“I Want My Son to Be Like Him”: Bulls Legend Makes Heartfelt Jalen Brunson Confession

Taj Gibson carved out a 17-year NBA career almost entirely through toughness, professionalism, and an unshakeable work ethic. The kind of player coaches trust precisely because talent alone never got him there.

That same instinct for recognizing substance over hype is what surfaced when Gibson was asked about Jalen Brunson.

"I want my son to be like him," Gibson said of Jalen Brunson. "For real."

The comment, brief as it is, carried real weight coming from a player who spent nearly two decades in NBA locker rooms alongside every kind of personality the league produces — max-contract stars, quiet role players, locker room leaders, and everything in between.

Gibson didn't praise Brunson's shot-making or his clutch scoring. He held him up as a model of character worth passing down to the next generation, which is a different and arguably higher form of respect than simply calling someone a great player.

The praise came at a moment when Brunson's story had become genuinely difficult to argue with on any level. He was a modest 2022 free-agent signing that many questioned at the time.

He developed into the unquestioned cornerstone of a championship roster and became Finals MVP. He did it on a below-market contract he chose to sign specifically to give the Knicks the cap flexibility needed to build a contender around him.

That decision alone - leaving over $100 million on the table relative to his true max value - has become the defining example league-wide of a star prioritizing team success over personal earnings.

It's precisely the kind of selflessness that resonates with veterans like Gibson, who spent their careers understanding how rare that mindset actually is at the highest level of the sport.

Brunson wasn't a lottery pick or a can't-miss prospect. He was a 33rd overall selection out of Villanova who had to prove himself repeatedly at every level, from a diminished role in Dallas to becoming a max-caliber lead guard in New York.

That path was built on preparation and consistency rather than pure physical gifts. That is the template Gibson pointed to.

For a former player who built his own career on exactly those same values - showing up, doing the work, putting the team ahead of individual accolades.

Watching Brunson complete a similar journey all the way to a championship and a Finals MVP is clearly personal, in a way that goes beyond admiration for basketball.

It's a plan Gibson wants replicated in his own household.