The New York Knicks are NBA champions.
After 53 years of misery, Jalen Brunson put New York on his back, dropping 45 points to help the Knicks secure yet another comeback win in Game 5 of the NBA Finals over the San Antonio Spurs, ending their lengthy title drought.
It was the cherry on top of a legendary postseason run from Brunson, who proved many wrong in believing he couldn’t be the superstar and number one option on a championship team. Following the win, much of the basketball world remembered former Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon’s comments from 2023.
“You gotta have a dude, you gotta have a 1A dude and they’re missing that at the end of the day if we’re just getting down to brass tacks. Who? No, he’s too small. I’ve got a philosophy. If your best player is small, you’re not winning. John Stockton, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, you can go down the list. Steph Curry, he’s the greatest shooter to ever walk the planet, he’s in a different class,”
Brunson was asked how he would respond to those remarks now as a champion and Finals MVP, to which he said:
“I didn’t respond to them then and I’m damn sure not going to respond to them now,”
The 29-year-old Brunson averaged 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in five Finals games, finishing the postseason with averages of 28.4 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds across 19 total games.
As Stephen A. Smith said postgame, Brunson may not be the most explosive player or someone who plays above the rim, but he’s a smart, crafty basketball mind with elite footwork, and he just led his team to a historic victory.
That was on full display in Game 5, particularly in the fourth quarter, as Brunson got to his spots at will, even with 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama guarding him. It was a special performance, and there’s not much left for the doubters to say now.
