Jalen Brunson has successfully proved all the Knicks’ critics wrong, including the most infamous take on his abilities from the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces, Becky Hammon, who said a small guard like Brunson could not be the ‘1A guy’ on a championship-contending team.
The Knicks guard let his actions speak louder than words as he dropped 45 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals while going 14-27 from the field (51.9 FG%) and 4-7 from beyond the arc (57.1 3P%) in a 94-90 Game 5 win for New York to beat Hammon’s former team, the Spurs, in the same building where she coached for seven years, San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center.
While Brunson coldly took the high road while addressing all the critics, his teammate, Josh Hart, did not let it slide. Tonight, the duo hosted their podcast for the first time since becoming NBA champions and called Stephen A. Smith as a guest on their show. Hart used this as an opportunity to indirectly call out Becky Hammon.
“I’m not naming names,” said Hart as the crowd shouted Becky Hammon’s name as though they knew who he was talking about.
“I’m still waiting for somebody to say they were wrong about someone who led our team to a championship in 53 years. I’m still waiting for something. I know they have media availability, so we’ll be waiting for that apology.”
Josh: “I’m not naming names: I’m still waiting for somebody––
Crowd: “BECKY”
Josh: “…to say they was wrong about someone who led our team to a championship…I know they have media availability so we’ll be waiting for that apology”@Roommates__Show at MSG on ESPN pic.twitter.com/zcl5IrQbNE
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) June 20, 2026
While Bridges chose to give Becky Hammon her flowers for motivating Brunson, Hart wanted an apology. Josh Hart initially appreciated Stephen A. Smith for admitting he was wrong on national television as well. So even Smith decided to chime in on his dig at Hammon.
“If you’re wrong, you’re wrong. If you’re scared to be wrong, you don’t belong in this business. You’ve got to say what you feel. You’ve got to say what you feel in the moment that you feel,” said Smith on Hammon.
“I never dreamed in my wildest dreams that you would be who the hell you are,” Smith conceded while looking at Brunson.
Just like Hammon, Stephen A. Smith was also skeptical of Brunson and the Knicks on multiple occasions. But the Knicks proved him wrong, and he conceded on national television that he was wrong. Not just that, Smith apologized to Brunson once again tonight and even got booed as he admitted he was wrong.
“I’m a grown a– man. I was beyond wrong. I apologized to this brother on national television. I apologize to you. I apologize to the entire Knicks organization. Let me be very, very clear. I have never been happier to be wrong in my life.”
“Let me be very, very clear. I came out of the womb a Knicks fan. I’m 58 years old. The last time the New York Knicks won a title before last Saturday, I was four. I saw it all. Saw the 80s. I saw the Charles Smith play. I saw Ewing. I saw all the plays. I saw a draft pick that wasn’t.”
“Think about this for a second. And instead of booing, just listen to me for one second. Let’s go. If you’re a genuine Knicks fan, you can relate to where I’m going. Not only are you struggling, you get to the Finals in the 90s, 1994, but it doesn’t get done, 1999, you didn’t have a chance cuz you had the Achilles.”
“Draft picks come along. We got the eighth pick in 2009. Steph Curry went number seven. We got the number three pick, the year Zion and Ja go number one and two.”
“Everything that happened, you come out in the draft. You are the 30th pick [pointing at Hart]. We drafted Frank Ntilinka in that Draft. You are a second-round pick [pointing at Brunson]. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was in the first round, along with a host of other cats. Everything that happened, we were missing.”
“So all of that frustration, and then we’re knocking on the door, and it’s last year, and it’s like, all right, stuff doesn’t go right. We’re coming back this year; the season started before the first game was played. I got the Knicks playing the OKC in the Finals.”
“And then the playoffs come, and y’all are down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks. I was about to have a stroke. I’m about to have a stroke. I like, oh, hell no. Hell no. What? What do I have to say?”
“So, I went there, and I said what the hell I said. And damn it, after that, I ain’t taking credit. Y’all deserve the credit. But y’all went 13 and 0. 13-0. So, I’ll apologize for being wrong, right? But let me be very clear. If it means another championship, I’d do it again. I’d do it again,” Smith concluded.
Yet, Becky Hammon has not spoken out publicly since the Knicks won a championship. She addressed the backlash during the Finals series against the Spurs, saying, “If he proves me wrong, he proves me wrong.”
So I highly doubt we will hear a public apology from Becky Hammon, but if we do, this would be a great sign of respect for Jalen Brunson and the NBA champions, the Knicks. Do you think the Aces’ head coach should apologize to Brunson? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
