Who Is Jalen Brunson's Wife Ali Marks? Long-Distance Love That Led To A High School Gym Proposal
Jalen Brunson will be hosting the premiere for the upcoming season of 'Saturday Night Live.' Amid this, his marriage to Ali Marks and their love story have come into the limelight.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleNew York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is set to make his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live for its Season 52 premiere on September 26, 2026, with KATSEYE as musical guest. The announcement comes months after Brunson led the Knicks to their first NBA championship since 1973 and was named Finals MVP.
A former Villanova standout and two-time NCAA champion, Brunson rose from a second-round pick in Dallas to a three-time All-Star in New York, becoming the face of the franchise. Amid his entry into the SNL, Jalen’s personal life has now grabbed attention. For the unversed, he has been married to Dr. Alison “Ali” Marks Brunson since 2023.
Jalen Brunson’s wife, Ali Marks, has been active in a different field
While Jalen Brunson has built a fan base over the years with his basketball skills, his wife, Ali Marks, has been a physical therapist. According to Ali’s LinkedIn profile, she obtained her high school diploma from Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire.
Ali later enrolled at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, acquiring a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science. In 2018, Ali joined The Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, where she obtained her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.
Jalen’s career started in 2016 as a rehabilitation aide for Athletico. Her work included preparing patients for physical therapy treatments and helping therapists during the administration of treatments. She had other duties too, such as providing routine exercises to patients, helping the office coordinator with scheduling and registration of patients, and more.
She left Athletico in 2018 and became a physical therapist at W.B. Carrell Memorial Clinic in Dallas, Texas, from 2021 to 2022. Ali has been serving in the same position at ATI Physical Therapy in New York City since 2022.
Jalen Brunson and Ali Marks have been married for three years
Jalen Brunson and Ali Marks’ love story dates back to the time when they first met at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, and began dating in October 2013. Their high school years were closely intertwined, from birthday celebrations and school dances to attending senior prom together in May 2015, moments Jalen often documented on social media. The pair was in a long-distance relationship for some time when they attended college.
After dating for nine years, the duo got engaged in 2022. Brunson brought Ali back to their old school gym and proposed at center court, where a heart-shaped arrangement of flowers and candles had been set up beneath a floral arch. The couple married on July 29, 2023, at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago. Ali later shared that they envisioned the day as a large, joyful celebration with lights, music, good food and drinks.
For the wedding ceremony, Ali Marks wore a custom off-white Eva Lendel gown and surprised guests by changing into her 2015 prom dress later in the evening, which she described as an iconic look. On the other hand, Jalen Brunson opted for a custom black tuxedo with velvet loafers and said he felt fortunate to have Ali constantly by his side and was looking forward to marking the milestone with close family and friends.
A year later, on July 31, 2024, they welcomed their daughter Jordyn James Brunson, announcing her birth on Instagram without previously revealing the pregnancy. Jordyn has since been seen at some of Brunson's games. Ali has remained a consistent presence throughout Brunson's career, from high school games to his introduction as a New York Knicks player in July 2022 and red-carpet appearances.
Ali Marks has also supported pancreatic cancer causes in honor of her father, who died from the disease a decade earlier. She completed her first half marathon for Project Purple in October 2020, an organization that had supported her family, and ran again in 2022, raising USD 5,900. In March 2024, she also made a cameo alongside Brunson in an AT&T March Madness commercial.
What are your thoughts about the career of Ali Marks and her relationship with Jalen Brunson? Let us know.
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