Jalen Brunson Reacts to Wemby's Viral Shove in New Video with Whoopi Goldberg After NBA Title

After leading the New York Knicks to their first championship in more than 50 years, 2026 NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson explained how he kept his cool during one of the most-discussed moments of the Finals.

Appearing Monday on The View (2:00 mark), Brunson was asked by host Whoopi Goldberg how he stopped himself from retaliating when San Antonio Spurs superstar center Victor Wembanyama pushed him down to the floor from behind during Game 3 of the series:

"I think it starts, honestly, with my parents, how they raised me," Brunson said. "I'll start there. But also understanding the moment—everyone catches the retaliation. I wanted to [retaliate], but at the same time, I knew that being a leader, understanding the moment, understanding the situation, you kind of have to keep your composure. No matter when it's being too high or being too low, you gotta stay even-keeled. That's something I've had for the longest time. I don't know how I did it in that moment, but I did."

The shove in question occurred during the first quarter of Game 3 with the Knicks leading the series 2-0.

While jockeying for position, Wemby gave Brunson a hard push to the back of the neck. Brunson momentarily got in Wembanyama's face, but he did not retaliate physically against the 7'4" big man:

Wembanyama was not called for a flagrant foul or even a common foul, which could have compounded the frustration, but Brunson stopped himself from doing anything rash.

While the Spurs did go on to win Game 3 115-111, it would prove to be their only win of the series, as the Knicks took Games 4 and 5 to win the franchise's first championship since 1973.

Just as he was during the regular season, Brunson was the driving force behind the Knicks' success during the Finals.

With averages of 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, Brunson was named NBA Finals MVP, which put a bow on a magical season for himself and the Knicks.