The New York Knicks are on the brink of history. For the first time in 27 years, they are playing in the NBA Finals — and leading the charge is their captain and star point guard, Jalen Brunson. But while the basketball world watches his every move on the court, there is one person in the stands who has been in his corner far longer than any Knicks fan: his wife, Dr. Ali Marks Brunson. Their story is one of the most enduring love stories in professional sports — a high school romance that grew into a championship-caliber partnership.
From Adlai Stevenson High School to the NBA Finals
Long before Madison Square Garden heard Jalen Brunson’s name echoing off its walls, there was a high school gym in Lincolnshire, Illinois. That is where Jalen and Ali Marks first crossed paths as students at Adlai E. Stevenson High School. According to Jalen’s Instagram, the two made their relationship official on October 27, 2013 — a date he commemorated years later with a red heart emoji and a throwback post. The couple attended homecoming together in 2014 and prom before graduation, with Jalen captioning that prom photo: “Went to prom with the best date anyone could ask for.”
Their paths diverged after high school — Jalen headed to Villanova to play college basketball, while Ali enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The distance did nothing to cool their relationship. They stayed together through college, through the NBA Draft, through Dallas, and eventually through the bright lights of New York City.
Who Is Dr. Ali Marks Brunson?
Ali is far more than an NBA player’s wife — she is a highly credentialed healthcare professional in her own right. After earning her degree in kinesiology and exercise science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2017, she went on to earn her doctorate in physical therapy from Northwestern University in 2021. She also holds certifications as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist. Following her graduation, she worked as a physical therapist at W.B. Carrell Memorial Clinic in Dallas before the couple relocated to New York.
Ali has built her own brand and platform around health and wellness, and has collaborated with companies like ALOHA Bars. She is a fully realized professional whose career runs parallel to — not in the shadow of — her husband’s.
The Proposal: Back Where It All Began
In September 2022, Jalen Brunson announced their engagement on Instagram with a single word: “Forever.” The proposal itself was perfectly symbolic. He popped the question on the basketball court of their very own high school gym — the same place where they had once been teenagers with a shared future ahead of them. The moment came shortly after Jalen was inducted into Stevenson High’s athletics hall of fame, making it one of the most poetic proposals in recent memory.
The Wedding: A Big Party at the Ritz-Carlton
On July 29, 2023, Jalen and Ali married at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago, just miles from where they had attended high school. The reception was everything the couple wanted it to be. “We wanted it to be a big big party: celebratory and joyful, with lights, lasers, a fun DJ, good food, good drinks,” Ali told People magazine. In a surprise twist, she changed into her high school prom dress during the reception — a touching nod to where their love story began.
Jalen was equally effusive. “She’s always been by my side and I’m lucky to have her,” he told People. “I’m excited to celebrate this special milestone with all of our closest friends and family, who have been so supportive over the many years of our relationship.”
Welcoming Baby Jordyn
Just two days shy of their first wedding anniversary, the Brunson family grew. On July 31, 2024, Jalen and Ali welcomed their daughter, Jordyn James Brunson. Jalen announced the news on Instagram with a close-up of the newborn holding one of his fingers. Since Jordyn’s arrival, Ali’s social media has been filled with moments of their daughter growing up alongside the Knicks’ historic run — wearing a tiny Brunson jersey courtside, spending beach days with mom, and, as Ali put it, “growing up at Madison Square Garden.”
The couple also shares two doodles, Kona and Stevie, who have their own Instagram account — because of course they do.
Ali’s Role During the 2026 NBA Finals Run
The 2025–26 NBA season has been the most significant of Jalen Brunson’s career. He averaged 26.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game during the regular season, helping lead the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals, where he was named Eastern Conference Finals MVP. He then guided New York to their first NBA Finals appearance in 27 years, facing the San Antonio Spurs.
Ali has been courtside every step of the way. After the Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers to advance to the Finals, cameras caught Jalen kissing Ali on the court at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. Fans have also repeatedly spotted him signing “I love you” in American Sign Language toward Ali in the crowd during games — a small, sincere gesture that has gone viral multiple times this postseason.
The Knicks currently hold a 2-1 series lead over the Spurs heading into Game 4, with Jalen working through some shooting struggles against San Antonio’s athletic defense. But those who have watched him all season know that he rises in the biggest moments.
A Decade-Long Partnership That Defines Them Both
What makes the Jalen and Ali Brunson story so compelling is how ordinary and extraordinary it is at the same time. They are high school sweethearts who stayed together through every twist of an unlikely journey to the top of professional basketball. They built careers, a marriage, and a family — and they did it together.
Ali was recently honored as one of New York’s “Queens” during the Knicks’ historic playoff run, a recognition of the quiet but essential role she has played behind the scenes. She has expanded her social circle in New York through motherhood, connecting with other Knicks WAGs and local moms in ways she said she never experienced before having Jordyn.
Through ten-plus years of long-distance college years, NBA draft nights, trade rumors, playoff heartbreaks, and now a championship run, Ali has been the constant. In a league where relationships are tested by fame, travel, and pressure, theirs has only grown stronger.
Jalen Brunson’s Legacy On and Off the Court
Jalen Brunson is a three-time NBA All-Star, three-time All-NBA Second Team selection, NBA Cup champion and MVP (2025), two-time NCAA champion with Villanova, and the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals MVP. He was selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft — pick 33 — and has grown into one of the most respected leaders in the league. His No. 1 jersey has been retired by Villanova, and his number at Madison Square Garden carries the weight of an entire city’s championship hopes.
But ask those closest to him, and they will tell you that his greatest accomplishment is the life he has built with Ali — a partnership forged in a high school hallway in Illinois and tested in arenas across the NBA.
Will Jalen Brunson lead the New York Knicks to their first championship in 53 years — and what does Ali think about all of it? Drop your predictions in the comments below and follow along for the latest updates from the 2026 NBA Finals!