Jalen Brunson sends message to critics at championship parade

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson celebrates while holding the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy during the Knicks' ticker-tape parade and celebration on Broadway in downtown Manhattan. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Knicks' Jalen Brunson sends message to critics at championship parade

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jun 18, 2026 2:46 PM ET

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New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson heard all the noise.

He heard all of those who said the Knicks were making a mistake when they signed him to a four-year, $104M contract in 2022. He heard all of those who said the 6-foot-2 guard was too small to be the No. 1 player on a championship team.

But guess what? Brunson proved his doubters wrong after leading the Knicks to their first championship in 53 years. And now, he's letting them know it.

Jalen Brunson sends message to critics at Knicks championship parade

"There's a lot of people that have a lot of negative stuff to say. There are a lot of people who have a lot of opinions," Brunson said Thursday. "But when you prove them wrong, you don't have to say s--t to them."

"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. But when you prove them wrong, you don't have to say s--t to them."

- Jalen Brunson pic.twitter.com/Pix0MRkqMJ
— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026

One of those critics was Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon. She said in an ESPN segment in 2023 that Brunson wasn't a player capable of leading a team to a championship, a claim that has aged poorly.

Brunson led the postseason in scoring (28.4 points per game). He also won the Bill Russell Trophy as NBA Finals MVP after scoring 45 points in Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs, sealing the championship series.

Hammon isn't the only one who looks foolish for her take on Brunson. ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith, a Knicks fan, chided the team for signing him in free agency in 2022.

"Jalen Brunson is a nice player...but the Knicks are acting like he's [Kevin Durant]," Smith said (h/t Trysta Krick of NBC Sports). "Jalen Brunson isn't the answer."

Smith apologized to Brunson for that comment on "First Take" on Monday.

Brunson may not feel Smith or any of his skeptics should apologize. It provided the fuel he needed to lead New York back to the pinnacle of basketball.

And now, he can talk all the smack he wants. But instead, "Captain Clutch" will continue to let his play speak for itself.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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