New Yorkers Launch Petition to Rename Popular Landmark After Jalen Brunson

Whether you love him or hate him, Jalen Brunson has become a household name in New York. After a 53-year championship drought, the star guard led the New York Knicks to their third NBA championship, earning Finals MVP honors in the process. He accomplished in just four years what even the great Patrick Ewing couldn't during his 15-year tenure with the Knicks. As a result, it doesn't seem too far-fetched that New Yorkers want to bestow him with an incredibly significant honor.

Knicks fans have come together to sign a petition to rename the Hudson River to the Brunson River instead. As of June 20th, 366 people have already signed the petition. Many more are expected to follow.

That said, while the idea could be heartwarming to the Knicks star, the petition has a long way to go before getting approved. According to New York's rule regarding changing the name of a public geographic landmark, a petition must gather signatures from at least 75% of the residents in the area.

The Hudson River is located in Eastern New York State. Sources say that approximately 13.5 million people live in that area. Based on the last reported number of signatures collected, the petition only has 0.002% of the residents in the area.

The chances of the Hudson River being renamed after Brunson are slim. Renaming a major geographic landmark like the Hudson River is vastly different from renaming a street, park, or public building.

While New York has honored notable figures such as Ed Koch and Marsha P. Johnson by renaming public landmarks after them, changing the name of one of the state's most iconic natural features would require far greater public support and a much more extensive approval process. That said, we don't blame Knicks fans for starting the petition.

The last time the Knicks reached the NBA Finals was in 1999, when they fell short against the San Antonio Spurs. This championship not only ended a 53-year title drought for one of the most passionate fanbases in sports but also completed a remarkable redemption story. At the center of it all was Brunson, who averaged 32 points per game and led New York back to the top.

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks Remained Locked In For the NBA Finals

When it comes to the world of sports, one of the major make-or-break moments typically comes from the outside noise from fans and analysts. One negative remark can ruin the focus of an athlete, potentially leading to a downfall. Brunson and the rest of the Knicks knew that heading into the Finals.

The team collectively decided to block out the noise instead. In a recent live episode of the Roommates Show, Brunson shared how he and his team stayed locked in heading into the finals.

"I honestly don't think we talked about it or heard it," Brunson said. "The moment you start talking about that stuff, that stuff creeps into your mind. So, the one thing that we always did was, whenever we walked into the media room, we always had ESPN on. I usually turned it off because we don't need to listen to anything right now.

"We don’t need to listen to TV; we need to focus on each other. ... Needless to say, I think it worked," the former Dallas Mavericks guard added.

True enough, the Knicks surprisingly defied all odds and overwhelmed the San Antonio Spurs with a 4-1 finals series victory. Heading into the finals, the Spurs were the favorites to win the matchup. Many believed that the Knicks would have a difficult time stopping Victor Wembanyama, who averaged 27.8 ppg, 12 rpg, and almost 3 bpg in the WCF win against defending champs OKC Thunder.

However, the Knicks easily beat the Spurs in the first two games in their hometown. Then in Game 4, New York completed the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history, coming back from a 29-point deficit. With that in mind, it's safe to say that Brunson and the Knicks' discipline to block out the noise worked to their advantage.