After the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs to win their first NBA title in 53 years, Jalen Brunson strongly boosted his reputation as a New York sports icon.
Many are already labeling him the greatest Knick, and sports commentator Nick Wright has even sparked discussion about whether Brunson could be considered the best player in the NBA.
Nick Wright Weighs in On Jalen Brunson’s Case for the Best Player in the NBA
Brunson’s rise from a second-round draft selection to NBA Finals MVP is seen as a story of persistence. After his magnificent performance this season, even Mark Cuban acknowledged that the Dallas Mavericks may have seriously underestimated him before he eventually left for the Knicks.
Meanwhile, Wright thinks that anyone claiming Brunson is the best player in the league right now at least has a reasonable case worth hearing.
“He can’t thoroughly outplay the guy that all of us were calling, myself included, two weeks ago, three weeks ago, the best player in the sport,” Wright said in the latest episode of his podcast. “Put up an all-time great close-out game in the finals to finish off a finals where points were hard to come by for literally everyone else in the series.
“And he averaged 32 and a half, and not at least be open to the possibility of size profile and draft position and all of that. Notwithstanding that, this guy is as effective as any player in the league.”
Nick Wright says if there’s a Knicks fan right now that wants to argue that Jalen Brunson is the best player in basketball, you have to at least listen to that argument:
“He can’t thoroughly outplay the guy that all of us were calling, myself included, two weeks ago, three weeks… pic.twitter.com/Y07yghhlTU
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) June 16, 2026
In Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Brunson scored a franchise-record 45 points. It included 29 in the second half as the Knicks erased the third-quarter deficit to win the championship, earning him Finals MVP honors. He averaged 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 2 steals per game throughout the series.
Brunson has repeatedly shown he can create his own shot under pressure and has challenged early doubts about whether his 6-foot-2 frame would limit his ability to lead a championship team.
Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas also praised Brunson’s skill level, saying that when a player’s fundamentals are elite, size becomes far less important.
Thomas also added that no defender in the league consistently had an answer for Brunson during the season. Some might not agree that Brunson is the best NBA player right now, but they can’t deny his role in breaking the Knicks’ title drought.
Brunson’s journey also includes spending his early NBA years as a backup to Luka Dončić in Dallas, where some doubted he would ever become a primary star.
He ultimately proved otherwise, not only by becoming the Knicks’ leader but also by making a major financial sacrifice, reportedly turning down about $113 million in guaranteed money when signing a four-year, $156.5 million extension in 2024, allowing the Knicks greater flexibility to build a stronger roster around him.
