Jalen Brunson sends a message to his critics

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Jalen Brunson sends a message to his critics

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Jun 19, 2026 8:19 AM ET

A lot of bad Jalen Brunson takes have been unearthed since the New York Knicks guard won Finals MVP, but he is taking the high road — sort of.

Brunson acknowledged some of those old criticisms on Thursday, when he spoke at the Knicks’ championship parade in New York, N.Y. The guard did not address them directly, but the message was loud and clear: he took note.

“There’s a lot of people that have a lot of negative stuff to say. There’s a lot of people who have a lot of opinions,” Brunson said. “But when you prove them wrong, you don’t have to say s–t to them. They don’t deserve it.”

"There's a lot of people that have a lot of opinions. But when you prove them wrong, you don't have to say s— to them."

Jalen Brunson with a message pic.twitter.com/bBOiVtRnpE
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 18, 2026

It’s not hard to figure out who Brunson might be alluding to. Becky Hammon, in particular, has taken a lot of heat for something she said about the guard years ago.

Few will be doubting Brunson going forward after he won Finals MVP to top off the Knicks’ championship run. He averaged 28.4 points per game during the postseason, including 45 points in the Finals-clinching victory in San Antonio.

While Brunson is mostly brushing off the critics, his sister was not quite in as forgiving a mood. The guard doesn’t really have to respond in a meaningful way since he clearly has people willing to do that for him.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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