Pacers fans diss Knicks' Jalen Brunson with ruthless nickname

Drew Bishop

Pacers fans diss Knicks' Jalen Brunson with ruthless nickname image

It's like traveling back in time.

The Knicks and Pacers are battling in the playoffs with all the venom from their matchups in the 90's. 

Instead of John Starks, the Indiana crowd has turned its disgust to Jalen Brunson.

During game four, the Pacers crowd came up with a new nickname for the Knicks' point guard. 

As Brunson stepped to the free throw line late in the third quarter, fans chanted "flopper."

Free throws are a huge part of Brunson's game and the Eastern Conference Finals have been no different than the usual. 

He's 27/29 from the charity stripe through three games. Brunson's smaller frame and knack for getting contact can draw the frustration of opposing fans.

He is also good at selling calls, but that's a big part of the modern NBA. This season's MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has been called a "free throw merchant" by fans throughout this season. 

The chants are a ruthless jab by the fans, but from Villanova, to Dallas, and now New York, Brunson has never been too affected by outside noise.

He'll continue to hunt for fouls and if the series returns to Indiana, Pacers fans will continue to call out his new nickname.

MORE: Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fires back at 'free throw merchant' critics

Drew Bishop

Drew Bishop is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. After graduating from the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University, he worked in local media in Sandusky, Ohio at BCSN and the Sandusky Register, freelancing as a reporter, broadcast director and play-by-play commentator for high school sports. He then moved on to KRIS 6 News where he serves as a producer in the news department.