Jalen Brunson did not need to make the All-Star team to convince anyone that he is an all-time steal at $26 million a pop. As much as Brunson deserves to be in Salt Lake City for All-Star Weekend, the Knicks and their fans did not need that form of validation. 

What they did need was a long-term point guard who inspires belief in everyone, the kind of quarterback who compels stars to sign up to play with him. Dating back to their most recent glory days — the 1990s — the Knicks have actually suited up some distinguished figures at the point. 

They just haven’t had any who stayed around long enough, or consistently competed at a high enough level, to build something meaningful around. 

Brunson has broken that streak. At 26, he should be in the middle of his team’s championship plans for the next decade or so. That doesn’t mean Brunson can be the best player on a team that wins the title — he won’t reach the lead-option postseason heights of a LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant. 

It does mean the Knicks can surely win it all someday with Brunson as their starting playmaker, as their clear second option, and as the traffic cop who basically tells everybody where to go, what to do and when to shoot. 

Though the Knicks have screwed up a lot of things over the years, it’s hard to see them adding this one to the pile. For team president Leon Rose, a man who knows how to swing and miss, Brunson has been a walk-off home run. He is one point guard who needs to spend his entire prime at MSG. 

Everybody saw Brunson’s big-game talent alongside Luka Doncic last year on the Mavericks’ stirring run to the Western Conference finals, and yet nobody, not even the most optimistic New Yorker, imagined him being this kind of backcourt force in Year 1 at the Garden. Even his old college teammate (at Villanova) and new NBA teammate, Josh Hart, didn’t believe it was ever going to look like this. 

“I knew he would have a long career in the NBA,” Hart said, “but I didn’t think it was gonna be how he’s playing now. … He’s everything you want in your leader, as someone you want to build your franchise around.” 

The son of a former NBA point guard (and current Knicks assistant), Rick Brunson, Jalen Brunson uses his institutional knowledge and thick body to create space and angles that compensate for what he lacks in athleticism and speed. He can finish in the lane and at the rim, and he makes 41 percent of his 3-point shots. 

It seemed every other time you looked up in recent weeks, Brunson was making a run at 40 points. He is the most obvious reason why the Knicks are 33-27 after 60 games, an eight-game improvement on their record at the same point last season. 

But it isn’t just about the scoring or any of the standard measurables. Brunson’s value cannot be contained by the box score. Asked early this season to explain what makes Brunson a tough opponent, Sixers coach Doc Rivers said the following: “Leadership. Toughness. Big shot maker. Winner. Other than that … [laughter]. No, really, I think all those things are what he’s good at. I don’t think you look at him and see one thing that stands out, other than all the intangibles that make him a really good player.” 

Those intangibles brought out the best in Julius Randle, who had devolved into a total mess last season. Randle said the game is coming a lot easier to him this year than it did even two years ago — when he was named an All-Star for the first time — and attributed much of that to Brunson. 

“He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had,” Randle said. “I can’t say enough [about] the chemistry and energy that he brings to the locker room.” 

Randle said all that a month before he was named an All-Star. Brunson should’ve received the same honor up front, of course, instead of waiting to see if he would replace an injured player selected ahead of him. He handled it professionally rather than take it personally. 

“My reaction was for Julius,” he said. “I was very happy for him. 

A lot of athletes say a lot of things they believe they’re supposed to say for public consumption. Through his actions and his expressed generosity of spirit, Brunson clearly meant what he said. He realizes that the Knicks didn’t just sign him for the points he could score and the passes he could dish out. 

They also signed him to elevate teammates, such as Randle. 

Players around the league have noticed. The NBA is a small neighborhood where there are no real secrets, and word has gotten around that Brunson is a joy to play with. 

So whenever the Knicks have a realistic shot to land the megastar who might help them win their first title since 1973, Brunson will be a main attraction for that megastar — even if he isn’t picked for the All-Star Game.