Rick Brunson

Eric Brunson
Born	(1972-06-14) June 14, 1972 Syracuse, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Former professional basketball player, assistant coach
Years active	1995–present
Known for	NBA player and assistant coach for the New York Knicks

Eric Daniel Brunson (born June 14, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Over nine NBA seasons, he played for several teams and later transitioned into coaching, holding assistant positions with various franchises. Brunson's collegiate basketball career was with the Temple Owls.

Professional playing career

Originally from Syracuse, New York, Brunson attended Salem High School, where in 1991 he was one of only two players from Massachusetts to be named a McDonald's All-American.

Following his graduation from Temple University, Brunson went undrafted in the 1995 NBA Draft but began his professional career overseas with the Adelaide 36ers in Australia's National Basketball League Australia during the 1995–96 season, where he earned team MVP recognition. He subsequently competed in the Continental Basketball Association before signing as a free agent with the Portland Trail Blazers for the 1997–98 NBA season. In 1998, Brunson had a brief tenure playing for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the Philippine Basketball Association.

Brunson became part of the New York Knicks roster during their run to the Eastern Conference title in 1999. Throughout his NBA tenure, he played for several teams including the Boston Celtics, a second stint with the Trail Blazers, the Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, and the Los Angeles Clippers. While with the Clippers in the 2004–05 season, he achieved a personal best scoring average of 5.5 points per game, which led to a contract with the Seattle SuperSonics. However, injuries curtailed his playing time there. He concluded his NBA career with the Houston Rockets after nine seasons.

Coaching career

Brunson began his coaching journey in 2007 as an assistant coach specializing in player development for the Denver Nuggets. Between 2007 and 2009, he held the position of director of basketball operations at the University of Virginia, followed by an assistant coaching role with the Hartford Hawks men's basketball team. In 2010, he joined the coaching staff of the Chicago Bulls as an assistant.

He served as an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats during the 2012–13 season. In September 2016, Brunson was appointed as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He stepped down from this role in May 2018 amid misconduct allegations, which he denied.

Subsequently, Brunson coached at Camden High School, mentoring athletes including Dajuan Wagner Jr. Although he initially resigned before the 2020–21 season when Camden was ranked seventh nationally, he later returned and remained head coach until 2022.

On June 2, 2022, Brunson joined the New York Knicks as an assistant coach.

Personal life

Brunson met his wife Sandra while attending Temple University, where he played basketball and she participated in volleyball. Together they have two children: son Jalen (born 1996) and daughter Erica (born around 2000 or 2001). During his NBA career, they lived in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, relocating seven times before settling in Lincolnshire, Illinois in 2010. Jalen played high school basketball at Adlai E. Stevenson High School prior to playing collegiately at Villanova.

Jalen received numerous accolades as a high school athlete including Illinois Boys' Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year awards in both 2014 and 2015, selection to the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, Illinois Mr. Basketball honors, and led his team to win the 2015 Class 4A championship under the Illinois High School Association. He currently plays professionally for the New York Knicks in the NBA.

Brunson first crossed paths with coach Tom Thibodeau in 1987 through men's league games held in Salem. Their mutual competitive spirit fostered a long-term collaboration that has seen Brunson serve as Thibodeau’s assistant on multiple teams including the Timberwolves, Bulls, and presently with the Knicks.

In 2014, Brunson faced legal charges including attempted criminal sexual assault and domestic battery.

External links

• Profile on Virginiasports.com