Nick Wright Claims Jalen Brunson is a Bigger Superstar Than Devin Booker

Perhaps exhibiting signs of recency bias, FS1 commentator Nick Wright suggested that the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson surpasses Devin Booker as a basketball superstar.

While Brunson did average 28.7 points per game this season, marking his first All-Star appearance, Booker recently attended his fourth All-Star game and maintained a streak of over 20 points per game for an eighth consecutive season.

Brunson may be currently leading the Knicks to a deep playoff run, with them holding a 2-0 series lead over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, unless Brunson manages to lead the Knicks to a trip to the NBA Finals, which would mean getting past the Boston Celtics, there really is no way to claim that he is a bigger superstar than Devin Booker, who led his team to the finals in 2021.

Even as Brunson finished 5th in MVP voting in what was his first breakout season, Booker still managed to beat him in most statistical categories. Booker averaged more assists, rebounds, steals, and had a more effective field goal %.

One can easily argue that Booker did not average more points per game than Brunson because D-Book had two other superstars in the Suns’ starting 5, with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal also competing for baskets.

These remarks questioning Booker’s superstar status are not new from Wright. In 2021, during the Suns’ finals run, Wright articulated a “Superstar Test,” suggesting that a player’s performance in a single game could determine their superstar status. However, the same standard seems to apply differently when it comes to Brunson.

“That might sound like an indictment but it’s not. It is the ‘Superstar Test.’ Do you want to know who is and who ISN’T a superstar in this league? Ask yourself this question: can you have a 3 for 14 and have it not be the lead or the secondary lead from that game? If you can then you’re NOT. We’ve had the term ‘superstar’ thrown around quite liberally with Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell, and Juliuis Randle. He’s a ‘future’ superstar, but if you can go 3 for 14, have your coach sit you for the entire fourth quarter, and it’s not the overwhelming lead story where people are eviscerating him it means you’re not a ‘superstar.’ “

So, when Brunson does it, he is a superstar, but when Booker does it, he is not. Makes perfect sense.

Wright also suggested that Brunson surpasses Damian Lillard as a superstar, which is remarkable given Lillard’s extensive accolades, including eight All-Star appearances, seven All-NBA selections, and multiple seasons averaging over 28 points per game.