Jalen Brunson led the New York Knicks to the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973, securing a 94-90 final score in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night.
Brunson averaged 32.6 points per game in the Knicks’ 4-1 series victory over the San Antonio Spurs, winning Finals MVP. He closed out the championship series with a masterful performance, scoring a series-high 45 points in Game 5.
Many fans and analysts have doubted Brunson over the years, including ESPN personality/die-hard Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith.
Brunson joined ESPN’s “First Take” on Monday morning, where Smith issued a public apology.
“I owe this man an apology. I am grateful for what you have done for this city,” Smith said. “You won’t be hearing any more doubts from me, my brother.”
“We’ll see about that,” Brunson replied with a laugh.
Brunson is the first Knick in history to score more than 40 points in an NBA Finals game, surpassing the previous mark of 38 set by Willis Reed.
“Words can’t describe it, but I’ll say I put a lot of time and effort into trying to be the best player I can be to try and help a team win,” Brunson said after winning Finals MVP, via ESPN. “Just really thankful to have the organization, the coaching staff, my teammates, to have my back every single day. I think that means the most to me. And my family.”