Jalen Brunson Drops Epic Quote After Becky Hammon's Diss Goes Viral Again After Knicks Win Title
New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson provided the definitive reply to those, including WNBA legend and Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon, who questioned whether he could be the leading figure on a championship winner.
"I didn't respond to them then, I'm damn sure not gonna respond to them now," he said following New York's 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday to secure an NBA title:
During a December 2023 episode of NBA Today, Hammon was skeptical about whether the Knicks could get over the hump with Brunson as their best player. She said New York lacked "a 1A dude" and cited how contenders have generally struggled to win at the highest level when built around smaller guards.
Hammon maintained her stance last month after the Knicks won the Eastern Conference but said she was "up for being proven wrong."
That's exactly what happened as Brunson went off for 45 points in Game 5.
In retrospect, Hammon's analysis was clearly proven wrong, but the basis on which she formed the judgment was sound.
The Golden State Warriors built a dynasty around Stephen Curry, but they're the exception. By and large, the last team standing in the NBA Finals had versatile forwards or big men at the fore. In the case of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesn't really qualify as a smaller guard thanks to his 6'6" frame.
Maybe Hammon was a little too dismissive of Brunson. The Knicks losing in the second round of the 2024 playoffs and then falling short in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals did underline her general argument, though.
Now, Brunson gets to have the final word.
