{"id":699128,"date":"2026-05-28T02:41:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T02:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/699128\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T02:41:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T02:41:10","slug":"wnba-coach-doubles-down-on-jalen-brunson-doubts-despite-knicks-reaching-nba-finals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/699128\/","title":{"rendered":"WNBA coach doubles down on Jalen Brunson doubts despite Knicks reaching NBA Finals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trump says he thinks he’ll attend NBA Finals game<\/a> <\/p>\n

President Donald Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday that he believes he will attend an NBA Finals game next week, as the New York Knicks make their first Finals appearance in nearly 30 years.<\/p>\n

Knicks fans are hoping to<\/a> break their 53-year championship drought, knowing a title would also silence one of Jalen Brunson\u2019s biggest critics.<\/p>\n

Yet even with New York officially in the Finals, Becky Hammon still isn\u2019t ready to admit she was wrong.<\/p>\n

Brunson has already played his way into Gotham lore, spearheading the franchise\u2019s first playoff series victory since 2013 in his debut season and now leading the Knicks to their first Finals appearance in<\/a> 27 years.<\/p>\n

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Still, fans are waiting for Hammon to eat crow after she questioned whether the guard could truly be the No. 1 player on a championship-caliber team.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s not quite there yet.<\/p>\n

WATCH:<\/p>\n

\"Jalen <\/p>\n

Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks celebrates a basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 23, 2026. (Gregory Shamus\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\"Cleveland <\/p>\n

Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson during the second half of Game 3 in the Eastern Conference finals in Cleveland on May 24, 2027. (Sue Ogrocki\/AP)<\/p>\n

When asked recently if she was willing to take back her past comments, the Las Vegas Aces coach stood her ground:<\/p>\n

“I speak from experience. Allen Iverson got MVP, and he lost in the Finals. I think the two best teams are probably in the West, but I\u2019m up for being proven wrong.<\/p>\n

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“That\u2019s the other thing. I think Jalen Brunson\u2019s a hell of a player, a hell of a player. I\u2019m speaking historically on the NBA with what I said.<\/p>\n

\"Becky <\/p>\n

Becky Hammon still doubts Jalen Brunson\u2019s championship ceiling despite leading the Knicks back to the Finals. (Photo by Ethan Miller\/Getty Images) ((Photo by Ethan Miller\/Getty Images))<\/p>\n

“I don\u2019t know why everybody\u2019s so stuck on that. I said it two years ago. I said what I said. If he proves me wrong, he proves me wrong.”<\/p>\n

To understand why fans are still so hung up on it, you have to revisit Hammon\u2019s original “brass tacks” assessment of the Knicks\u2019 ceiling:<\/p>\n

“They don\u2019t have enough personnel, they don\u2019t have the manpower that they need to hang with those guys.<\/p>\n

“I think you\u2019re going to get a consistent team like they\u2019ve been. They\u2019re a pretty good team.<\/p>\n

“They\u2019re well-coached, they\u2019re going to be on their defensive game, but at the end of the day, they don\u2019t have a dude.<\/p>\n

“You gotta have a 1A dude, and they\u2019re missing that at the end of the day if we\u2019re just getting down to brass tacks.”<\/p>\n

At the time, Hammon\u2019s comments reflected a common belief around the NBA … that Brunson was talented, tough and reliable, but not the type of superstar capable of carrying a franchise to a championship.<\/p>\n

Now, Brunson is one of the biggest reasons the Knicks are four wins away from ending decades of heartbreak.<\/p>\n

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The truth is, unless Brunson wins a championship for New York, Hammon\u2019s skepticism will continue to shadow him. But if Brunson brings a title back to the Big Apple, Hammon\u2019s comments won\u2019t age well. He would not only prove her wrong, but he\u2019d cement himself as a Knicks legend forever.<\/p>\n

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com<\/a> \/ Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alejandro Avila is a longtime writer at OutKick, living in Southern California.\u00a0<\/p>\n