New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is now engaged to girlfriend Ali Marks. The couple went public with the news after meeting on the basketball court at Adali E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois.
According to photos, Brunson proposed at center court. On the hardwood, white roses and candles are shown nearby in the shape of a heart. An 8-foot-high arch filled with flowers is also visible in front of the candles.
On Instagram, the Knicks guard posted “forever” for the caption text next to an image of him bonding with Marks. His fiancée uploaded the gym photo below with this message: “you are a lifetime.”
Instagram @alimarks1
The couple returned to Lincolnshire for Brunson’s induction into the high school’s Hall of Fame.
Brunson first met Marks while playing basketball at the school. At the end of his junior season, the young star was named the 2014 Illinois Boys Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson gets engaged to girlfriend Ali Marks at Stevenson High School
In addition to winning Gatorade Player of the Year again in his senior season, he won USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year and was selected to participate in the 2015 Jordan Brand Classic. He also helped lead the Patriots to the IHSA Class 4A championship.
Per ESPN, at the end of his senior season, Brunson ranked 16th overall in the nation on the network’s 2015 Top 100 recruiting list.
Instagram @jalenbrunson1
Brunson’s father, Rick, played nine seasons in the NBA. Since Rick played for eight different teams, he was always moving his family across the country. Before finally settling in Lincolnshire, the Brunson’s had relocated seven times.
As for Jalen Brunson, he was selected 33rd overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 NBA Draft. He played his first four seasons with the team.
Last season, in 79 appearances, the guard averaged career highs 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per contest.
During the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, in the Mavericks’ 110-104 win over the Utah Jazz in Game 2, Brunson scored a career-high 41 points.
After Dallas lost in five games against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, Brunson decided to hit the open market during the offseason. On July 12, 2022, the guard signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knicks.
A few NBA betting sites are giving the Knicks favorable odds of making the playoffs next season. Find out which sportsbooks are anticipating a top-eight finish in 2023.
