Jalen Brunson Shares How Justin Bieber Influenced Knicks' NBA Title Run

In February 2024, New York Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and professed his Justin Bieber fandom while describing his game-day rituals.

“I think the one thing that’s a little obscure is I listen to Bieber before I run out,” Brunson said. “I listen to Justin Bieber right before I run out, every game.”

He continued, “It started in college. So I went to Villanova. My sister actually put me on to the “Purpose” album. […] So going to the game, I’m shuffling music, and one of the songs on the album is playing as I’m going to an NCAA tournament game. I listened to it, we end up winning, and then it happened again. So, I was like, ‘Oh, this might be a thing.’ And then we kept winning and winning, and we won a national championship. So that happened, and then my junior year, same thing. We won it again.”

Brunson’s Bieber ritual is officially 3-for-3, as Bieber soundtracked the Knicks’ historic playoff run, crescendoing with the Knicks dispatching the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals to capture franchise’s first championship since 1973.

Brunson, the 2026 NBA Finals MVP, appeared on “The View” on Monday, and Whoopi Goldberg asked whether he listened to Bieber before games in the Finals. “Of course,” Brunson said, adding, “I’m the type of person who kind of needs to be level; I don’t need to be hyped before the game. I kind of need to be leveled, and I feel like his music did that.”

Earlier the same day, Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges appeared on “TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle,” where Jenna Bush Hagar asked each of them to name which song hyped them up before Saturday’s decisive Game 5. Brunson said, “I would say any Bieber song from ‘Swag II.'”

Across the country in Los Angeles, the Biebers celebrated when the Knicks beat the Spurs in Game 5 to win it all.

Hailey Bieber, Justin’s wife since September 2018, grew up in New York and was in attendance at Madison Square Garden for the Knicks’ 29-point comeback win in Game 4 on June 10. If Brunson hasn’t met Bieber yet, he’s surely caught his attention now.

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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 6:43 PM.