Jalen Brunson led the New York Knicks to the 2026 NBA championship. The lefty point guard’s clutch plays, dominant scoring, and gritty performance earned him a slew of awards, including the 2026 NBA Finals MVP.
Despite his impressive campaign, some still do not see him on the same level as reigning two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
NBA champion P.J. Tucker doesn’t share the same view, though. He sees a distinct style from Brunson that puts him over Gilgeous-Alexander.
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During Monday’s “Club 520” show at the Fanatics Fest in New York, Tucker, who won the 2021 championship with the Milwaukee Bucks, spent some time evaluating who he would pick between Brunson and SGA.
After some careful thought, Tucker explained why he is taking the Knicks’ undersized captain over the Canadian.
“I’m rolling with JB (Brunson), for sure. JB’s so clutch, bro. … He’s like a ’ 90s-era player, bro. And people don’t see it like (that) because he don’t talk a lot and he not going to do too much, but everybody, like, when you on his team and you on the bench, you over there like he’s getting the ball, bro,” Tucker said.
“Like he’s going to if he’s not shooting, he’s making the play every single time. And it’s a lot of teams in this league that got stars and all that, and they do not want the moments.”
The NBA world failed to see a mouthwatering Brunson-SGA NBA Finals clash after the San Antonio Spurs ruined the Oklahoma City Thunder’s title-retention bid.
San Antonio crashed that party when it pulled off a 4-3 upset in the Western Conference finals, which many said was the real championship game.
Brunson, though, proved that he was worth every accolade by leading the Knicks to the championship. In the finals, he averaged 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. Brunson shot 42.1%, including 38.9% from behind the arc.
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The 6-foot-2 guard often played like he was the biggest star on the floor, particularly in Games 4 and 5.
During that stretch, Brunson posted 40.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, and 2.5 spg. He made 49.9% of his attempts, including a sizzling 50.0% from 3-point distance.
Brunson also played through a wrist injury that he said happened in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.
As Tucker underlined, Brunson showed character and guts amid the pain and discomfort in the Knicks’ title run.
However, Tucker’s comment is by no means a definitive win for Brunson in basketball talks. Unless a Knicks-Thunder finals happens, the Brunson-SGA comparisons aren’t likely to go away.
