Jalen Brunson is heading into the 2026 NBA season fresh off an impressive playoff run with the New York Knicks, which culminated in them holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy as champions. After back-to-back sweeps in the Eastern Conference against the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers, the Knicks used grit, determination, and physical play to defeat rising young star Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, 4-1. Brunson was a huge part of those games and was named the NBA Finals MVP in the process.
That championship win was part of Brunson's rise to become one of the league's top stars and received praise from fellow players, including all-time great LeBron James and superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. With under a month until the Knicks begin their championship defense, Brunson spoke to reporters at New York Knicks Media Day, sharing what it meant for him to receive such high praise from those superstar players. More news: Karl-Anthony Towns Makes Feelings Clear on Mitchell Robinson Leaving Knicks "I really do appreciate it, and I respect the hell out of them.
But just like a lot of things, when you hear praise, when you hear negativity, it has to go in one ear and out the other. Gotta continue to be the best version of yourself, or people are gonna pass you. I really do appreciate it, and it shows where I've grown, but still a lot of work to do," Brunson said.
Brunson, a two-time national champion with the Villanova Wildcats, has quickly grown in stature. That's included being named to some analysts' top-five player lists heading into this new season. A lot will depend on whether he can continue to lead the Knicks to a successful season or if they'll falter and regress after their championship run.
They're currently one of the strong contenders at sportsbooks to win the championship in 2027, but repeating can be a challenging task. Their championship defense begins with the regular season next month when they host the new-look Philadelphia 76ers lineup. Philadelphia made major moves this offseason in their attempt to take down the Knicks in the Eastern Conference.
Among those significant moves were signing LeBron James to a two-year deal and trading Paul George and other players to the Boston Celtics in exchange for 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. While the 76ers already had one former regular-season MVP in Joel Embiid, they've yet to claim championships with him and believe their two new stars will help him in that quest. However, many believe their path will go through New York, which has Brunson and the rest of that championship-winning starting five back for the 2026 season.
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