The New York Knicks are officially NBA champions, and the celebrations have already begun. Across the city and the world, fans have been going wild with excitement for the historic moment that was 53 years in the making. For Knicks star Jalen Brunson, it’s the moment he’s been waiting for his entire career, and he played a major hand in making it happen.
After Game 5, the Knicks star was named Finals MVP for the first time in his career, with a stat line of 45 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and zero blocks on 14-27 shooting. It was a fitting performance to end a dominant series from Brunson, who averaged 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds across five games.
JALEN BRUNSON.
THE 2026 FINALS MVP 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Y7MaiLbUca
— ESPN (@espn) June 14, 2026
Brunson was the best player by far in this series, and his scoring helped carry their offense through five games. His play in the clutch was also crucial for New York, especially in their comeback win in Game 4, which all but sealed the results. The Spurs had absolutely no answers for the 6’2″ point guard, especially since their own backcourt was struggling to find a rhythm.
What’s crazy is that Jalen, a three-time All-Star, has only been a Knick for four years. He started with the Mavericks back in 2018, but not even a trip to the NBA Finals was enough for him to keep his place alongside Luka Doncic. Four years later, however, Brunson has reached the peak of basketball success with a championship, a Finals MVP, and a legacy secured as one of the greatest Knicks ever. Even now, Jalen says the emotions are hard to process.
“It was definitely more emotional than I thought it would be,” said Brunson. “Once I got on stage and everything, it started to settle, but it’s everything I dreamed of, seriously. I woke up this morning not wanting to play another game. At some point, I knew I was going to win [an NBA Championship]. The opportunity presented itself, and I didn’t want it to slip away.”
For both Brunson and the Knicks, it’s been a long road to this championship. With everyone doubting and countless obstacles in their path, it took a cohesive, focused effort for the Knicks to pull this off, but Jalen always knew it was possible.
“Words can’t describe it. I put a lot of time and effort into being the best player I can be, and I’m just really thankful to have a coaching staff and teammates who have my back every day,” said Brunson. “At the final buzzer, I walked right to half court, shook Mitch Johnson’s hand, and turned around. My dad was there, and I felt emotions from that point on. But it still hasn’t sunk in. I honestly don’t know right now. I’m just thankful for the opportunity, and we were able to get it done. Through hard work and effort, I knew this was achievable, but it was only a small portion of it. Tonight, we played like we wanted to finish the game as champions. It means the world to me to go on the court with those guys.”
Jalen is now one of the only players in the league with a championship, a Finals MVP, and multiple All-Star appearances. At just 29, he still has time to win even more, and it really makes you wonder what else he might accomplish before his career is said and done.
For now, however, Brunson isn’t thinking about the future. He’s going to rest on his work, and he will head back to the city soon enough to celebrate with the fans. After his amazing season, which brought the Knicks their first title in 53 years, Brunson has earned this time to bask in his glorious victory, and he’s embracing the full spectrum of emotions that come with it.
