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Jake’s Rescue Ranch founder says she never expected her pitch to the NBA star’s wife to actually work
Jalen Brunson plays like his heart is on the line every night. Turns out, off the court, it’s on his sleeve — right next to a little black rescue dog named Stevie.
The Knicks captain welcomed Stevie, one half of the Instagram-famous “Brunson Doodles” duo, into his home in April 2024 after his wife, Ali, visited Jake’s Rescue Ranch on Nassau County’s North Shore and fell for the then-6-month-old black mutt.
Ali Brunson brought along Kona, the couple’s existing dog, to make sure the two would get along — and they did. Brunson joined the visit by FaceTime, and the couple chose Stevie together.
Jake’s Rescue Ranch founder Alison Monaco revealed the backstory on Tuesday when she shared a two-year-old video of Brunson cradling his new pup. The clip exploded on Instagram, surging past 50,000 likes and hundreds of thousands of views almost overnight.
Monaco told Greater Long Island she wanted the world to see how “wonderful” Brunson is — and what better time to do it than during the NBA Finals, which the Knicks lead three games to one after the team’s stunning comeback Wednesday, defeating San Antonio 107-106 in Game 4.
The rescue shelter founder also saw it as an opportunity to draw attention to the dogs in her care and the broader cause of animal rescue, especially Bella, a lab mix from Texas — yes, the state where the Knicks will play the Spurs in Game 5 on Saturday.
In the video, a beaming Brunson — dressed in a Knicks sweatshirt — thanks Monaco and encourages his followers to support the rescue.
“We are so excited to be able to say that we adopted a dog from Jake’s Rescue Ranch and we couldn’t be more thankful for Alison and the great work she’s doing,” Brunson said. “We’re just excited to bring another life into our home.”
Knicks fans flooded the comments section with affection.
“Jalen Brunson not only are you an incredible human, an amazing husband and father, my very favorite basketball player, now you have won every single ounce of my entire heart,” wrote Instagram user @dont_bully_my_pitbullbuffy.
Others kept it simple: “Now I love him even more,” posted @dogistry.nyc, while @honeycatcosmetics added, “We already saw you as a wonderful human, but now, you rescue dogs? We positively love you!”
Family bleeds orange and blue
Monaco, who launched Jake’s Rescue Ranch as a nonprofit about 10 years ago and runs it out of her North Shore home, said the whole Knicks connection started with her 15-year-old son, Luca, a point guard who played this year on his high school JV team and with the Level Up AAU travel program.
“He’s the one that started us all on the Knicks,” Monaco said. “And now we are Knick-obsessed.”
The family goes often to Knicks games and have become fans of the players on and off the court.
Monaco said she slid into Ali Brunson’s Instagram DMs on a whim. “And she replied,” she said, beaming.
The family’s fandom runs deep enough to fill a basement: Monaco basement den is decorated with signed, autographed, framed Knicks jerseys. There’s even a Brunson votive candle standing prominently on the coffee table next to the room’s brown sectional.
The family has been naming shelter dogs after players for years. Clyde Frazier, Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle have all passed through, and the family’s own dog is named Bridges, after Knicks guard Mikal Bridges. They also have dogs named for Brunson and former Knick Derrick Rose.
Luca and Monaco’s husband were at Madison Square Garden for Game 4. They didn’t get home until 2 a.m., Monaco said, and they are headed to San Antonio for Game 5 on Saturday.
Stevie holds a special place in the Brunsons’ hearts. He is named Stevie after Stevenson High School in Illinois, where Jalen and Ali met as teenagers and where Brunson proposed following his 2022 Hall of Fame induction.
The couple already shared a golden doodle named Kona; together, the two dogs anchor the “Brunson Doodles” Instagram account and have made multiple appearances at Madison Square Garden.
The rescue story is the latest chapter in Brunson’s well-documented off-court generosity. The Knicks captain has been a driving force behind Knicks Care community initiatives, youth basketball programs, and charitable giving throughout the New York area since joining the team in 2022.
Hoping to connect Bella with Bridges
As for Monaco, the viral moment has a purpose beyond the feel-good story.
Monaco hopes the attention will help land the shelter’s Bella a forever home. She joked that she’s angling for Bridges to adopt her, since he’s known to be a dog lover, but she said any loving home will do.
“Once she’s out, then the next rescue one comes in,” said Monaco, who has overseen the adoption of more than 500 dogs since opening her rescue.
Anyone interested in adopting Bella or supporting Jake’s Rescue Ranch can find the rescue on Instagram or the rescue’s website.
Knicks captain Jalen Brunson holds his rescue dog Stevie, adopted from Jake’s Rescue Ranch in Manhasset in April 2024
The shelter’s founder named her dogs after Knicks players for years before landing the ultimate superfan moment — an adoption by the captain himself.
Top: Jalen Brunson (Instagram Reels video still) and the Knicks-themed basement at the Monaco home (courtesy photo).
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