NBA a family affair for Knicks' Brunsons and Bucks' Adrian Griffin
New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson reacts to a referee's call during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Monday, Dec. 25, 2023, in New York. Credit: AP/Seth Wenig
Coaches and players regularly sacrifice family time on Christmas Day to play on the day’s big NBA stage.
But for the Brunsons and Griffins, Monday’s Knicks-Bucks game at Madison Square Garden had a strong family- friendly feel.
Before the Knicks’ 129-122 victory, Bucks coach Adrian Griffin spoke of his close ties to the Brunsons, having played with now-Knicks assistant Rick Brunson in the CBA, coached alongside him with the Bulls and known the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson since the point guard was a child.
Griffin said Rick Brunson is like a brother to him.
“I coached with Rick in Chicago and he and Jalen would be in there,” Griffin said. “He coached Jalen hard, man. I used to watch him all the time with Jalen and Jalen was getting better and I looked at my kids and said, ‘Man, we’ve got to get to work.’ ”
Griffin’s children have done just fine, too. His son AJ plays for the Hawks, his son Alan has played professionally (but not at the NBA level) and his daughter Aubrey plays for Connecticut.
“I see similarities all the time when I watch Jalen,” Griffin said. “[Rick’s] basketball IQ was off the charts. I think Jalen shoots a little bit better than Rick, but Rick could score and he could lead the team.
“He was a great teammate, great point guard. It’s just fun to see how he’s passed all that down to his son.”
Apparently so. Brunson scored 38 points in the Knicks’ victory.
Jalen Brunson said watching how Griffin’s basketball family has flourished made seeing him on the opposing bench on Christmas an added treat.
“So much credit to their family and everything they’ve done, their work ethic and where they got to,” he said. “It’s just really cool to see that another family like that has accomplished a lot.”
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, under whom Griffin and Rick Brunson worked in Chicago, said, “I have unbelievable respect for Rick because of the career that he carved out. And then just seeing Jalen in the gym, around the pros his whole life, you could see as a 6-year-old his love for the game.
“And the thing that was really cool is Griff was the same way with his kids. And they all turned out to be unbelievable players as well . . . They’re not only great players, but they’re great people as well. I’m proud of both guys and the families that they have, and their kids are a great reflection of them.”
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
