Jalen Brunson spent years hearing the same questions.
Was he too small to be the best player on a championship team? Could a 6-foot-1 guard really lead the New York Knicks all the way? Would the pressure of playing in New York eventually become too much?
Now, Brunson has an answer for all of it.
He is an NBA champion, a Finals MVP and the face of the Knicks team that finally ended New York’s 53-year wait for another championship. And perhaps just as satisfying for Brunson is hearing some of the league’s biggest stars acknowledge what he has accomplished.
For a player who has always seemed motivated by proving people wrong, that recognition means something.
“It Exceeded Expectations”
Brunson recently reflected on what it meant to win a championship in New York, and his answer showed just how special the experience was.
“It exceeded expectations,” said Brunson. “I’ve always prepared for the worst and prayed for the best. Winning in New York is no joke. It was a really cool experience.”
That is probably an understatement.
The Knicks had not won an NBA championship since 1973. Generations of fans had grown up without seeing their team reach the top of the basketball world.
Brunson arrived in New York after beginning his career with Dallas, and there were questions about whether he could become the type of player capable of carrying a franchise.
He answered those questions in the biggest possible way.
The Comeback That Changed Everything
The Knicks’ championship run was filled with dramatic comebacks, but their title-clinching victory against the San Antonio Spurs may have been the perfect representation of the entire season.
New York trailed by 16 points before fighting its way back into the game.
Brunson eventually took over.
He finished Game 5 with 45 points, setting a Knicks record for points in a Finals game and becoming the driving force behind the comeback.
He also scored 13 straight points during the fourth quarter as New York turned a difficult situation into a championship celebration.
Looking back, Brunson remembered how the team kept believing even when the game appeared to be slipping away.
“It’s crazy, because I remember saying in the locker room, talking to everybody, we were all just saying, ‘let’s get it to 15.’ And it’s just crazy knowing we got it to 15 at the end of the [third quarter]. We knew we had a chance and just kept fighting, kept going.”
That mentality became a defining characteristic of the Knicks throughout the playoffs.
They repeatedly found themselves in difficult situations, but they continued fighting.
And eventually, they were holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The Respect From NBA Stars
Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of Brunson’s story now is the respect coming from around the league.
Brunson has never been the biggest player on the court. He has never had the physical profile that traditionally makes people immediately think “superstar.”
But his performances have changed that conversation.
After the championship, Brunson received praise from several of the NBA’s biggest names.
LeBron James publicly gave the Knicks plenty of respect while also specifically praising Brunson.
“Much respect to the Knicks, obviously,” James said. “An unbelievable team, unbelievable players. Shout out Jalen Brunson. I love that guy, he’s unbelievable.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo also praised the Knicks and Brunson.
And Luka Doncic has previously spoken highly of Brunson, describing him as someone with a “winner mentality” that makes him different from other players.
For Brunson, hearing those kinds of comments clearly means something.
“I really do appreciate it. I respect the hell out of them,” Brunson said.
But he also understands that praise can become dangerous if a player starts believing the job is finished.
“To hear that from those guys, I really do appreciate it. But, just like a lot of things, when you hear praise, when you hear negativity, you gotta be the best version of yourself.”
That might be the most revealing part of his comments.
Brunson knows there is still more to accomplish.
From Doubts To Finals MVP
The journey makes the championship even more impressive.
Brunson entered the NBA as a second-round pick in 2018 after a highly successful college career. He spent the beginning of his professional career in Dallas before joining the Knicks.
There were always questions about whether his size would prevent him from becoming a true franchise player.
Instead, Brunson steadily developed into one of the league’s most influential guards.
During the 2026 playoffs, he averaged 28.4 points per game, the highest scoring average in the postseason.
Then came the Finals.
Brunson delivered when the pressure was at its highest, averaging 30.7 points during the five-game series against San Antonio.
His 45-point performance in the decisive Game 5 became one of the most memorable individual performances in Knicks history.
He was unanimously voted Finals MVP, receiving all 11 media votes.
That is quite a transformation for someone who was once questioned because of his height.
New York Finally Had Its Moment
The Knicks’ championship wasn’t just about Brunson.
Players such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and others played major roles throughout the postseason. New York’s defense also became a major part of its success.
But Brunson was undeniably the centerpiece.
The Knicks went 16-3 during the playoffs and won 15 of their final 16 games.
They also became the first team to win both the NBA Cup and the NBA championship in the same season.
For a franchise that had waited more than half a century for another championship, the timing could hardly have been more dramatic.
The Next Chapter
The biggest question now is what comes next.
Winning the championship gave Brunson the validation that many people had been waiting to see. But Brunson himself doesn’t appear interested in treating that achievement as the finish line.
“There’s still a lot of work to do,” he said.
That mentality could be important as the Knicks prepare to defend their title.
The target on New York’s back will be bigger. Opponents will be more motivated. Expectations will be completely different.
But Brunson has already experienced the pressure of leading the Knicks.
Now he gets to experience something new: leading them as defending champions.
For years, Brunson had to prove he belonged among the NBA’s best.
Now the championship, the Finals MVP trophy and the respect of his peers have made the argument for him.
And for Knicks fans, the hope is that 2026 wasn’t the end of Brunson’s greatest chapter.
It was the beginning.