Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks’ All-Star guard, was named the NBA Clutch Player of the Year on Wednesday (23 April).
Brunson is the third recipient of the Jerry West Trophy after the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry last year and De’Aaron Fox, then with the Sacramento Kings, in 2023.
“I think some people are born into it,” Jalen Brunson said on TNT on Wednesday. “I think I had to learn back in high school, and I’ve gotten better and better at each stage, and here we are.”
The 28-year-old received 70 first-place votes, along with 24 second-place and 4 third-place votes. He finished ahead of Nikola Jokic who finished with 26 first-place votes. Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves was the remaining finalist.
The clutch is defined as the last five minutes of a game with a score differential of less than five points.The award recognizes the player who consistently delivers in high-pressure moments late in games.
“Just finding a way to win,” Brunson said of being more than a scorer. “I think that’s just most important. You can have clutch plays, but that doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win. The winning part is most important for me.”
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Brunson shot 51 per cent from the floor and averaged a league-best 5.6 points per game in the clutch. He also had 28 clutch assists, third most in the NBA.
During the regular season, the 28-year-old point man had averages of 26 points, 7.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game on almost 49 per cent shooting as he was selected to his second All-Star team.
NBA Clutch Player of the Year is the second of seven major individual awards being handed out. The winner is selected by a global panel of 100 media members, based on nominations from NBA head coaches.
