Jalen Brunson Speaks on Emotions of Winning NBA Championship

The New York Knicks completed a season many will not forget, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals 4-1 to win their first NBA Championship since 1973. The Knicks faced many deficits throughout the postseason, and they managed to come back and fight through adversity. 

The leader of the Knicks' championship run was Jalen Brunson, who, after this Finals series, cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players in Knicks franchise history. Brunson was given NBA Finals MVP honors after finishing the series averaging 32.6 points per game, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. 

Once the final buzzer sounded in Game 5 of the Finals, Brunson was brought to tears as he realized a dream that many thought he wouldn't achieve. He was recently on Good Morning America alongside other Knicks players, and he spoke about the emotions he felt once they won the championship. 

Jalen Brunson signed with New York during free agency in 2022, and at the time, many thought it wasn't the right move for the Knicks, considering he was given a big contract. In the past, different voices within the NBA community have questioned whether or not Brunson is a player who could lead a roster to a championship. 

Through the doubts, New York continued to build their roster around him, and he helped with those efforts by taking a pay cut. On Good Morning America, Brunson credited his teammates for sticking by his side through the season, saying, "The best part about it is knowing these guys had my back night in and night out."

What made this championship even sweeter for Jalen Brunson was that he had the privilege of playing on a team in which his father is a member of the coaching staff. Rick Brunson has been an assistant for the Knicks since 2022 and was hired a month before Jalen signed with New York. 

Before joining the Knicks, Brunson was an assistant coach for the Bucks, Timberwolves, and Bulls. Rick also played two seasons with the Knicks as a backup guard. Played from 1998-2000 and was a pivotal player off the bench on the 1999 Finals team. 

The Brunsons became the first father-son player/coach duo to win a championship together. After the Knicks came up short of a chance to compete for a championship in 2025, this victory makes it even better for all players involved. 

This roster did not change much after the 2024-2025 season, and now the players can finally celebrate the goal they were chasing for multiple seasons.