Jalen Brunson Explains Why Spurs HC Mitch Johnson Was 1st Person He Approached When Knicks Won Title
After the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Saturday's Game 5 of the NBA Finals to win the 2026 championship, star point guard Jalen Brunson made sure he paid respect to his opponents before getting to his celebration.
During an appearance on CBS Mornings alongside his father, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, the 2026 NBA Finals MVP explained why he approached Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson on the sidelines before celebrating with his dad and teammates.
"I hugged and said wassup to Coach Johnson from the Spurs first, just to show respect," Brunson said (0:20 mark). "... It was just kind of instinct, it's kind of how I was raised. I think, win or loss, you always gotta show respect regardless of the outcome, and I got a lot of respect for them over there."
Brunson dropped 45 points in Saturday's closeout game to lead the Knicks to a 94-90 comeback victory on the Spurs' home floor. Nearly all of San Antonio's players immediately went back to the locker room when the final buzzer sounded without shaking hands with their opponents.
Brunson didn't address the Spurs' walkoff after the game. He added that as soon as he got done with Johnson, he embraced his father for an emotional moment they will never forget.
"Once I saw him, it was emotion from that point on," Brunson said. "It was a crazy moment."
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