New York Knicks game on March 29, 2024Credit: Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty

Rick is currently an assistant coach for the Knicks, where he works alongside his son, Brunson. Prior to being hired by the team in June 2022, he coached various teams in the NBA.

From January to April 2007, Rick was an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets before shifting his coaching focus to the NCAA. In September 2010, he returned to the NBA as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls. He also spent time assistant coaching the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Sandra is a former volleyball player

Jalen Brunson and his mom, Sandra Brunson.Credit: Jalen Brunson/Instagram

Sandra was a student athlete at Temple University and played for the school's volleyball team.

Brunson has inherited his parents' athletic genes and voiced his appreciation for them in a May 2020 interview with WFAA.

"Thank you for my athletic ability because without you I wouldn't be able to jump as high as I do," the basketball star told his mom.

"Obviously my dad handled the basketball portion of it, handled like the working out portion," Brunson added of Rick. "But my mom handled, legit, everything else."

He explained, "She was the general. She held me accountable for everything I did. If I was putting my mind to something I couldn't quit until it was done. She basically gave me that no-quit mentally."

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Rick taught Brunson discipline through sports

Jalen Brunson and Rick Brunson of the New York Knicks in April 2024.Credit: Sarah Stier/Getty

Rick was sure to train Brunson physically, but also mentally as he strived to play in the NBA.

"I would say to Rick, 'I'm afraid he's not going to like basketball soon,' " Sandra told CBS Mornings. "And it wasn't so much Rick pushing him. It was more so Rick trying to embed the discipline the disciple that it takes."

Meanwhile, Rick said he "never felt that" he pushed his son too hard. "I would always talk to him about how bad did he want this. 'How good do you want to be?' His answer ... he wanted to be great," the NBA coach recalled.

Brunson pointed out a few training methods he endured growing up. "He made me work out in the hot, summer sun ... with a weight vest on," he said of his dad's workouts. "His motto was, 'If you could shoot here, you could shoot anywhere.' It was more mental than anything."

Sandra is co-founder of the Second Round Foundation nonprofit

Sandra Brunson alongside Jalen Brunson and his wife Alison at A Night of Covenant House Stars Gala in May 2023.Credit: Ron Adar/Shutterstock

Brunson may be a star pro athlete, but he makes time to give back to those in need. Sandra and the Knicks player co-founded the Second Round Foundation, a nonprofit that "plants seeds to create equity for young people through education, sport and community."

The foundation's mission is to "empower young people to determine their own success, regardless of background or circumstance," according to its website.

Since its inception, the nonprofit has launched various campaigns, including the One Family program and its Jalen Brunson Patriot Wellness Initiative.

Sandra doubles as the Second Round Foundation's CFO. She is also the president of the Brunson-founded JMB1 Enterprises.

Rick knows how to separate "coach" and "dad" duties

Jalen Brunson and his dad, Rick Brunson, on the court at Madison Square Garden in February 2024.Credit: David Dow/NBAE via Getty

Brunson understands how to differentiate Rick's roles of "dad" and "coach." In an interview posted by the NBA in June 2023, the Knicks player revealed the "most important thing" he's learned about his father.

"He's the most loving, caring father that I could ever ask for me and my sister — but when he's a coach, he's a hard-nose coach. He wants the best put of me, he's going to push me," Brunson explained. "He's going to keep pushing me because he knows I want to be the best that I could be."

The athlete added, "That's the most important thing. Once I learned that, life became a lot easier and I began working even harder."

Brunson and Sandra share a close bond

Sandra and Brunson have a close mother-son relationship. The basketball player opened up about their special bond while speaking to WFAA in May 2020.

"She is like my best friend, she is my best friend, 100 percent," Brunson told WFAA of Sandra. Meanwhile, Sandra described her bond with Brunson as "unbreakable and a blessing."

Brunson also thanked Sandra for everything she's done for him to date. "Thank you for sacrificing pretty much everything for myself and my sister," he said.

"I really do thank you for loving me every single day and being there every single day and allowing me to annoy you every day that I can," he continued. "I truly love you with all my heart."

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