One of the greatest strengths of the New York Knicks during their 2026 championship run was how well-rounded the team was, with each player understanding their role and executing it to the best of their ability and then some. 

Throughout the many trials and hardships that the Knicks encountered despite how simultaneously dominant they were, it seemed like a new player rose to the occasion.

There was guard Jalen Brunson with his clutch scoring, center Karl-Anthony Towns with his crucial defense or forward OG Anunoby with his well-rounded play and poise under pressure.

Brunson may have come away with the Finals MVP award and enjoyed the biggest boost to his celebrity in the past few months, but Anunoby in particular shined during the playoffs, particularly with his instrumental role in the Knicks' historic Game 4 comeback against the Spurs. 

Anunoby shined so brightly in fact that some had the impression that he should have been the one with the Finals MVP at the end of the series, including one NBA legend who shared his take on the "Mind the Game" podcast.

Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James is firmly in the "Anunoby for MVP" camp and said as much when he appeared in a recent episode of the podcast.

"OG, I think, was the MVP of the team in the Finals. Obviously, Brunson became the MVP. But it's the small things: the chase-down block on Fox, the tip for the game, continuing to knock down threes," James said (via SNY Knicks). "We knew Jalen Brunson was the head of the snake. But I think OG was the most steady person for that team"

Anunoby did have a strong argument for the award.

Not only was he the sole character in the most iconic sequence of the series, that being his chase-down block of De'Aaron Fox in the final seconds of Game 4 that facilitated his game-saving tip-in of Brunson's missed three pointer that have the Knicks both the lead and the winning score, but he was crucial throughout the series with both his defense and clutch three point shooting that kept the Knicks competitive.

But Brunson had his earned moments of the series as well, like the way that he came alive in the fourth quarter of essentially every Finals game, capped off with his 45-point performance on 14-27 shooting in the closeout Game 5 that effectively sealed his case for Finals MVP when it was certainly in doubt against Anunoby.

So while James' comments certainly hold weight, Brunson's own contributions proved invaluable as well, especially considering that he was the 2026 Finals scoring leader with 32.6 points per game. 

But the most important thing to consider about Brunson, Anunoby and the Knicks as a whole is that they operated as a complete team to bring New York it's first championship in 53 years and while Finals MVP is a nice award to have in addition to a championship ring, the Larry O'Brien Trophy itself is the greatest prize. 

Both Knicks teammates had their share of good fortune in the series. Brunson won the MVP, Anuoby owns a starring role in the most iconic play in modern New York sports history and they both share in the glory of the championship.