New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson’s love story with wife Ali Brunson began in high school, though it did not start with an instant spark. According to E! News, the two met at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Illinois after a teammate introduced them.
Ali, then Ali Marks, said they were friends for a few years before they began dating during their senior year. She also said she was hesitant at first because she expected to attend the University of Illinois and knew long-distance would be difficult.
Their relationship grew after a trip to Chicago’s Lollapalooza music festival, where Ali said the two decided they wanted to be together forever. Jalen later joked that he did not remember the moment exactly as she told it, but said it made a good story.
Brunson proposed on his high school gym court in September 2022, after being inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame. The couple married in July 2023 at The Ritz-Carlton in Chicago, according to E! News.
Ali told E! News that Brunson still makes time to be home for family life, including putting their 23-month-old daughter Jordyn James to bed on many nights. She said Jordyn already recognizes Knicks colors and logos and cheers when she sees highlights of her dad playing.
