Becky Hammon Won't Apologize for Jalen Brunson Criticism, Responds to Knicks' NBA Title Win

Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon remained somewhat defiant after Jalen Brunson defied her and his other skeptics en route to winning an NBA championship with the New York Knicks.

"Jalen, all he did was prove history wrong," she said Tuesday, per the New York Post's Madeline Kenney. "He proves he's an outlier, so you can put his name next to Steph Curry and Isiah Thomas, and I thought he played brilliantly, especially down the stretch."

Hammon went on to say she won't apologize for stating an opinion:

The WNBA legend caught plenty of grief in the aftermath of Brunson winning Finals MVP.

Appearing on ESPN's NBA Today in December 2023, Hammon suggested that Brunson wasn't a "1A" star and that his 6'2" frame could be a limiting factor for New York in pursuit of a title. She clarified her remarks, saying she loved Brunson's game but that it's tough to be the last team standing "if your best player is the smallest player on the court."

It turns out Brunson is that guy.

The extent to which Hammon's assessment, which was more than two years old, became a subplot was over the top, though.

She doesn't get credit anymore for basically being correct when the Knicks lost in the second round of the 2024 playoffs and then came up short in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals.

Not only did her viewpoint sum up the general consensus at the time, Hammon is also famously a smaller guard who couldn't carry her team all the way.

The Hall of Famer came off the bench for the New York Liberty when they lost in the 2002 WNBA Finals. Then she played a starring role for the San Antonio Silver Stars when they had seven playoff appearances between 2007-14 without winning a championship. The Silver Stars reached the Finals once during that period and got swept by the Detroit Shock in 2008.

Rather than just firing off a hot take, Hammon was speaking from her own experiences when discussing Brunson and the Knicks.

Not to mention, New York's triumph doesn't totally render her broader argument obsolete.

Four players 6'2" or shorter have won Finals MVP since it was introduced in 1969. There isn't yet a larger trend at play that bucks historical precedent.

Maybe the paradigm has shifted permanently. For now, what Brunson achieved only underscores how exceptional he was.

With Hammon finally addressing the situation, perhaps everyone can now move on.