NEED TO KNOW

• Jalen Brunson’s custom Nike Kobe 4s honor Stevenson High School’s 2015 Illinois state championship

• He scored 38 points as the Knicks defeated the Bulls 133-127 in Chicago

• The Knicks star and his wife, Ali, began dating in 2013, and Jalen later proposed on their high school court

Jalen Brunson wears the love for his high school on his sleeve. Well, in this case, shoes.

The New York Knicks captain, 30, wore sneakers that paid tribute to his high school during the game against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, Oct. 28, and his wife, Ali Brunson — who doubles as his high school sweetheart — shared her sweet reaction online.

Jalen rocked his custom Nike Kobe 4 “State Champs” PE inspired by Adlai E. Stevenson High School, where he met Ali, 31, and began dating for nine years before their engagement in September 2022, marriage in July 2023 and arrival of their first baby, daughter Jordyn James Brunson, in July 2024.

The shoe, which the Knicks star debuted against the Bulls in February 2026, honors his 2015 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) 4A State Championship with Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Ill., featuring significant details throughout it.

In tribute to the school colors, the shoe has a white leather base with a yellow midsole, outside and heel center accented with a metallic green Swoosh outlined in gold. It features the Black Mamba tongue logo with green Bryant signature details, No. 8 and No. 24 on the heels and ‘15 STATE CHAMPS on the inner tongue.

“SHS forever 💚💛,” wrote Ali on her Instagram Stories after the game, including a close-up shot of her husband’s shoes while taking a jump shot during the Knicks’ 133-127 victory over the Bulls at the United Center in Chicago.

Jalen put on a show, scoring 38 points, seven assists, one rebound and two steals in 35 minutes to lead the Knicks against the Bulls. The comeback win against Chicago was the second straight win for New York, the defending 2026 NBA Champions who beat the Detroit Pistons 111-97 on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

The high school sweethearts’ love story began over a decade ago when they started dating in October 2013. Nearly two years later, the basketball star posted pictures of the two attending their senior prom together in May 2015.

Throughout high school, Jalen shared snaps of himself with Ali, including celebrating her birthday and attending school dances together. While the athlete played Division 1 basketball at Villanova University, his wife attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, according to her LinkedIn.

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Ali, who studied kinesiology and exercise science before graduating in 2017, went on to Northwestern University, where she received her doctorate in physical therapy in 2021. The couple dated long-distance while they both attended college and until she ultimately moved to Dallas after graduating from Northwestern.

Their high school gym, however, holds special meaning for the pair. Jalen proposed to Ali on that basketball court, popping the question at center court with an arrangement of flowers and candles in a heart shape. Behind the array, Jalen got down on one knee under an arch made of the same flowers.

“He has always been incredibly serious about being a basketball player. When we started dating in high school, he was like, ‘I’m letting you know, my priority is basketball. It means a lot to me, and I want to go far,’” Ali previously told PEOPLE.

While the 2026 NBA Champion and Knicks MVP has taken the NBA by storm, Ali told PEOPLE in February that her husband knew who he was and what he wanted from a young age. In addition to his work on the court, Jalen was in tune with his discipline, a quality Ali admired back then and continues to admire today.

“He has always been incredibly serious about being a basketball player. When we started dating in high school, he was like, ‘I’m letting you know, my priority is basketball. It means a lot to me, and I want to go far,’” Ali recalled to PEOPLE.

“But then he’s always been his goofy self, and so that has not changed at all. It’s been, honestly, an amazing experience because he has always been true to us and to himself,” she added. “He has just exploded in New York, but it has not changed who he is.”

Read the original article on People