Jalen Brunson says he listens to Justin Bieber before games

More than two years before he helped lead the New York Knicks to the 2026 NBA Finals, Jalen Brunson stopped by The Tonight Show on February 9, 2024 and gave an inside look at his game-day preparations.

He said he tries to keep the same routine for every game — "what time I wake up, to what time I eat, what time I leave, like, literally [when I] get in the car and go to shoot around."

One detail stood out: "I listen to Justin Bieber before I run out — every game," Brunson revealed, adding, "I shuffle, I shuffle." The remark drew cheers from the live audience.

He traced the ritual back to his Villanova days, saying his sister put him on the [2015] Purpose album. "Album is amazing," he said, and after a Purpose song played before an NCAA tournament game and they won, the habit stuck. The tradition has lasted more than a decade, and New Yorkers no doubt hope he's still bumping Bieber in 2026 as his team prepares to play the San Antonio Spurs next.

United States, New York

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