Jalen Brunson’s leadership in helping the New York Knicks win their first championship since 1973 continues to earn him big praise and some bold comparisons.
Former NBA All-Defensive First Team selection Patrick Beverley claimed he would choose Brunson over former NBA MVP Allen Iverson.
Patrick Beverley Sparks Debate With Jalen Brunson and Allen Iverson Comparison
Brunson was selected 33rd overall in the 2018 NBA Draft and has never relied on elite athleticism or flashy highlights to stand out.
However, he has firmly established himself among the league’s top players after leading the Knicks to a championship after defeating Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
Given Brunson’s magnificent season, Beverley didn’t even hesitate to pick Brunson over Iverson.
“Allen Iverson [or] Jalen Brunson?” Beverley said on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Wednesday. “I think you gotta go Jalen Brunson. You’ve got to go with Jalen Brunson, and I’m being honest. And again, it’s no discredit to anything Allen Iverson has done, but like you talk about, small guards getting it done.”
Pat Bev says he’s taking Jalen Brunson over Allen Iverson 👀
(Via @SiriusXMNBA ) pic.twitter.com/quF4h49Gdo
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 18, 2026
“He (Brunson) got it done. He had his team. He led his team. He made plays arguably against one of the best defenders to ever play a game in Wemby. Like we’ve never seen a defender like him at that size, right? You talk about the fourth quarter. That’s the matchup that he would score the most on.”
It is definitely a big endorsement, as Iverson is an iconic, first-ballot Hall of Famer whose individual accolades dwarf those of almost any modern guard. He won the NBA MVP award in 2001 during an era dominated by stars like Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan, an extraordinary achievement for a player standing just 6 feet tall.
During his MVP season with the Philadelphia 76ers, Iverson averaged 31.1 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 42% from the field.
He elevated his play in the postseason and was even better in the NBA Finals, averaging 35.6 points per game while leading the 76ers on a memorable playoff run.
Philadelphia ultimately fell to the dominant Los Angeles Lakers, but Iverson’s dominance was undeniable.
As for Brunson, the 6-foot-2 point guard has maximized every aspect of his game this past season in the league, increasingly dominated by towering stars like Wembanyama.
Brunson averaged 26.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 46.7% from the field during the regular season. Though he did not win the regular-season MVP award, he was the centerpiece of the Knicks’ resurgence, helping end their 53-year championship drought.
What made New York’s championship run more impressive was the dramatic nature of their Finals win. New York won the series 4-1, but they trailed by double digits in each of their four wins and had to overcome the challenge posed by Wembanyama, who dominated defensively throughout the series.
Brunson also boosted his legacy in New York by averaging 32.6 points per game during the Finals, including a 45-point explosion in Game 5 to seal the championship.
