Lifestyle icon Martha Stewart has revealed she suffered a broken toe during a dramatic NBA playoff game earlier this year, an injury she has now dubbed the 'Brunson Fracture'. The 84-year-old star shared the story of her painful courtside encounter on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The Courtside Collision
Stewart was in attendance at Madison Square Garden on May 21 to watch the New York Knicks face the Indiana Pacers in a high-stakes playoff contest. Sitting in a prime floor seat, the event took a painful turn when Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, a two-time NBA All-Star, fell onto her foot during the fast-paced game.
"I knew it was broken immediately," Stewart told host Jimmy Fallon, recalling the moment. "He sat on my lap, comes crashing down." She described grabbing Brunson's arm to steady herself and being surprised to find it "icy cold", noting he was "cool as a cucumber" despite the intense athletic exhibition.
A Costly Footwear Choice
The lifestyle maven attributed the severity of the injury to her choice of footwear for the evening: a pair of $835 Manolo Blahnik Patopia Slingback Sandals. "Never, ever wear open-toed shoes to a game like that when you're sitting on the floor," Stewart advised, sharing the hard-earned wisdom. "He stepped on my big toe on this foot."
She explained that her current shoe selection is limited due to the injury, stating, "That's why I'm wearing open-toed shoes, because it's the only kind of shoes I can wear now."
Aftermath and Absolution
Despite the fracture, Stewart made clear she holds no ill will towards Brunson, a fellow New Jersey native, whom she described as "super-duper" and "so great". In the immediate aftermath, she reassured the player, telling him, "It's OK."
"He didn't know he broke my foot, but he broke my foot," she recounted. The situation was complicated by the game itself, which went into overtime and saw the Knicks squander a 14-point lead to lose 138-135. Stewart said the pain intensified as the match progressed, but she felt she couldn't leave her seat with the arena at a standstill.
Stewart later informed Brunson's parents of the incident; his father, Rick Brunson, is an assistant coach for the team. As a memento, the basketball star provided a signed ball for Stewart's grandchild. "All I got out of it was a signed basketball for my grandchild," she joked to Fallon.
The veteran TV star's appearance aired on Tuesday night, with The Tonight Show broadcasting weeknights on NBC.
