Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks have completed an historic first championship for the franchise in 53 years, defeating the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday to claim a 4-1 series victory.
Brunson's memorable 45 points in Game 5 elevated him to Finals MVP and put him in elite Stephen Curry territory, joining the Golden State Warriors superstar as the only two 6'3" guards or under to lead a team in scoring and win Finals MVP during the same season in the last 35 years.
Knicks title puts Jalen Brunson in elite Stephen Curry territory
Brunson joins a larger but still very small list of players to win Finals MVP at 6'3" or below, with the 29-year-old joining Curry, Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups, Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Jo Jo White and Jerry West in an historic eight-man group.
If the Knicks' first championship in 53 years wasn't history enough, Brunson's ability to defy the odds, and his smaller stature, adds to an incredible story of a team who were simply better in the bigger moments against a more favoured opponent.
For the fifth-straight game, the Spurs took a double-digit advantage in the opening period. The hosts, looking to extend the series to a Game 6 back in New York, led again for the majority of the game, but their offense collapsed and scored just seven points in the final eight minutes.
The star duo of Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox again failed San Antonio when it mattered most, combining for just 26 points on a paltry 10-of-34 shooting from the floor in the agonizing 94-90 defeat.
Former Warrior assistant Mike Brown leads Knicks to glory
Curry and plenty of others in the Golden State organization will be thrilled right now for former assistant Mike Brown, with the 56-year-old leading New York to glory less than 18 months after being fired by the Sacramento Kings.
Brown was an integral right-hand man to Steve Kerr across six years and three championships for the Warriors, before departing after the 2022 title as the Kings provided him another opportunity in the top role.
The Knicks have become the eighth different NBA champion in the past eight years, and will now become the hunted next season as the Warriors and 28 other teams look to topple them from the mountaintop.
For now, Brunson gets to celebrate not only a championship, but his place alongside Curry in a very specific and special group of players in NBA history who've had to overcome their size disadvantage to reach the pinnacle.
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