NBA Star Jalen Brunson Shouts Out Nas’ ‘Illmatic’ After New York Knicks Advance in Playoffs

Jalen Brunson is staking his claim for the King of New York. Brunson has led the New York Knicks back to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years, after NYK dismantled the heavily favored Boston Celtics in six games.

With the Indiana Pacers on deck, Brunson took to Instagram on Monday (May 19) and shouted out Nas’ classic debut album with his caption. “Illmatic Track 2,” the point guard wrote.

And that track, of course, is the DJ Premier-produced “N.Y. State of Mind,” as Brunson is all in on the NYC love affair between the Big Apple fans and their Knicks.

New York rappers Bas, Marlon Craft and Kocky Ka flooded JB’s comments section, hailing the star’s hoops greatness.

“THANK YOU JALEN BRUNSON FOR SAVING MY LIFE,” one fan chimed in.

Nas, who’s a longtime Knicks fan, has yet to respond to Brunson, but maybe the legendary Queensbridge legend will join the star-studded cast on celebrity row at Madison Square Garden this week when the Knicks and Pacers tip off.

Illmatic arrived in April 1994 — the Knicks played in the NBA Finals that June — and Billboard crowned Nas’ magnum opus as the greatest rap album of all time 30 years after its release.

Perhaps the World’s Most Famous Arena’s music director will add “N.Y. State of Mind” to the arena playlist for the Eastern Conference Finals.

Brunson and the Knicks are seeking the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, and Game 1 against the Pacers is set for Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.