Sandra Brunson Is More Than Jalen Brunson’s Mother — Her New Role Puts Years of Quiet Work in Public View

For years, Sandra Brunson was most commonly introduced through one relationship: she is the mother of New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson. That description is accurate, but by September 2026 it has become increasingly incomplete.

On September 16, the Brunson family announced Thirty Third Management Group, a New York-based, family-owned brand advisory firm. Sandra was named its President, formalizing work she had already been doing behind the scenes for approximately eight years managing Jalen’s off-court business.

The launch brings several parts of Sandra Brunson’s public career into clearer focus. She is a former Division I athlete, has decades of professional experience connected to legal and operational work, serves as President of JMB1 Enterprises, and is Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer of the Second Round Foundation. Her newest position therefore represents less of a sudden career change than the public expansion of responsibilities she has held for years.

BLUF: Sandra Brunson is Jalen Brunson’s mother, a former Temple University Division I volleyball player, an experienced business and legal operations professional, Co-Founder and CFO of the Second Round Foundation, President of JMB1 Enterprises and, as of September 2026, President of Thirty Third Management Group.

Bio Summary

Detail	Verified information

Full name

Sandra Brunson

Known for

Mother of NBA star Jalen Brunson; business and nonprofit executive

Current major business role

President, Thirty Third Management Group

Other business role

President, JMB1 Enterprises, LLC

Nonprofit role

Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer, Second Round Foundation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business law, minor in real estate, Temple University

College athletics

Division I volleyball at Temple University

Professional experience

More than 30 years across litigation support, project management and strategic partnerships

Husband

Rick Brunson

Children

Jalen Brunson and Erica Brunson

Publicly verified age

Not confirmed in authoritative sources reviewed

Publicly verified personal fortune

Not available

Before Jalen Brunson Became an NBA Star, Sandra Built Her Own Professional Foundation

Sandra Brunson’s connection to elite sport did not begin when her son reached the NBA.

She played Division I volleyball at Temple University, where she developed both an athletic and academic foundation. CBS News also highlighted her history as a Temple volleyball player during a June 2026 profile examining her influence on Jalen’s leadership and development.

Her official foundation biography provides considerably more detail about what came afterward.

Sandra began her professional career at a major New York City law firm, developing experience in corporate law. Her later work expanded into real estate, trusts and estates, personal injury, product liability, and employment litigation. The foundation credits her with more than 30 years of experience in litigation support, project management and strategic partnerships.

That professional history matters because her current roles require far more than being a trusted family adviser. Athlete businesses can involve contracts, corporate relationships, charitable initiatives, sponsorships, intellectual property, brand strategy, and long-term commercial planning.

Sandra’s background helps explain why she became increasingly involved in the infrastructure surrounding Jalen Brunson’s career.

Thirty Third Management Group Makes Her Behind-the-Scenes Work Official

The September 2026 launch of Thirty Third Management Group is the clearest sign yet that Sandra Brunson has moved into a distinct public business identity.

The company describes itself as a family-owned brand advisory firm that manages Jalen Brunson’s off-court interests while also representing athletes, NIL talent, executives, entrepreneurs, and charitable foundations. Its work includes brand development, partnership strategy, business development, and philanthropy.

Sandra serves as President.

Her daughter, Erica Brunson, serves as Director of Client Services, while longtime Brunson associate Connor Cashaw serves as Director of Business Development. Jalen is the firm’s foundational client.

Most importantly, the launch announcement states that Sandra had already been managing Jalen’s off-court business for eight years before taking the President title at Thirty Third.

That detail changes the context considerably.

Thirty Third is not simply a new business created because Jalen became commercially successful. It formalizes a management structure that had developed throughout his NBA career.

Why Is It Called Thirty Third?

The company name refers directly to Jalen Brunson being selected 33rd overall in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Thirty Third therefore connects the family’s new venture to one of the defining themes surrounding Jalen’s career: being selected outside the first round and building from that position. The company’s launch materials explicitly identify his draft position as the name’s origin.

The same history also influenced the name and philosophy of the Brunson family’s charitable work.

Second Round Foundation Shows the Other Side of Sandra Brunson’s Work

Business management is only part of Sandra Brunson’s public role.

She and Jalen co-founded the Second Round Foundation in 2022. Sandra currently serves as its Chief Financial Officer, while the organization describes its mission as expanding opportunity for young people through education, sport and community programs.

The foundation’s name again refers to Jalen being chosen in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft.

Sandra told CBS News that the organization grew from the lesson she wanted Jalen to understand after his draft experience: being overlooked did not determine what he could eventually accomplish.

The foundation says its work focuses particularly on young people who are under-resourced, under-represented or underestimated, providing access to education, wellness resources and pathways that can improve future opportunities.

Sandra’s responsibilities there are both financial and strategic. The organization’s official board page identifies her specifically as Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer.

The Career Timeline Behind Sandra Brunson’s Growing Public Profile

Temple University years

Sandra attended Temple University, earning a bachelor’s degree in business law with a minor in real estate while playing Division I volleyball.

Legal and operational career

She began working at a major New York City law firm and accumulated experience across corporate law and several litigation-related fields. Her professional biography now credits her with more than three decades of experience spanning litigation support, project management, and strategic partnerships.

Jalen Brunson enters the NBA — 2018

Jalen was selected 33rd overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. Sandra later became increasingly involved in managing his business interests outside basketball.

Second Round Foundation — 2022

Sandra and Jalen established the Second Round Foundation, with Sandra becoming Co-Founder and CFO.

JMB1 Enterprises

Sandra also became President of JMB1 Enterprises, LLC, where her official biography says she oversees business operations and develops strategic partnerships.

Thirty Third Management Group — September 2026

The Brunson family launched Thirty Third Management Group on September 16, 2026, appointing Sandra as President. The company confirmed she had already handled Jalen’s off-court business for eight years.

Jalen Brunson’s Success Has Turned Family Roles Into Business Roles

Sandra Brunson’s relationship with Jalen extends well beyond commercial management.

CBS News reported in 2026 that she had been sending him motivational messages since his high school years and continued texting him before games during his professional career. She often emphasized perspective rather than basketball itself.

She has also spoken publicly about leadership.

“It’s not what happens, it’s how you respond.”

That principle, Sandra told CBS News, was among the lessons she tried to share with Jalen as his responsibilities as a leader grew.

Jalen’s NBA biography confirms that Sandra and her husband Rick Brunson were both Temple athletes: Rick played basketball, while Sandra played volleyball. Rick later played nine NBA seasons and became an assistant coach with the New York Knicks.

Their daughter Erica has also become directly involved in the family’s professional operation through Thirty Third Management Group.

The result is an unusually integrated structure: Jalen remains the high-profile athlete, while Sandra, Erica, and other longtime associates occupy defined business roles around him.

Why Women’s Professional Sports Matter to Thirty Third

Thirty Third Management Group is not designed solely to manage Jalen Brunson.

The company says it intends to represent outside clients across professional sports, NIL, entrepreneurship, executive careers and charitable organizations. One of its first stated priorities is women’s professional sports.

Erica Brunson is expected to lead that part of the business.

The company says its leadership views women’s professional sports as historically underserved in areas such as representation and business support. Thirty Third intends to offer services covering partnerships, brand strategy, business development and philanthropy.

For Sandra, that places her at the head of an organization whose ambitions extend substantially beyond one family member’s endorsements.

What the Public Record Can—and Cannot—Say About Her Finances

Reliable sources reviewed for this profile do not provide an authoritative public figure for Sandra Brunson’s personal wealth or individual asset value.

Her professional positions are documented: President of Thirty Third Management Group, President of JMB1 Enterprises, and Co-Founder and CFO of the Second Round Foundation. However, none of those verified sources publish Sandra’s personal salary, equity value, investment portfolio, property holdings, or other information sufficient to calculate an individual fortune.

Any precise personal financial estimate presented without supporting records should therefore be treated as speculative rather than fact.

Why Sandra Brunson’s Name Matters More in 2026

Sandra Brunson’s public profile is changing because the work attached to her name is becoming easier to see.

She was already an athlete before becoming an NBA parent. She built decades of professional experience before Jalen became a Knicks star. She helped establish a charitable foundation, managed his business interests, led JMB1 Enterprises, and now serves as president of a management company designed to operate beyond his playing career.

Thirty Third Management Group brings those threads together.

For readers searching for Sandra Brunson simply because she is Jalen Brunson’s mother, the fuller answer in 2026 is more substantial: she is one of the people responsible for building and managing the business and philanthropic structure surrounding the Brunson family name.

FAQs.

Who is Sandra Brunson?

Sandra Brunson is a business and nonprofit executive best known publicly as the mother of New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson. She is President of Thirty Third Management Group and JMB1 Enterprises and serves as Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer of the Second Round Foundation. She previously played Division I volleyball at Temple University.

What does Sandra Brunson do for Jalen Brunson?

Sandra Brunson has managed Jalen Brunson’s off-court business interests for approximately eight years, according to the September 2026 announcement establishing Thirty Third Management Group. She now serves as President of the firm, which manages Jalen’s business away from basketball and advises additional clients in sports, business, and philanthropy.

What is Thirty Third Management Group?

Thirty Third Management Group is a family-owned brand advisory company launched by Jalen Brunson and his family in September 2026. It represents athletes, NIL talent, entrepreneurs, executives, and charitable organizations while providing services related to branding, partnerships, business development, and philanthropy. Sandra Brunson serves as President.

Did Sandra Brunson play sports?

Yes. Sandra Brunson played Division I volleyball at Temple University while completing her undergraduate education. Her athletic background has been confirmed by both her official Second Round Foundation biography and CBS News.

Who are Sandra Brunson’s children?

Sandra Brunson and Rick Brunson are the parents of Jalen Brunson and Erica Brunson. Jalen became an NBA star with the New York Knicks, while Erica now serves as Director of Client Services at Thirty Third Management Group.

What is Sandra Brunson’s net worth?

Sandra Brunson’s personal net worth has not been reliably disclosed through authoritative public sources. Although her executive, business-management, and nonprofit roles are documented, verified financial information is insufficient to provide a responsible estimate of her personal wealth.

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Editorial Disclaimer

This profile is based on publicly available information verified through official organizational biographies, company announcements, and established news sources available as of September 17, 2026. Private details such as Sandra Brunson’s exact age, personal earnings, investments and individual asset valuation have not been stated as fact where authoritative documentation was unavailable.