Jalen Brunson Sends Strong Message to Knicks’ Doubters at Championship Parade
· Yahoo Sports
Jalen Brunson did it.
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The most doubted superstar in the NBA had led his hometown New York Knicks to their first NBA championship in 53 years in one of the most dominant playoff runs in recent memory and he capped it all off with a 45 point performance in the closeout Game 5 and earned himself Finals MVP.
From the day that Brunson signed with the Knicks as their new franchise star, fresh off of the Knicks missing out on signing players like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, virtually the entire NBA media world called it a mistake.
Just as quickly, Brunson proved those doubters wrong, earning three All-Star selections, a Clutch Player of the Year award and now a championship.
Familiar With DoubtShaq: "When you were down 29 did any doubt creep in your mind?"
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) June 11, 2026
Jalen Brunson: "I thought about it…you're allowed to think about the worst possible scenario––but you gotta go out there and do something about it"pic.twitter.com/IWRpYLzLKg
Brunson is no stranger to doubt. Throughout his career, even going back to his college days at Villanova, he was counted out for being too small, unathletic and simply not the guy that cold lead a team to a championship.
It was an almost unanimous opinion across the the media world, with figures like Stephen A. Smith being some of the loudest voices speaking against him.
"Too slow."
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) May 26, 2026
"Not athletic enough."
"Too small."
"All those things don't measure 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩. And that's what I have."
Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks are four wins away from silencing ALL of the doubters. pic.twitter.com/YQUSMdiiHj
One of the the doubters that the Knicks fandom has latched on to the most is Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon, who dismissed Brunson as "too small" and not a "1A" player when she appeared ESPN's NBA Today in 2023.
Those comments immediately caused an uproar and became a rallying cry for Knicks fans that flocked to defend their beloved captain and if Brunson's teammates are to be believed, became something that motivated the Knicks guard even more, not that he needed the extra drive.
Brunson Speaks to the NoiseBecky Hammon: [The Knicks] don't have a dude... you got to have a 1A dude."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 21, 2023
Kendrick Perkins: "They do have that dude."
B: "Who?"
K: "Jalen Brunson."
B: "He too small. If your best player is small, you're not winning... Steph Curry is the only dude."pic.twitter.com/XWhJHZXpxT
On Thursday, after being paraded through the streets of New York City as a champion, Brunson took the stage to express his appreciation for Knicks fans, his team, his staff, his family and to especially take a moment to speak out against everyone who doubted him, though he didn't have to say much.
"There's a lot of people that have a lot of negative stuff to say," Brunson said. "There's a lot of people who have a lot of opinions. But when you prove them wrong, you don't have to say s--t to them."
"There's a lot of people that have a lot of negative stuff to say. There's a lot of people who have a lot of opinions. But when you prove them wrong, you don't have to say s--t to them."
— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026
- Jalen Brunson pic.twitter.com/Pix0MRkqMJ
Brunson didn't name names and he didn't have to. Hammon wasn't alone in her criticism and Brunson has gotten used to being counted out.
He's already won. Every moment since the clock hit zero in Game 5 has vindicated Brunson and all of the work he's put in up to this point.
They called him too small. They said he wasn't athletic enough.
He knows that he's a champion.