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“I’m not sure what he had to be sorry for, he was so good.”
The text came around 7 p.m. last Thursday night.
Be at East Hampton High School at 9:15 a.m. the next morning for a surprise, new athletic director Todd Gulluscio told members of the school’s boys and girls varsity basketball teams.
That was it. No explanation. No other details.
So the players started guessing.
In a separate group chat with his teammates on the boys team, senior guard Jackson Carney said an appearance from Jalen Brunson quickly emerged as the favorite. The Knicks point guard had been spotted around East Hampton the day before, so they thought there was a chance the NBA All-Star might be the mystery guest.
“We really weren’t sure who it was going to be,” said Mia Marin, a senior forward on the girls team. “We knew Jalen was around because a couple of my friends are lifeguards at the beach, and they saw him there the day before, so we thought maybe.
“We were hopeful, but we didn’t know if he would have time to come to our school.”
The players were let into the school around 9:30 a.m.
About 10 minutes later, the NBA Finals MVP walked into the gym with his personal trainers.
It wasn’t a public appearance, he came for a workout and asked that no photos or videos be taken while he was on the court.
But the varsity players were invited to watch from the sidelines.
Still recovering from left wrist surgery last month, Marin said Brunson was doing everything with his right hand. At one point, she said, he apologized for his shot being a little off.
“He barely missed,” Marin said with a laugh. “I’m not sure what he had to be sorry for, he was so good.”
Carney said Brunson worked on his mid-range floaters, the ones he remembered seeing him use against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs in the NBA Finals.
“It was amazing. Practice definitely translates,” Carney said.
For Carney though, the workout was about more than seeing Brunson take shots.
“Watching how he takes care of his body, from pre-workout to post-workout was so great to see,” Carney said. “I realize now how important stretching is.”
When the workout was over, Brunson took a few minutes to say hello and shake hands with every player that was watching from the stands.
He also gave each player his autograph, and Carney came prepared.
“I brought a Knicks jersey just incase we were right about it being Brunson,” said Carney. “It was a ‘Melo jersey, but that’s ok, he still signed it.”
For Marin, getting the chance to watch how one of the best players in the world at practice is something she will definitely remember.
“Being able to see Jalen Brunson do his offseason routine was beyond exciting,” she said. “I learned that I’m definitely not as ambidextrous as he is. His workout showed me how much these guys push themselves.”
And Carney said there was something else that stood out to him.
Brunson didn’t just sign the items and pose for a group photo before heading out.
He seemed genuinely happy to be around the players.
“You could tell he was excited to be there,” Carney said. “He smiled when he shook our hands, when he signed for us and when he took a picture with us. He didn’t have to be there, he wanted to be there.”
“We are so grateful and thankful that the kids were able to be a part of something like that,” added Gulluscio. It’s a gift.”
Top: East Hampton boys and girls basketball players post with Knicks star Jalen Brunson last week at the high school gym. (courtesy photo) Inset: Brunson (11) shoots past San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle during first half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
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