The New York Knicks have made a triumphant return to the NBA Finals after a 27-year hiatus, yet doubts linger for one WNBA coach regarding Jalen Brunson’s credentials.
At 29, Brunson played a pivotal role in New York’s dominant performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, steering them to a decisive 4-0 series victory.
The former Villanova standout earned the title of ECF MVP due to his outstanding contributions, averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists per game while maintaining a shooting accuracy of 48.7 percent throughout the series.
Nonetheless, WNBA coach Becky Hammon remains skeptical about his prowess.
Hammon, currently leading the Las Vegas Aces, reiterated her critique of Brunson, having initially raised questions about him in 2023.
On Tuesday, she remarked, “I speak from experience. Allen Iverson won MVP, yet his team fell short in the finals. I believe the strongest teams might be in the West, but I’m open to being proven otherwise.”
Knicks star Jalen Brunson has come under fire despite leading New York to the NBA Finals
WNBA coach Becky Hammon doubled down on her previous criticism of the Knicks star
‘That’s the other thing, I think Jalen Brunson’s a hell of a player, a hell of a player. I’m speaking historically on the NBA with what I said.
‘I don’t know why everybody’s so stuck on that. I said it two years ago. I said what I said. If he proves me wrong, he proves me wrong.’
Previously, in December 2023, Hammon had said: ‘They don’t have enough personnel, they don’t have the manpower that they need to hang with those guys.
‘I think you’re going to get a consistent team like they’ve been, they’re a pretty good team.
‘They’re, they’re well-coached, they’re going to be on their defensive game, but at the end of the day, they don’t have a dude.
‘You gotta have a 1A dude and they’re missing that at the end of the day if we’re just getting down to brass tacks.’
Since her initial remarks, the Knicks – led by Brunson – have reached the playoffs on three occasions, the Eastern Conference Finals twice and now the NBA Finals.
After completing a sweep of the Cavaliers on Monday night, the Knicks are set to face either the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals.
Brunson was named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP after sweeping the Cavaliers
President Donald Trump has already confirmed his plans to watch the Knicks in action during the Finals, after revealing that franchise owner Jim Dolan has invited him.
‘I was going to go on Wednesday, but they closed it out very quickly,’ he told reporters. ‘They’re great, and Jim Dolan (the Knicks owner) is a great guy, as you know, owns and in charge of Madison Square Garden.
‘He’s having a good year. Boy, what a team. They win all their games. They have some great players. I think I’ll be going to one of the games. I was invited by numerous people, and Jim, and I think, oh my god, great. Great to see it.
‘Yeah, the Knicks have really, they really suffered for years, they’re doing right now.’
Trump recently revealed that he is still a Knicks fan and has been following the likes of Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns dominating the playoffs.
