Once it was everything – a city rivalry that ran so deep it cleaved families in two. But by the time Villanova went to Broad Street to play Temple in 2017, the Wildcats had entirely disassembled the Big 5, turning it into their own personal playground.
Villanova would toss the Owls aside by 20 for its 22nd consecutive win against their Philly opponents, a walkover victory that barely moved the needle anywhere outside of the city limits.
But the Temple fans were there for a piece of flesh as much as a victory, eager to rip into then-sophomore Jalen Brunson because he chose Villanova over Temple, where his father, Rick, played under John Chaney. They called him a traitor and chanted that his father sucked. They cussed and catcalled every time he touched the ball. For every bad thing they had to say, he wordlessly drained a bucket.
By the time the night ended, not only had Villanova won; Brunson had 31.
Nine years later in a game that meant only everything, Victor Wembayama crowded into Brunson’s landing space on a 3-pointer during the third quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Refs opted to disregard the blatant flagrant foul and the usually stoic Brunson erupted, chasing after the officials before turning on his heel in a fury and returning to the bench. The Knicks at the time trailed the Spurs, 55-50 with 6:27 in the third.
