Jalen Brunson won't claim to be the King of New York.
Jalen Brunson became the King of New York the moment the clock struck zero in Game Five of the NBA Finals and the New York Knicks were crowned 2026 NBA Champions.
Brunson led the Knicks to their first championship since 1973, winning Finals MVP and establishing himself as one of the greatest players in Knicks history.
Brunson signed with the Knicks in the 2022 offseason after a breakout season with the Dallas Mavericks. He immediately brought a winning culture to the team, helping them make the playoffs after an 11th-place finish the prior season.
He’s been an All-Star in three of his four seasons with the Knicks, has made the playoffs all four years, has made two Conference Finals, and capped it all off with a championship this past season.
King of New York?
Brunson has been dubbed the “King of New York” following the championship win, but he isn’t going to claim the title.
“I’ve never called myself the King of New York. I will never call myself the King of New York,” Brunson said on the Road Trippin Show.
He said that he doesn’t want to come across as self-centered and that he’s always been the same because of the people around him, noting that it’s been the same people around him since high school and college. He also credited his parents for keeping him humble.
Brunson’s humble attitude has carried him this far in New York, and he has no reason to change his approach now.
Is He Though?
Without a doubt. New York is the largest sports market in the world, and sports are king in the city with professional teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS.
The New York Jets and New York Giants aren’t any good. The New York Rangers and New York Islanders aren’t any good. The New York Mets aren’t any good, and the New York Yankees haven’t won a World Series since 2009. The New York Red Bulls and New York City aren’t any good.
Aaron Judge is about the only person who comes close to the New York success of Brunson, and he is still a championship short.
Brunson is the biggest King of New York since Derek Jeter was running the town in the late 90s or Eli Manning was beating Tom Brady in two Super Bowls.
While he might not look at himself as the King, the crown is his until further notice.
