Why Knicks' Jalen Brunson puts his hand in his face after making a 3

The New York Knicks begin their NBA Finals quest against the San Antonio Spurs, and it's not going to be an easy matchup.

But for superstar Jalen Brunson, this matchup should be prime time to cement himself as one of the league's best scorers for fans who aren't aware of how great he is. And during the game, he's sure to hit a few 3s here and there.

When he does hit those 3-pointers, Bruson will put his hand to his face. What does that gesture mean, and why does he do it?

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Why Jalen Brunson celebrates 3s by putting his hand in his face

Brunson makes this gesture with his hand after knocking down a 3-pointer:

Brunson entered the Finals with 31 3-pointers in these playoffs, and there's sure to be plenty more to come against the Spurs in the NBA Finals.

This gesture is a celebratory act, and one that is easy for young fans to imitate. ESPN's Anthony Gharib shared a heartwarming story of a young fan who went viral for imitating Brunson's celebration.

The celebration from Brunson has become iconic. And on the brightest stage of them all, there's sure to be plenty more fans imitating his now-iconic celebration.

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But where did this gesture even come from, and does it even mean anything?

Back in 2024, Brunson revealed answers to both questions to the New York Post's Stefan Bondy.

"It truly came out of nowhere, and it truly has no meaning other than three points on the board," Brunson said. "I just kind of stuck with it because it was unique and nobody was doing it."

If fans see Brunson using the celebration a lot during this Spurs series, things will probably be going very well for New York.

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