Jalen Brunson earned a Philly group’s pro athlete of the year award, and Knicks fans tried to troll Sixers fans over it
Key phrase: Tried to. Sixers fans were quick to note Brunson’s deep roots at Villanova, where he won two NCAA titles.
Unsurprisingly, the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association’s Professional Athlete of the Year has logged plenty of minutes on the court in South Philly.
Just not with the Sixers.
On Friday, the PSWA announced Jalen Brunson as its Professional Athlete of the Year.
The honor goes to athletes who play in Philadelphia or have ties to the area. Brunson won two NCAA championships at Villanova in 2016 and 2018 and this past season led the New York Knicks to their first NBA title since 1973.
“What Jalen Brunson accomplished this past year has been nothing short of remarkable,” PWSA president Mike Schute wrote in a release. “His skill, his leadership, and his connection to the Philadelphia basketball community all make him a deserving recipient of this honor. He plays his best when the stakes are the highest and has led his teams to championships at every level.”
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In light of the announcement, some Knicks fans have taken to social media to troll Sixers fans. In their dominant championship run, Brunson and the Knicks eliminated the Sixers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“Looks like Josh Hart was right about Philly,” one fan wrote, referring to when the Knicks guard said he “used to think Philly was a sports town.”
New York sports talk radio also is having some fun with the news. On WFAN60, Evan and Tiki Show producer and analyst Shaun Morash laid out his issue with the selection.
“Here’s the problem with this,” Morash said. “This isn’t OK. It’s not as if Philadelphia has won a championship in one of the four sports every year for the last 20 years. So I understand that maybe it wasn’t the greatest year for Philadelphia. You can’t hand it to a professional athlete in your rival city who also eliminated and ended your basketball season.”
Many Sixers fans do not seem to mind Brunson being honored, given he did help raise two banners at what’s now known as Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Sixers are hosting the Knicks on Friday night, so we’ll have to wait and see what reaction Brunson gets from the Philadelphia faithful.
Beat reporters Gina Mizell and Chris Hine break down their most intriguing quotes from LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey during the preseason, along with what they most hope to learn about this revamped roster during the first month of the season. Watch here.
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