It’s not often that an award for the NBA’s best training staff doubles as a sharp-edged reminder of a franchise’s worst mistake. But then again, very little about the New York Knicks’ current renaissance has followed the script. One name in particular? Jalen Brunson.

When the NBATA named the Knicks’ staff as the 2024–25 Athletic Training Staff of the Year, the applause extended far beyond the walls of Madison Square Garden. Inside NBA circles, it hit a different nerve, particularly in Dallas.

The head of that award-winning team? Casey Smith. Yes, that Casey Smith. The same Casey who was unceremoniously let go by Mavericks GM Nico Harrison over a video call (ouch) as part of his supposedly internal “culture reset.” The same Casey who spent nearly two decades building a reputation as one of the league’s most trusted and effective medical voices.

And if the Knicks’ postseason success didn’t sting enough already in Dallas, now Jalen Brunson, the one who got away, is out here casually handing out flowers. “I really don’t want to give Casey credit, but I guess I have to now,” Brunson quipped when asked about the Knicks’ medical team. “No, he’s been great. I’ve known Casey obviously since my rookie year. He’s helped me every step along the way, especially the past month.”

Brunson unceremoniously entered free agency as a Mav back in 2022. It was the same kind of lack of trust which was apparent earlier in the year, for another beloved Dallas superstar in the form of Luka Doncic. However, what if in this scenario, the biggest Mavs mistake wasn’t trading Brunson, but letting go of the very people who helped build him?

How Jalen Brunson’s shout-out to Knicks’ trainers puts Mavericks’ culture in the hot seat

There’s a special kind of irony here. Luka Dončić might still be the most gifted player in Mavericks history, but the collapse of the Mavs’ old guard — from Rick Carlisle to Donnie Nelson to, yes, Casey Smith — came with a price that’s now impossible to ignore.

The dismissal of Casey wasn’t just a procedural move. It was deeply unpopular internally and viewed by some as an unforced error, one that fractured the longstanding player-trainer trust built inside the organization. While Dallas doubled down on reconfiguring their identity around Luka and fresh hires, the Knicks doubled down on doing what works.

“A lot of it has been Heather Mao, a lot of it has been our strength coach Ty and Shimon,” Brunson said. “Obviously my dad coming back and Pedro. There’s been a lot of key pieces that helped me get back to this point, so a lot of credit goes out to them, even Chico, Anthony.”

The names came like rapid fire, and honestly? That just might be the best kind of rapid fire that could go on. And well, it’s not just about injury prevention. It’s about community, trust built behind closed doors, after hours, during two-a-days and grueling rehabs. “They all helped sacrifice their time with their families,” Brunson continued. “I feel like I’ve known these people my entire career, and they haven’t changed. They’re dedicated to what they do.”

The Knicks, in many ways, have become what the Mavericks used to be. A franchise that players believe in, built on consistency and care. That’s not a fluke. That’s infrastructure. Talent is the headline, but trust is the story Dallas forgot to tell.

“When something like that goes down, it’s not really said, it’s like, whatever you guys do to get back. They truly do that, and they truly help me get there,” Jalen Brunson said.

Oh, and about Heather Mao, the other name drawing attention in the Knicks’ staff? “She’s been great,” Brunson said. “She came to Dallas my second season. Ever since then, I’ve primarily worked with her. We’ve been on the same team. Like I said, she’s sacrificed, she’s helped me, she’s figured out ways to push me. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

There’s that word again: team. The kind Jalen Brunson left behind in Dallas. The kind he’s now helping build in New York. And the kind Nico Harrison may now be watching from afar, wondering if he backed the wrong culture reset. Funny how life comes full circle.

Dallas fans will always argue about the Luka trade. But years from now, when people ask how it all fell apart, this story—a quiet, behind-the-scenes award for a training staff Dallas let go of—might hold just as much weight.

The Mavericks now hold the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Cooper Flagg could be their next star. But if the lesson from this era is to mean anything, it has to start with more than talent. It has to start with trust.

Because players don’t just follow the money. They follow care. Culture. Familiar faces who stay consistent even when the scoreboard doesn’t. Jalen Brunson didn’t say all that out loud. He didn’t need to. He just smiled, gave Casey Smith his flowers, and let the silence speak for itself.