Only paw’sitive vibes!
As the Knicks enter the Eastern Conference finals, diehard fans will be glued to their TVs alongside their pet pooches Brunson, named after the team’s top dog, point guard Jalen Brunson.
“I mean Jalen Brunson has pretty much been the savior for the New York Knicks, so it only makes sense,” Bronx native Josh Oquendo said about naming his 2-year-old pit bull.
When he and Brunson watch games together and the announcers say the All-Star’s name, the dog’s “ears will perk up,” Oquendo, 35, told The Post.
Rochester native Nicole Pereira, who graduated from Villanova University like Brunson, named her Australian Labradoodle after the eventual team captain during his first season with the Knicks.
She said the canine — who sports a No. 11 jersey on special occasions — loves hearing his name being called during games.
“He absolutely gets into it. He looks at the TV and we’re like, ‘It’s all about you,’” said Pereira, 41.
The 3-year-old will be tuning in when the Knicks play in the conference finals, starting with Game 1 on Tuesday.
“He’s a first class cuddler. So if we’re sitting on the couch, he’s absolutely on our laps regardless of what we’re watching. But he’ll definitely be watching all the playoff games,” she said.
Staten Island native Nick Carbonara said his 7-month-old Cavapoo Brunson thinks he’s in trouble whenever his dad shouts the point guard’s name.
“I’m kind of a maniac Knicks fan, so when Brunson hits a three, I’ll just scream ‘Brunson!’ . . . and the dog is just kind of like, ‘What did I do?’” he said.
Carbonara, 43, named his other Cavapoo Jeter, after the one-time captain of his other favorite team.
He revealed that Brunson was originally going to be named after the current Yankees captain Aaron Judge, until his son met Brunson at a meet-and-greet in October.
Long Islander Lauren Beckman also has a Cavapoo named Sir Humphrey Brunson, thanks to her superfan husband.
“When they didn’t win back in the ’90s, he was in his room for a week, and missed school because he was so devastated,” said Beckman, 42.
New Jerseyans Brianna Tarabocchia and her fiancé, Andrew Santonocito, got their Petite Goldendoodle Brunson in January 2025 — and said he is proving to be just like his eponym.
“He’s really athletic, which is funny,” Tarabocchia, 28, said.
“Our friends come over and we watch Knicks games together and they’re like, ‘How does your dog know how to catch things? The way he jumps and leaps is insane.’ And I’m like, ‘It’s because his name is Brunson.’”
Tarabocchia, whose childhood dogs were a Yorkie named Kobe after the Lakers legend and a Golden Retriever named Troy after Troy Polamalu of Pittsburgh Steelers fame, said she convinced Santonocito to get a dog by allowing him full control over its name.
“I wasn’t really down for it since we don’t have backyard space … so the way I came around to it was I get to name the dog,” said Santonocito, 27.
“He said, ‘Brunson,’ and I was like, ‘Done,’” Tarabocchia added.
The couple is getting married next year — and Brunson will be a big dog at their wedding.
“Brunson will be in our pictures after our first look and will be one of our ring bearers,” Tarabocchia said.
“We plan on getting him a tuxedo for when he comes down the aisle.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
