Jalen Brunson’s Mom Gives Inside Look at Knicks Star’s Annual Charity Golf Classic: ‘A Lot to Celebrate This Year’ (Exclusive)

Natasha DyeWed, August 12, 2026 at 5:22 PM UTC

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Jalen and Sandra Brunson at the Second Round Foundation charity golf classicCredit: Courtesy of Second Round Foundation -

Jalen Brunson’s mom, Sandra, tells PEOPLE how they celebrated the Knicks’ championship and the growth of their Second Round Foundation at this year’s charity golf classic

Sandra says she and Jalen have “a lot to celebrate this year” as they hosted nearly 900 guests at the Westchester Country Club

Sandra says she loves working with her son on the foundation, but reveals the challenges of collaborating with the NBA star

Jalen Brunson and his mom, Sandra, had “a lot to celebrate” at their annual Second Round Foundation charity classic.

The New York Knicks star, 29, and his mother hosted nearly 900 attendees — including actor Keegan-Michael Key, Knicks head coach Mike Brown and star guard Josh Hart, among others — at the charity golf event at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y., on Monday, Aug. 10.

“I wanted it to be more of a party this year,” Sandra, who celebrated her birthday on Sunday, Aug. 9, tells PEOPLE. “Actually, it’s more of a selfish reason, but I wanted to celebrate the fact that we have all of these supporters and a lot to be proud of in the four years we’ve built this small, young foundation.”

Jalen and Sandra Brunson at the 2026 Second Round Foundation golf classicCredit: Courtesy of Second Round Foundation

Fresh off of the Knicks’ NBA championship this summer, Sandra says they have “a lot to celebrate this year,” but Second Round’s growth was “already written in stone” before Jalen and his teammates defeated the Spurs in five games to clinch New York’s first title in 53 years.

“I think people will think, wow, okay, they won a championship, so they’re going all out this year. No. This was kind of written in stone from last year when we debriefed, and we just wanted to keep growing it,” she says.

Second Round Foundation 2026 golf classicCredit: Courtesy of Second Round Foundation

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Sandra and Jalen launched Second Round in 2022, and the first classic’s total attendance capped at around 150 guests. “It’s grown with so many people, and that’s because of the awareness since the Finals run, and we have a lot to be thankful for. We’re celebrating, and we want people to celebrate.”

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Guests enjoy the Second Round Foundation golf classicCredit: Courtesy of Second Round Foundation

This year, the mother-son duo also incorporated the Change Makers Roundtable & Golf Clinic, which brought together a collection of female leaders across various industries to blend golf and “meaningful dialogue” in celebration of Second Round’s mission.

“Our co-founder is the MVP of the Finals, so we’ll celebrate that as well. But there’s a lot to celebrate this year, but it was mostly because we are just excited for the growth, the acknowledgement, the awareness that Jalen and his team’s success on the court has given to the foundation,” says Sandra.

Second Round Foundation 2026 golf classicCredit: Courtesy of Second Round Foundation

Rapper Fat Joe, a die-hard Knicks fan, performed at the event, which Knicks president Leon Rose, actor Hank Azaria and former Knick Allan Houston also attended.

Fat Joe performs at Second Round Foundation’s 2026 charity golf classicCredit: Courtesy of Second Round Foundation

Working with her son is both rewarding and challenging, according to Sandra, who tells PEOPLE she “wouldn’t change it for the world.” “Well, I’m not going to lie. It’s hard to work with him because he’s pulled in several directions,” she says. “He’s pulled in many directions and he keeps his training at the forefront. So I definitely can’t breach it.”

“So it’s hard only because there’s so much to do. In this day and age of sport, there’s the athletic side, which is priority. That’s the main thing. And then there’s the business side, and now the element we’re having the charitable side,” Sandra continues.

“So it’s great working with him. I couldn’t do it without [him]. It’s a family affair. I couldn’t do it without his sister. And I almost couldn’t do it without my husband, his father [Knicks assistant Rick Brunson], because I understand the basketball side of things much more and am able to translate that to other people that support us, but it’s a blessing.”

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”