Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson’s Internet famous pooch was adopted from a small Long Island animal rescue by Knicks superfans, the family-run rescue revealed Tuesday.
The point guard welcomed little Stevie — one half of the “Brunson Doodles” duo — into his famous family two years ago after falling in love with him at Jake’s Rescue Ranch.
The adorable black pup’s origins were revealed Tuesday when Alison Monaco finally shared an April 2024 video of Brunson cuddling with his new pet.
“I said, ‘Let’s show people how wonderful he is!’” Monaco told The Post, saying the social media post “went crazy.”
In the short clip, Brunson is seen wearing a New York Knicks sweatshirt and cuddling his new best friend, who had been surrendered to the rescue just weeks earlier.
“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 in the clip, which garnered more than 40,000 likes on Instagram in under 24 hours.
“We’re just excited to bring another life into our home and I’m so thankful that we’ve been able to help and donate to Jake’s Rescue Ranch and we encourage you guys to do the same.”
Monaco, who launched her rescue in 2017, and her family are “super Knick fans” and had been naming many of their adoptable dogs after the players for years before connecting with Brunson.
Clyde Frazier, Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle are just some of the pooches that have lived at their property — and one of the family’s pet dogs is even named Bridges after Mikal Bridges.
Monaco had reached out to Ali Brunson as part of what she thought was a far-fetched pitch — until the WAG accepted the invitation to visit the Manhasset rescue and the pooches up for adoption.
Her famous husband accompanied via Facetime, and the couple together selected the then-6-month-old black mutt from the rag-tag litter in April 2024.
The high-school sweethearts named the pooch Stevie after Stevenson High School in Illinois, where the couple met and where Brunson proposed following his 2022 Hall of Fame induction.
The lovebirds had already shared a golden doodle named Kona, and made a social media page dedicated to their “Brunson Doodles” — and the famous dogs have even visited Madison Square Garden on numerous occasions.
The Brunsons’ love for their dogs and their openness about adopting could have lasting impacts, according to Monaco.
“There are many dogs that are in shelters that are purebreds or mixed. By him doing this, it cuts the population down in shelters rather than people just going out to buy a dog,” Monaco said.
