The M in MVP is reserved for only one Mom.
A man went viral after thanking Jalen Brunson’s mom for creating the Knicks star.
Joe Clements happened to be sitting near Sandra Brunson in the stands in San Antonio after Game 1 of the NBA Finals — so he used the moment to express his gratitude.
“Hey, Mrs. Brunson, Thank you so much for having that boy. He is the franchise changer. We love him,” Clements said in the video, which racked up 1.7 million views, and hundreds of comments from fans, calling her the “Queen of NYC.”
Sandra, whom Brunson called his “best friend 100 percent,” in a 2020 interview with WFAA, laughed and smiled at the superfan’s gushing.
Clements posted the video of her reaction to his Instagram page with the caption, “Every Knicks fan—scratch that—every basketball fan should thank this wonderful lady for bringing into the world the greatest Knick ever!!!! (We thank Rick too but he did the easy part).”
Knicks fans took to the comments section to also express their admiration for Sandra — who played volleyball at Temple University, which is how she met her husband, Knicks assistant coach, Rick, who was on the basketball team.
“She is actually The Queen of NYC and she deserves all the love and respect,” one gushed.
“That woman will be protected and cherished by Knicks fans everywhere,” another wrote.
“GOD BLESS THAT WOMAN AND HER HUSBAND, they raised a real star,” someone else added.
Others declared that Sandra, a native of Lakeview, NY, should be treated like royalty around the Big Apple.
“That lady should never pay for a meal in NYC,” one said.
“She [should] get a free pass everywhere in NYC. No questions asked,” another agreed.
Sandra is the co-founder and chief financial officer of Second Round Foundation, a New Jersey nonprofit that “plants seeds to create equity for young people through education, sport, and community,” according to its website.
Brunson has credited his mom for his grit and determination.
“She was the general. She held me accountable for everything I did. If I was putting my mind to something I couldn’t quit until it was done. She basically gave me that no-quit mentality,” he told WFAA.
He’s also thanked her for his talents on the court.
“Thank you for my athletic ability because without you I wouldn’t be able to jump as high as I do,” he added.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
