The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced in the early hours of Thursday, April 24 (Philippine Standard Time), that New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson has been named the NBA’s 2024–25 KIA Clutch Player of the Year.
Brunson beat out competition from Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić and Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards to win the prestigious honor. The award, first presented in the 2022–23 NBA season, is given to the player who best delivers for his team in close games. A panel of 100 global writers and broadcasters who cover the NBA voted for the award.
Brunson finished second in total clutch points this season with 156, just one behind leader Anthony Edwards, who had 157. However, the 28-year-old reached his total in fewer clutch minutes, with his 1.15 points per clutch minute outperforming both Jokić’s 1.00 and Edwards’ 0.98. He also averaged a league-high 5.6 points in clutch situations, led the league in field goals made (52), ranked second in total points (156), and third in assists (28) during clutch time. 
Brunson was the runaway leader in the voting, earning 70 first-place votes for a total of 426 points. He was well ahead of second-placed Jokić (312 points) and third-placed Edwards (47 points). Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young and Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry rounded out the top five with 44 and 27 points, respectively.
The 2024-25 Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year is… Jalen Brunson!#NBAAwards | #KiaClutch | @Kia pic.twitter.com/TAMjcBF4ER
— NBA (@NBA) April 23, 2025
“I think some people are born into it. I think I had to learn. I learned back in high school, kind of got better and better at each stage, and here we are. Just finding a way to win. I think that’s just most important. You can have clutch plays, but that doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win. The winning part is most important for me,” Brunson said on TNT’s Inside the NBA after receiving the award.
Brunson enjoyed a breakout 2024 NBA season and carried that form into the current campaign, making his second consecutive All-Star team. He finished the regular season averaging 26 points, 2.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 0.9 steals per game, while shooting 48.8% from the field and 38.3% from three-point range.
The Knicks superstar becomes the third player—and third point guard—to win the award, which honors the “NBA player who comes through for his teammates in the clutch.” The trophy is aptly named the Jerry West Trophy, after the Los Angeles Lakers legend famously nicknamed “Mr. Clutch.”
