That Jalen Brunson is even in the conversation to be the Knicks’ greatest player would have been unthinkable when he signed four years ago. At that point, he had proved to be a good complimentary player, but he was not yet a consensus centerpiece. Others questioned why the Knicks were paying such a sizable contract to a second-round draft pick.
Brunson and the Knicks never fully quieted the critics until they ripped through the playoffs this spring. The team was good, the prevailing opinion went for much of the past four seasons, but probably not *championship good.* Brunson faced parallel skepticism: Sure, he had proved to be among the NBA’s best, but could he lead a team that wins four playoff rounds? Brunson and his teammates, however, consistently rallied, turning deficits into leads, and leads into wins, including a stunning 29-point comeback in game four of the NBA Finals.
The Knicks’ championship was a citywide exorcism after more than 50 years of falling short. It was also vindication: for the Knicks, who saw Brunson as a franchise cornerstone when few others did, and for Brunson, who could permanently silence the critics. “This completely changes everyone’s opinion of him going forward,” his wife, Ali Marks Brunson said. “If you’re going to talk about Jalen, you’re going to have to mention that he was a Finals MVP, that he was a champion.”
In Brunson, New York didn’t land a finished product but a player who was still ascending — and, perhaps most crucially, one who wanted to be here. “We did everything we could to bring something back here,” he said. “The character and then everything that this team embodies, it means a lot to me. It means a lot to the city, and obviously having a championship puts the cherry on top.”
For our new Cover Story, Tom Kludt profiles the King of New York: https://t.co/XSshOYMQg7
"I reacted a certain way. Maybe overreacted in some certain ways. But that's just me. I'm a fiery guy."
Lincoln Saltdogs manager James Frisbie was ejected from Wednesday's game after arguing a call. His outburst, which includes removing first base & throwing it, has gone viral.
"This championship belongs to them too, because championships aren't just built in one season."
Zohran Mamdani shouts out former Knicks players and Tom Thibodeau for their contributions towards this Knicks title:
Mike Breen: "IT'S OVER! IT'S OVER! KNICK FANS, THIS IS NOT A DREAM! YOUR LONG, LONG WAIT HAS ENDED! GO AHEAD AND CRY! AFTER 53 YEARS, THE KNICKS ARE FINALLY NBA CHAMPIONS ONCE AGAIN!" 🏀🏆🎙️
Next week’s cover, “After the Comeback,” by Pierre-Emmanuel Lyet, captures the joy on the streets of New York City after the Knicks’ historic win in Game Four of the N.B.A. Finals. https://t.co/zLRZzgL83N