Ken Blaze - Imagn Images
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson has emerged as a superstar since signing with the Knicks prior to the 2022-2023 season. He’s become the face of a resurgent Knicks franchise that has consistently been one of the NBA’s best teams the last three seasons after spending the better part of two decades as a laughing stock.
Brunson has gained a bit of a reputation throughout the NBA ecosphere as a bit of a flopper and foul-baiter. On Monday, one day after his favorite team, the Boston Celtics, beat the Knicks once again, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons proclaimed that Brunson was the most egregious flopper in the NBA.
Brunson, who is averaging 26.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and a career high 7.4 assists this year for the 37-20 Knicks, who are sitting in the third-seed in the Eastern Conference. He’s getting to the free throw line 6.8 times per game, good enough for eighth-most in the league.
At this point, Jalen Brunson, who is one of the NBA’s smallest star players, has developed quite a reputation for foul-baiting and flopping.
Gotta love ESPN showing Brunson blatantly flopping to highlight some Defense https://t.co/idzN8P3V0H pic.twitter.com/5wIgPFdfzw
— CELTICS ☘️ BANNER 19 (@BiggLynch) February 23, 2025
“Jalen Brunson doesn’t flop! Stop fouling him!”
https://t.co/lWxqpjBE5n— Aidan LaPorta (@AidanLaPorta69) February 4, 2025
Ironically, Brunson didn’t get to all the foul line at all in Sunday’s 108-105 loss to the Celtics. That didn’t stop Bill Simmons from firing off this take.
Bill Simmons: “I think Jalen Brunson‘s become the preeminent flopper in the NBA… Harden’s getting a little older…Trae Young was there for a second…Brunson’s top of his game…the complete package. It’s some of the best flopping I’ve ever seen” pic.twitter.com/LWbSnwMtkF
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) February 24, 2025
I’m not sure that Bill Simmons is 100% correct in this take, but Jalen Brunson definitely is crafty at getting to the foul line. He loves beating his man, cutting in front of him and then slowing up to draw a foul. But, the biggest flopper in the league? I’m not sure how many fans would agree.