Aaron Judge is happy that his fellow captain Jalen Brunson “keeps up the good work”
Jalen Brunson had already signed his new contract with the Knicks when he visited Yankee Stadium last month and met Aaron Judge on the court.
At the time, Judge presented the star guard with a signed pair of football boots with the message “Keep running the city.”
Judge didn’t know that Brunson would soon become captain of his team, and now that the time has come, the center fielder had another message.
“I would tell him to take the same advice I got,” Judge said when asked at the stadium on Thursday what he would tell Brunson. “And that is, ‘Don’t try to do too much. Keep doing your thing.’ What he’s done so far for the Knicks has put him in a position to be captain. ‘Keep doing what you’re doing.'”
Like Brunson, Judge was already considered the Bronx’s de facto captain before signing his nine-year, $360 million contract in December 2022.
But thanks to the mega deal, Richter received the official title.
After Brunson signed his four-year, $156.5 million contract extension, he and Judge are in the same boat.
Judge said his role in the clubhouse hasn’t changed much despite his additional role.
And he emphasized that he does not feel any additional burden on his shoulders.
“I don’t think so,” Judge said. “It’s definitely a great title. I’m sure he would say the same thing. But you just have to focus on what you’re doing on the court or on the field and try not to think about the other things.”
Judge also knows how important it is to be captain in New York.
“This is probably one of the greatest accomplishments of my life,” Judge said. “It certainly means a lot to me and my family. I’m sure it means the same to him.”
Judge was one of the current and former New York captains who participated in a congratulatory video for Brunson. The video was played at Thursday’s press conference, two days after Brunson was officially named captain of the Knicks.
In addition to Judge, Derek Jeter, David Wright, John Franco, Aaron Rodgers, Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, Eli Manning, Mark Messier and Brian Leetch, as well as former Knicks captain Allan Houston and Knicks legend Walt Frazier, delivered messages to Brunson.
