The Case For The Knicks' Jalen Brunson As The Most Valuable Employee In America

• Jalen Brunson solidified himself as a NYC legend by carrying the Knicks to an NBA championship.
• The team's title trajectory can be traced back to a selfless business decision made by Brunson in 2024.
• The two MSG entities affiliated with the Knicks have seen $8 billion of value added since Brunson joined the team.

If you watched the NBA Finals in any capacity, you were treated to the Jalen Brunson Show.

The Knicks superstar ran the offense like a maestro, sinking mid-range jumpers and draining clutch 3-pointers. His 45 points in Game 5 clinched the first Knicks title in 53 years. He was virtually unstoppable across four playoff rounds.

But Brunson's biggest contribution to the Knicks championship run came back in 2024, when he sacrificed what could've been $113 million in additional compensation. He did so by agreeing to a new team-friendly deal while still under contract, rather than testing the open market as an unrestricted free agent.

The selfless move allowed the Knicks to comfortably retain their core and have greater financial flexibility as the roster became more expensive.

It's hard to imagine the Knicks going the distance without Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, or Karl-Anthony Towns. We didn't know it then, but Brunson's choice two seasons ago crystallized his team's championship trajectory.

At the time, people scratched their heads about his decision. The NBA is a league where the goal for most players is to maximize earnings potential. And can you blame them? Every last digit matters when you're talking about millions of dollars.

Brunson, meanwhile, has become Exhibit A for playing the long game. A championship is worth its weight in gold, especially in a place like New York City. It's entirely possible he'll make up that $113 million in lifetime endorsements alone. He'll probably never pay for a meal in the city again. The proceeds and savings will add up.

But the wealth machine is much bigger than just Brunson and his personal finances. The newly anointed NBA Finals MVP is helping create billions of dollars of value for investors, and serving as rocket fuel for the global Knicks brand: merch, tickets, etc.

With all of that in mind, you could make the argument Brunson is the most valuable employee in America right now.

Not buying it? Check out the chart below, which plots the torrid performance of Madison Square Garden Sports stock before and after Brunson joined the Knicks:

A few main takeaways:

• MSGS stock was down 27% over the three seasons before Brunson joined
• It then climbed 66% across Brunson's first three seasons with the team
• MSGS spiked another 70% during his fourth season, when the Knicks won the title

In total market value terms, MSG Sports has gotten a roughly $6 billion boost from the Brunson era. Add to that MSG Entertainment — a separate entity that owns the actual arena — and the total swells to about $8 billion added.

While Brunson's team-first decision was relatively rare in pro sports, there is a high-profile precedent. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was known for avoiding the open market and accepting below-market contracts so his team could sign better players.

When you combine Brady's seven Super Bowl titles (six of which were with the Patriots) with his ultra-lucrative broadcasting career and omnipresent advertisements, it's clear that playing the long game worked for him as well.

Brunson may be just starting down the Brady path. But with his first championship in hand, he's already living proof that it can pay big to bet on yourself.