{"id":257452,"date":"2026-06-06T12:36:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T12:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/257452\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T12:36:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T12:36:08","slug":"nyc-man-shows-off-full-back-tattoo-of-mount-rushmore-of-knicks-greats-shocks-jalen-brunson-himself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/257452\/","title":{"rendered":"NYC man shows off full-back tattoo of Mount Rushmore of Knicks greats \u2014 shocks Jalen Brunson himself\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Knicks have his back.<\/p>\n

Staten Islander Matt McAllister has a Mount Rushmore of Knicks greats inked across his back \u2014 including current MVP Jalen Brunson.<\/p>\n

And when McAllister took his shirt off to reveal the jaw-dropping tattoo to Brunson himself, the captain was stunned.<\/p>\n

Matt McAllister\u2019s Mount Rushmore of Knicks legends was drawn by artist Tom Sanford and inked by Sonja Elise at Bullseye Tattoos on Staten Island. Courtesy of\u00a0 Matt McAllister<\/p>\n

\u201cHe seems like he\u2019s a guy of very little words . . . but he was like, \u2018Oh, that\u2019s hard,’\u201d McAllister, 34, told The Post.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen he said, \u2018But Rushmore\u2019s only got four.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I told him I had to add an extra just for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then shocked star guard Josh Hart \u201cpulled out his phone. He\u2019s like, \u2018I gotta take a photo of this. Holy s\u2013t!’\u201d <\/p>\n

McAllister presented the over-the-top tat \u2014 also featuring legends John Starks<\/a>, Walt Frazier, Patrick Ewing and Carmelo Anthony \u2014 to Brunson and Hart in September at a meet-and-greet for the duo\u2019s Roommates Block Party.<\/p>\n

McAllister said the idea for the All-Star artwork came last season when the Knicks finished 51-31, but lost to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals \u2014 a round short of the NBA Finals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart were stunned to see the jaw-dropping ink. Courtesy of\u00a0 Matt McAllister<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that run we had last year, I was like, \u2018Wow, this is really monumental. Let me think of a monument that I can honor everybody with.’\u201d<\/p>\n

The tat cost $9,000 and took 36 hours over six sessions to make. MSG was there to capture it for a commercial.<\/p>\n

\u201cI might only see this once in my lifetime again. I have no regrets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Knicks superfans Nolan Parr, Ray Rosado and Mirko Falzone all opted for giant leg tattoos of the team\u2019s captain. Nolan Parr, Ray Rosado, Mirko Falzone<\/p>\n

Other Knicks superfans have opted for leg tattoos of the \u201cKing of New York.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ray Rosado, a native of Yonkers, got a $1,350 leg tattoo of Brunson<\/a> two days after the Knicks lost the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, \u201cbecause I had a feeling they would go to the finals this year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

His tattoo artist warned him against the very permanent decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said, \u2018You know, if you get it and they don\u2019t go to the finals, it\u2019s going to still be on your body,’\u201d Rosado recalled.<\/p>\n

Rosado chose the image of Brunson praying during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals last year, which he got inked by his tattoo artist,\u00a0Chico. Courtesy of Ray Rosado<\/p>\n

Rosado, 33, a teacher at New Rochelle High School \u2014 whose students alerted him when his tattoo went viral<\/a> \u2014 explained why he chose the photo of Captain Clutch praying during Game 1 of last year\u2019s conference finals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not really religious myself, but I felt that was the moment to symbolize that great things are coming your way. You just have to wait for that moment. And that\u2019s all that Brunson has been talking about this year, that the job\u2019s not finished yet,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Parr got Brunson\u2019s signature move inked by\u00a0tattoo artist Josh Glasser last month. Courtesy of Nolan Parr<\/p>\n

Nolan Parr of Queens got inked on May 23, two days before the Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals to make it to the final round.<\/p>\n

The native of Red Hook in Dutchess County, NY \u2014 who went with a $800 tattoo of the three-time NBA All-Star doing his signature thumb-and-index finger move \u2014 has been a fan since he\u2019s \u201cbeen in diapers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause my father was a diehard Knicks fan from back in the day. So it\u2019s always the classic, \u2018Who\u2019s better Clyde or Jalen,\u2019 between me and him,\u201d Parr, 32, said.<\/p>\n

Falzone\u2019s leg tattoo took artist Mirko Ponti 20 hours more than two days to complete. Courtesy of Mirko Falzone<\/p>\n

Mirko Falzone of Bergamo, Italy, has never even been to a Knicks game, but in October, decided to get a huge tattoo of Brunson\u2019s face on his leg, along with a smaller full-body image of the MVP on the court in his No. 11 jersey.<\/p>\n

Falzone, 32, was always a fan of the NBA, but wasn\u2019t watching regularly until Brunson joined the roster in 2022, and since Italy is ahead of New York by six hours, he\u2019s been waking up at 2 a.m. to catch him playing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Jalen Brunson arrived to New York, my passion came back,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd the desire to stay awake during the night here in Italy to watch the games.\u201d<\/p>\n

But in Italy, most have no clue who\u2019s on his leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone here only knows LeBron James, Wembanyama,\u201d he said, laughing. \u201cSomeone asked if it was Travis Scott.\u201d<\/p>\n

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