New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson appeared on TODAY alongside his mother, Sandra Brunson, offering an update on his surgically repaired left wrist and reacting to the news that his championship team will open the 2026-27 season against LeBron James and the newly stacked Philadelphia 76ers.

Brunson, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, underwent surgery on his left wrist on July 7 to repair a nagging tendon issue he played through during New York's championship run, a procedure that sources told ESPN carried an expected recovery window that would have him back for basketball activity later in the summer. Brunson has since said publicly that the timeline for recovery was roughly six to eight weeks, positioning him to be ready when Knicks training camp opens in September, well ahead of the team's October 20 season opener.

That opener carries extra weight this year. The NBA announced Tuesday that the Knicks will host James and the 76ers at Madison Square Garden to kick off the 2026-27 season, a matchup that will double as New York's championship ring ceremony after the franchise won its first title in 53 years last season. Philadelphia enters that game dramatically remade, having added James and All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown to a core already featuring Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, a buildout widely viewed as one of the league's most aggressive offseason........

© International Business Times