Jalen Brunson's $113M Pay Cut Praised by Mike Brown After Knicks Win 1st NBA Title in 53 Years

Jalen Brunson's decision to take a $113 million pay cut with the New York Knicks helped clear the way for the team to become champions for the first time since 1973, and head coach Mike Brown had nothing but positive things to say about the guard after the team clinched the title Saturday.

"He understands what winning is about," Brown told reporters when discussing Brunson. "He comes and he probably takes a pay cut that I wouldn't have taken. Every time they would've thrown that number in front of me, I would have said 'no,' and I feel like I'm a good guy. 

"He set the bar before he even stepped on the floor every time it came to renegotiate a deal with him. That set the standard. Now, when you take his play into account, it's off the charts, man... I hope Pat [Ewing] doesn't kill me, but when it comes to New York basketball, [Brunson] is freaking him."

Brown also said Brunson deserves far more recognition than he receives:

Knicks-Spurs Highlights

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As Ricardo Sandoval of Sporting News explained, Brunson was eligible to sign a five-year, $269 million extension in the summer of 2024. Yet he eventually signed a four-year, $156.6 million deal, which was approximately $113 million less than he could have and gave the team more financial flexibility.

New York eventually traded for players such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, and the rest is history.