Jalen Brunson's Father Makes Surprising Statement on Greatest Knick Ever

Jalen Brunson just delivered the most important season in modern New York Knicks history.

The 29-year-old guard led a 53-29 squad through the playoffs and past the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, bringing the franchise its first championship in 53 years while earning Finals MVP.

If there was ever a time to crown him the greatest Knick of all time, this felt like it.

His father disagrees, however.

Rick Brunson, who serves as an assistant coach on the Knicks staff and played for the franchise during its 1999 Finals run, made his feelings known during an appearance on CBS Mornings shortly after the championship celebration.

Rather than crowning his son, the elder Brunson pointed to a different name.

"Patrick Ewing is the greatest right now," Rick said. "Pat was the hardest working guy we had and he was the best player. Pat did it for 15 years in New York, Jalen did it for four. Another seven years you can revisit that question, but as of today, the big fella is my favorite."

The comment landed differently because of when it came.

Just days earlier, Jalen Brunson had dropped 45 points in a Game 5 win that clinched the title, capping a Finals run where he averaged over 32 points per game and became the highest-scoring point guard in NBA Finals history.

But Rick's argument is not about dismissing what Jalen has done so far.

It was merely about respecting the volume of what Ewing gave New York across 15 seasons.

Ewing remains the franchise's all-time leader in points with 23,665, rebounds with 10,759, and blocks with 2,758 after playing 1,039 games in a Knicks uniform.

He earned 11 All-Star selections, became a Hall of Famer, and carried the organization through an era where the Knicks mattered every single year, even if a ring always slipped just out of reach.

The case for Brunson starts and ends with something Ewing never captured as a player; a championship.

In just four seasons with the Knicks, Brunson averaged 26.0 points and 6.8 assists per game during the 2025-26 regular season alone while earning his third All-Star selection and taking a $113 million pay cut on his contract extension so the front office could build a winner around him.

That selflessness directly led to the acquisitions of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, both of whom played essential roles throughout the championship run.

Knowing how competitive the Brunson family is, that motivation might be the most dangerous thing you can give a player who just won the biggest trophy in basketball.