Jalen Brunson silenced all of his doubters, leading the New York Knicks to their first title since 1973.
Becky Hammon once thought Brunson could not be the best player on a championship squad, but the NBA analyst and Las Vegas Aces head coach will not apologize to the Knicks star guard.
Becky Hammon Will Not Apologize for Her Jalen Brunson Comments
In 2023, Becky Hammon said these, now infamous, words on NBA Today about Brunson and the Knicks.
“If your best player is small, you’re not winning. John Stockton, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash. You could go down the list,” said Hammon.
Three years later, New York is celebrating a championship, and Brunson took home the 2026 NBA Finals MVP. However, Hammon thinks he just proved “history wrong”- not her.
“All [Brunson] did was prove history wrong. He proves he’s an outlier, so you can put his name next to Steph Curry and Isiah Thomas … He was that 1A dude, but apologize, I’m never gonna apologize for having an opinion. That’s what ESPN pays me for,” Hammon commented.
Becky Hammon says she won’t apologize for her past comments about Jalen Brunson:
“All he did was prove history wrong. He proves he’s an outlier, so you can put his name next to Steph Curry and Isiah Thomas … He was that 1A dude, but … I’m never gonna apologize for having an…
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) June 23, 2026
Brunson averaged 26.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds during the 2025-26 regular season. He certainly had a successful regular season, earning his third All-Star and All-NBA selection, but the 29-year-old finds another gear in the playoffs.
For the fourth consecutive postseason, Brunson increased his scoring average from his regular-season production, averaging 28.4 points in 19 playoff contests.
The biggest stars often step up in the most important moments to lead their squad. Brunson’s postseason performances perfectly exemplify this trait since he signed with New York in the 2022 offseason.
He closed out the San Antonio Spurs in dramatic fashion, dropping 45 points in 41 minutes in Game 5. Brunson also scored at least 30 points in four of the five finals contests.
Hammon thought Brunson “played brilliantly, especially down the stretch.” She gave him his due, but she still thinks the Knicks’ championship was “an outlier.” Hammon bases her stance on the fact that teams win more championships when their best players are bigger.
“Let me just pi** off Knicks fans again and say, I think he’s the greatest Knick ever … I’ve always been a Jalen Brunson fan … and why this comment went off the rails, I have no idea because it was clearly a historical and analytical take,” said Hammon.
As a result, she may believe New York will not repeat as the 2027 NBA champions. If so, her stance will only provide more fuel for Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and the Knicks to make another “outlier” run to the top of the NBA world.
