Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks secured the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973 with an NBA Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Brunson led the way for the Knicks in the championship series, averaging 32.6 points per game. The All-Star point guard closed out the series in Game 5, scoring a historic 45 points in the Knicks’ 94-90 win in San Antonio.
Brunson silenced many doubters with this Finals MVP performance, particularly those who claimed he was “too small” to lead an NBA championship team.
While addressing the crowd at the Knicks’ championship parade on Thursday, Brunson delivered a clear message about those doubters.
“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 [expletive] to them,” the 6-foot-2 guard said, drawing a huge reaction from the crowd.
Brunson echoed a similar sentiment immediately following the Knicks’ Game 5 win.
“I didn’t respond to them then and I’m damn sure not going to respond to them now,” Brunson said when asked if he had a message for his doubters.
Brunson’s performance in the NBA Finals was the loudest possible response he could give to his NBA critics.