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Nov 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra reacts during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Heat HC Jokes About Relationship With Knicks’ Jalen Brunson

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Nov 18, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The New York Knicks have only engaged in 13 matchups to start their 2025-26 season, but they've already come face-to-face with one of their bigger rivals three times within the first month of games.

Even looking past the historical run-ins between the pair of decorated franchises, the Knicks and the Heat have spent much of the 2020s fluctuating between fringe-contenders and actual championship threats, even if the Knicks' recent surge still hasn't brought them close to tying Miami's multiple NBA Finals trips since the decade's start. They shared an ugly eastern brawl three playoffs ago, and there's been little love lost between their frequent outings before or since.

The league's fraternity still lends itself to relationships forming across rivalries, though, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra exemplified his status with Knicks star Jalen Brunson ahead of their third battle of the fall. They were first united as coach and player during the 2023 FIBA World Cup, an American-based squad of NBA stars who competed and fell short in international games, where the 3x All-Star and head coach of 18 Miami seasons got some extended run together.

New York Knicks Guard Jalen Brunson Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

"I really enjoyed my time working with him at the World Cup," the Heat coach said, "and I've mentioned it to him, I've mentioned it to other people, I just really dislike myself, can't look at myself in the mirror for how much I grew to like him."

Central Characters Remaining in the Headlines

Brunson didn't even suit up in the tie-breaker between the Knicks and Heat, dealing with an ankle injury that's got him sidelined for a few games, but he remains a talking point as the two sides continue attempting to prove themselves worthy of taking over the wide-open conference. The Heat barely eked one out over the Knicks in a 115-113 thriller in Miami, but their 8-6 record still trails the Knicks' 8-5 mark by a hair.

New York Knicks Forward Mikal Bridges and Center Karl-Anthony Towns Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Spoelstra, too, has been even more of a relevant topic than he usually is at this early point in the season. The NBA's longest-tenured head coach's house was destroyed in a fire earlier this month, resulting in many of his league-wide contacts, such as Brunson, sending him their condolences.

"He texted me the other day, he's got such a great heart, checking in on me and the family," Spoelstra said. "I told him my two sons are Jalen Brunson fans, but I told them, not allowed in my house"

Even after the schedule-early eruption of Heat matchups set for the Knicks, these two teams may not be done tipping off against one another as they each look to keep building upon their respective playoff streaks. Even still, the faces of the respective sides of the rivalry continue reminding the public that the humanity within the game sustains off of the court, too.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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