Led by their star guard Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks captured their first NBA championship since 1973, beating the San Antonio Spurs 4 games to 1 on June 13 in a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals.
Brunson was named the 2026 NBA Finals MVP, capped off with an historic 45-point performance in the series-clinching fifth game, helping the Knicks to their first NBA title in 53 years.
A massive parade was thrown to celebrate the NBA champions on June 18, drawing an estimated 2 million spectators to the Canyon of Heroes in Lower Manhattan, described as one of the largest turnouts in American sports history.
Brunson has been with the Knicks for four years, signing with the team as a free agent in July 2022.
Fans may also know the story of Brunson’s father, Rick Brunson, who’s a current Knicks assistant coach and was a bench player on the late 1990s Knicks.
But most probably do not know that the 29-year-old basketball star’s mother, Sandra Brunson, grew up in Lakeview.
Sandra Davis attended Malverne High School from 1987 to 1991, where she played both basketball and volleyball. In 1988, she helped lead Malverne to the Nassau County Class C Championship.
“When we played together, she was a freshman playing on varsity, and we were able to go onto the conference finals,” Sandra Brunson’s lifelong friend, Dr. Zenora Ali, from Lakeview, said.
Ali spoke about her friend’s impressive character, remembering her positive attitude and passion.
“Her dedication, commitment, and passion were her best qualities,” she said. “When we played together, she displayed that attitude on and off the court.”
Ali shares the pride of Knicks fans for her friend’s son’s success, but she has seen how Sandra Brunson has carried herself for decades.
“To be honest, I've always been proud of Sandra,” she said. “She's been very intentional and caring and thoughtful and kind from the time that I've known her.
“She’s been consistently that person since I've known her,” Ali added. “I'm overjoyed for her and for her family, and I think now the world knows what we all knew all along, the type of person that she is, and how she's raised her family.”
Sandra Brunson operates and is a co-founder of her son’s Second Round Foundation, an organization dedicated to assisting underfunded communities. The foundation, established in 2022, creates initiatives involving education, community outreach, and athletics.
“I’ve been aware of the Brunsons’ commitment to bridging the gap for under-resourced communities since the foundation’s inception,” Ali said. “Sandra comes from a very supportive family and close-knit community here on Long Island. It's where her roots began. She was able to nurture her own family and stay connected to creating opportunities wherever possible.”
The foundation donates to many charities, including Covenant House, a charity helping young people combat homelessness; Team Jamaica Bickle, a New York-based charity dedicated to supporting Caribbean athletes participating in the UPenn Relays Carnival; and DREAM, a Harlem-based charity that helps children in schools across Harlem and the Bronx.
The foundation also has pledged grants and awarded scholarships to students from Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, where Jalen Brunson graduated in 2015.
“Providing help for unsheltered youth and tackling food insecurity is some of the greatest work they’re doing,” Ali said.
Ali attended the Knicks’ championship parade with Sandra and Jalen Brunson and expressed her pride in her friend and the pride that the Lakeview community has in the Brunson family.
“We (in Lakeview) are always proud of our own, especially when the world gets to see them on a larger platform,” Ali said. “The world sees all the good works that they do. So, undoubtedly, I am extremely proud of Sandra, and everything that she's accomplished.”
