By admin 
Jalen Brunson became the undisputed ‘King of New York’ and that ‘1-A dude’ this past season. With JB leading the way, the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 NBA Finals, ending their 53-year title drought.
And while JB is unquestionably on top of the basketball world right now, he claims winning the championship doesn’t change his humble approach.
“It will be the same,” said Brunson. “It’s something that I get to walk around with and think about when I’m – when I need to give myself a little confidence, or whatever, just in certain situations. But my approach and everything has to be the same. Just because I’ve reached the mountaintop of winning an NBA championship doesn’t mean that it’s over with.
Jalen Brunson says the Knicks championship won’t change him & he has more to prove via @nypostpic.twitter.com/ix8NgLLyTC
– 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) August 11, 2026
Brunson took three MVP awards in 2026
Much was said when the Knicks signed Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal in 2022. But not only did Jalen outplay that contract by becoming an All-Star and All-NBA player, but he reupped with a 2024 extension where he famously took a $113 million discount so that the Knicks can build a better team around him. They did.
New York made it to the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, and although they lost to the Indiana Pacers, winning seemed like only a matter of time. The Knicks won the NBA Cup at the start of the season but refused to hang a championship banner, choosing to focus on the bigger prize. Then, after falling behind 1-2 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, they won 13 straight playoff games en route to a 4-1 Finals win over the San Antonio Spurs. Again, Brunson was Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP.
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“I feel like there’s still a lot more to do and a lot more that I can prove. It’s 100 percent always going to be in the mind; I’m just not going to let it define me,” he added.
Gil says people don’t understand what Brunson really did.
But while Brunson refuses to bask in his newfound glory, former Washington Wizards All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas believes Jalen should get even more recognition because what he accomplished is something no one has ever done in NBA history.
“What Brunson did, people don’t really understand,”
“Steph and Isiah Thomas are the only guards 6’3″ and under to be the guy on the team to win a chip. So, for him to do it, that already is amazing. How he did it in the city he did is very different. The pressure is on more, right?”
Leading a team to a championship at 6’3″ is exceptionally rare and very impressive. However, doing it in New York, where expectations are sky-high, with fans scrutinizing your every move if you don’t get the job done, makes it even more special.
In fact, it’s never been done before. Now, if the Knicks go back-to-back and somehow Brunson wins MVP honors yet again, he is going to cement his legacy as arguably the greatest Knick of all-time.
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This story was originally published August 11, 2026 at 9:39 AM.