Jalen Brunson might end up wearing an embarrassing jersey if he loses a bet with Jon Stewart regarding an upcoming NFL game.
Brunson and teammate Josh Hart hosted a live episode of their podcast, “The Roommates Show,” in New York, where former late-night host Jon Stewart made a funny wager with Brunson over the Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants game.
Brunson proposed, “I’d love to make a wager… on October 20th, when the Eagles come to MetLife…”
Stewart replied, “If the Eagles win, I’ll wear a Knicks jersey with your name on it. But if the Giants win, you have to wear a Giants jersey that says ‘Jew Boy’ on the back.”
In response, Brunson suggested, “If the Eagles win, you wear a Saquon Barkley jersey. If the Giants win, I’ll wear any jersey you choose.”
While Brunson’s religious beliefs aren’t clear, it’s likely he would avoid wearing a jersey with something negative about a faith community, especially considering today’s heightened sensitivity around such issues.
Taking that bet could lead to unwanted repercussions for Brunson. He has participated in jersey bets before, notably with former Mavericks teammate Luka Doncic. Brunson once showed up in a Cowboys jersey that read “Luka’s Son.” When he won a bet, Doncic sported an Eagles jersey with “JB’s Son” on it, but made sure no NBA or Dallas media saw the photo.
This summer, Brunson also weighed in on the debate over which athletes are better, suggesting that NBA players might transition to the NFL more easily than vice versa. He remarked, “It’s easier for an NBA guy to play in the NFL. I played football for two years as a kid and realized it wasn’t for me.”
While the NFL is known for its physicality, basketball skills don’t rely solely on athleticism as much as they do in football. Players like Stephen Curry, despite lacking traditional athletic attributes, can excel through skill development.
This debate remains unresolved until we see multi-sport athletes at the professional level. While Anthony Edwards hopes to be one, we’ll have to wait to see if any NBA or NFL player can test this theory.
