Did Kevin Durant Shade Jalen Brunson, Knicks in Trending Video After 2026 NBA Title Win?

Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant appeared to take a shot at Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks as he urged them to celebrate their 2026 NBA Finals victory after ending a 53-year championship drought.

"I would tell him to strike while the iron's hot," Durant said (0:29 mark). "This is a time that I don't think New Yorkers or the Knicks are gonna get back."

"You gotta take advantage of this time right now, you don't know if this will come around," he added. "It's been 53 years. It could be another 53-year wait. I would say take all opportunities, listen to them and see which ones you love. I think Jalen has done such a great job of being him every single day and stepping up. His identity is just about grinding from the bottom and being somebody in New York City who made history in New York City. Right now is an important time for him and the Knicks and I feel like he's gonna take full advantage of it."

The Knicks took down the San Antonio Spurs in five games to capture their third championship in franchise history on June 13.

It capped off an impressive playoff run for New York, as the team posted a 16-3 record in the postseason. The Knicks also went on a 13-game win streak that started in the first round and ended in Game 3 of the Finals.

Brunson served as New York's top scorer throughout the playoffs, averaging 28.4 points, 6.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. He shot 46.5 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from behind the arc.

The three-time All-Star was rewarded for his postseason heroics on multiple occasions, earning Eastern Conference Finals MVP honors before he was named Finals MVP after defeating San Antonio.

While Durant is coming off his first season on the Rockets, he reportedly considered signing with the Knicks as a free agent in 2019.

The 16-time All-Star ultimately chose to join the Brooklyn Nets instead, later saying that "the cool thing right now is not the Knicks."

Durant helped the Nets make multiple playoff appearances and teamed up with fellow stars Kyrie Irving and James Harden, but they were never able to advance beyond the second round before he was traded to the Phoenix Suns in Feb. 2023.

Meanwhile, Brunson joined the Knicks during the 2022 offseason and has led them to the playoffs in each year that he's spent with the organization.