The New York Knicks are preparing for an Eastern Conference semifinals tilt against the Indiana Pacers, with the series getting underway on Monday. Ahead of Game 1, a new Nike billboard featuring star guard Jalen Brunson was plastered in the middle of New York City.
The billboard, which pictured Brunson from behind with one arm in the air, had a short but sweet message written above the Nike logo.
"Don't sleep."
It's a fitting message for the once underrated guard who has found an NBA home in "The City That Never Sleeps."
Despite an excellent college career, in which he won a national championship at Villanova, Brunson fell into the second round during the 2018 NBA draft. After four seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, the team who drafted him, Brunson was offered a contract vastly below market value, which he declined before signing with the Knicks.
Being slept on is nothing new to Brunson, who, coming off his first-ever All-Star campaign, just became the first player since Michael Jordan in 1993 to score 37 or more points in four consecutive playoff games.
With Games 1 and 2 set to be played at Madison Square Garden, Nike capitalized on a prime opportunity to recognize Brunson's postseason dominance with the remarkable billboard right in the heart of the city.
