On Jalen Brunson being a true No. 1 star:<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope you guys will listen to me, he is a top-three MVP candidate. Everybody kind of mentions his name in passing, they don\u2019t do it seriously enough \u2014 people say he\u2019s too small, people say he\u2019s a 1B or a 2B or whatever, he is a freaking 1A. I hope tonight you guys, and I\u2019m talking to the media more than the fans, but I hope you guys recognize what this man is all about because he is A1 MVP \u2014 he is him.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Jalen Brunson being the face of New York basketball:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe comes, and he probably takes a pay cut that I wouldn\u2019t have taken, every time they would have thrown that number in front of me would have said no, and I feel like I\u2019m a good guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the significance of the Knicks franchise:<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a couple of franchises that are pretty iconic just because of the history that they have, the location that they\u2019re in, sometimes even the building that they\u2019re in. New York is definitely one of the few that you could say that to in all three facets. Everybody goes through their ups and downs. I don\u2019t really think much about the tough times [the Knicks] had because everybody has tough times, including individuals. You just want to try the best you can to be a part of whatever you can to bring joy to the city, to the organization. I feel blessed, fortunate, lucky, to be a part of what is going on now.\u201d<\/p>\n
On bringing a title to New York:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a heck of a win. To have these fans that we have in New York City, and to bring home a championship to them after all of these years, it\u2019s just an absolutely amazing. It\u2019s surreal \u2013 I don\u2019t know how long it\u2019s been since that final buzzer, but I still don\u2019t believe it. I\u2019m pinching myself, I\u2019m telling myself to try to be present, and all of the stuff I tell my guys every day because I still just can\u2019t believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n
On his staff, players, and the Knicks organization:<\/p>\n
\u201cMy staff, they carried me all year. Our players are fantastic \u2013 they\u2019ve been ready from Day 1, and it\u2019s not just our top-five, but 1 through 18 they have been ready from Day 1 of the season. You saw it we called on different guys at different times and every time they stepped up \u2013 I love my players, I love the organization, but most importantly Let\u2019s Go New York, we can\u2019t wait to get home and celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n
On winning a championship:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s everything I dreamed of. It\u2019s why I came to New York.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Knicks\u2019 late-game identity:<\/p>\n
\u201cFor some reason I feel like the game for us starts for us 30 minutes later than it\u2019s supposed to. We don\u2019t show up at 8:30. We show up at 9 p.m.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s everything I dreamed of. This is why I picked New York.\u201d<\/p>\n
On his emotions after the championship:<\/p>\n
\u201cHoly s\u2014. I\u2019ve got no words. Everything I ever dreamed of. I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m feeling. I\u2019m in awe, I don\u2019t know. Whenever someone counted us out, we found a way to come back and do something about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
On where his confidence comes from:<\/p>\n
\u201cMy confidence comes from my work ethic. Every time I had the ball, all I could think about was all the hours I put in the summer\u2026 into making this a reality. So whenever I got the ball, I just thought about me being alone in the gym.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to find a way, whatever you put in front of us, we\u2019re going to find a way. I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI got no words. Everything I ever dreamed of. I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was definitely more emotional than I thought it would be. Once I got on stage and everything, it started to settle, but it\u2019s everything I dreamed of, seriously. I woke up this morning not wanting to play another game. At some point, I knew I was going to win [an NBA Championship]. The opportunity presented itself, and I didn\u2019t want it to slip away.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the journey to a championship:<\/p>\n
\u201cWords can\u2019t describe it. I put a lot of time and effort into being the best player I can be, and I\u2019m just really thankful to have a coaching staff and teammates who have my back every day. At the final buzzer, I walked right to half court, shook Mitch Johnson\u2019s hand, and turned around. My dad was there, and I felt emotions from that point on. But it still hasn\u2019t sunk in. I honestly don\u2019t know right now. I\u2019m just thankful for the opportunity, and we were able to get it done. Through hard work and effort, I knew this was achievable, but it was only a small portion of it. Tonight, we played like we wanted to finish the game as champions. It means the world to me to go on the court with those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
On his reaction to the championship:<\/p>\n
\u201cI got no words. It\u2019s everything I\u2019ve dreamt of. I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m feeling. I\u2019m just like\u2026 I\u2019m in awe. I don\u2019t know. Whenever someone counts us out, we find a way to come back and do something about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
On his preparation and work ethic:<\/p>\n
\u201cMy confidence comes from my work ethic. Every time I got the ball, all I could think about is all the hours in the summer. For every summer I had, since I ever could remember, making this a reality. Whenever I had the ball, I\u2019m just thinking about just me alone in the gym.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Knicks\u2019 resilience:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to find a way. Whatever you put in front of us, we\u2019re going to find a way. It doesn\u2019t matter. It does not matter whatsoever. We\u2019re going to find a way every single time we step on this court. Every f\u2013king time. Every time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t respond to them then and I\u2019m damn sure not going to respond to them now.\u201d<\/p>\n
On winning all of his NBA and college titles in Texas:<\/p>\n
\u201cI have nothing against Texas. I love Texas. I miss the Texas taxes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just never afraid to fail.\u201d<\/p>\n
On what it took to win the championship and score 45 points:<\/p>\n
On finishing the job in Game 5:<\/p>\n
\u201cTonight, we played like we wanted to go home champions, to finish the game. Not to start the game, to finish the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
On winning a championship:<\/p>\n
\u201cWords can\u2019t describe it. I put a lot of time and effort into trying to be the best player I can be to try and help a team win. Just really thankful to have the organization, the coaching staff, my teammates, to have my back every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n
On playing through injury after yet another dirty Victor Wembanyama play:<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m hurting right now, I\u2019m not going to lie to you. I\u2019m hurting right now, but like i said before, the opportunity presented itself. Whatever you gotta do.\u201d<\/p>\n
On when he knew Jalen Brunson would become a star:<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew through college, but I really knew when he signed (with the Knicks). I knew what he was going to do, especially in the league we play in. Him having the ball and being able to be ball dominant \u2026 his efficiency is out of the roof. I knew what he was going to be able to do with the ball in his hands here, more than what he was able to do in Dallas.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the five-pick trade and the haters:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou talking about f\u2013-k them picks. Very grateful. F\u2013-k \u2019em. Through the times I\u2019ve been struggling, fans said things about me, I want to always be better. Keep pushing me. I appreciate the tough love.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Knicks fans pushing him to improve:<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven all of the times I\u2019ve been struggling and our fans are on me, I want to always be better \u2013 so however they feel I always want to be better. I just hope that I\u2019m still here and they just keep that edge and keep pushing me. If they strongly believe we have a chance every year and they strong believe they need me to be better I\u2019m already thinking that \u2013 I appreciate the tough love, I know some fans might be crazier than others, but the ones that truly care, they just want me to be better so don\u2019t stop now.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the pressure of wearing a Knicks jersey:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t really talk about it, but the weight of that jersey. The expectations, the pressure of that jersey. Right now, it\u2019s the lightest it\u2019s ever felt.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Mike Brown\u2019s impact on the Knicks:<\/p>\n
\u201cMike was invaluable to this run. He knows what it is to be a champion. He knows how to build a team, how to build habits that will put you in this position. We\u2019re so grateful to have him at the top. He kept us even at so many times. He brought the best out of us. He\u2019s the reason why we\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Knicks\u2019 togetherness:<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, man, it\u2019s been invaluable. I think you can look at the play (in Game 4), I missed the layup . . . I miss, and we come down and foul Wemby. I think I fouled him or KAT fouled him or whatever [Anunoby fouled him], and I ended up on the ground. I was frustrated and kind of down on myself. You see JB, KAT, Jose run up to me and pick me up. You see Landry [Shamet] on the bench yelling at me to get up and those kinds of things.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you have a team that has that kind of togetherness in the most adverse situations, that breeds championship habits and a championship team. I feel like we can go down the line of every guy in that locker room that has had moments like that during the season, and everyone has been there to pick each other up. When you have a team that can do that, no matter what happens in a game, you feel like you can get through it.\u201d<\/p>\n
On staying even through highs and lows:<\/p>\n
\u201cIn an 82-game season, especially in New York, you know, there\u2019s going to be mountains and valleys. If we win three or four in a row, you know, you\u2019re the best team in the league. If you lose three or four in a row, everybody is on the trade block. We know that and that\u2019s why during the course of a season, you try to stay even and you try to continue to build those habits, championship habits, that put you in that position at the end of the year.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that\u2019s what you focus on. Sometimes it\u2019s not about the result; it\u2019s about the process. You know, every game, every second, every practice of the season, it led us to this point.\u201d<\/p>\n
On finally finding a home in New York:<\/p>\n
\u201cI had so much instability, traded, different coaches, and I found a home in New York and they embraced me. This city is built on toughness, grit, blue-collar people, and I feel like I\u2019m the same person. They can look in the mirror and they can see [me].\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThose are my brothers for life. We have a bond that\u2019ll never be broken. We won a championship together in college, but this one obviously takes the cake. We\u2019ve been built for this moment. We\u2019ve all been forged in the fire \u2026 Coach [Jay] Wright helped us be cut from a different cloth. No matter the moment, it\u2019s never too big for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
On winning the championship:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s an amazing player and he showed the world tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Knicks\u2019 celebration:<\/p>\n
\u201cJust excitement, everyone just happy for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShout-out to everybody who told him he couldn\u2019t do it because it gave him fuel for the fire. I think I speak for me and OG when I say it\u2019s been an honor to be brought to this team to amplify him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been everything to me. He taught me the game of basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n
On bringing the Larry O\u2019Brien Trophy to the Dominican Republic:<\/p>\n
\u201cHell yeah, I\u2019m bringing the trophy over there!\u201d<\/p>\n
On Jalen Brunson leaving Gatorade at the podium:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know JB\u2019s happy, he left the Gatorade up here!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI talk about our unity, our connectivity. We just continue to believe in each other and believe in our team, our game plan. Whatever needs to be adjusted in the game, us as players will always talk it out, and we\u2019re willing to have those conversations that are difficult. We\u2019re willing to keep each other accountable.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegardless of what happens, we know, like I said, we all we got and we all we need, and it\u2019s more than enough to have a chance to win every single night. I know a lot of people talk about it. I know you\u2019ve heard a ton of people come up on this mic and say the same thing, but I hope our team shows the world that we truly mean it. Even though last year we didn\u2019t get the job done, that unity and that connectivity and that continuity has always shown itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that last game is just another example of us talking about how connected we are together and how much we truly do have love for each other as teammates, as a team, as brothers, as a family. Only brothers would keep each other going, especially in the game where it was last game. Because of that family, family stays close. When things got really bad, we got closer. We didn\u2019t start fading away from each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
On feeling the presence of his late mother and the support of Jordyn Woods:<\/p>\n
\u201cHer presence is always felt in my life. You always pray you\u2019re going to pick the right woman for you and I know I did in my fianc\u00e9. I damn sure know now with that bag, that bag held it down. Shout-out to Woods by Jordyn.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s crazy, when she passed, there was so much turmoil in my life. Funny enough, my fianc\u00e9 was the one, who was a friend at the time, was the only person I got to call before I had to go out there and say bye to her at the hospital. Me and her have a real bond that goes deeper than just physical features and everything like that. We\u2019ve got a true friendship that was built from the ground up.<\/p>\n
I remember just always asking her if this was going to be my last time seeing her in the physical, let me feel her spirit at all times. In moments of true pressure and a lot of things going on, I always feel this calming come to me and it\u2019s always her. It\u2019s just great to always feel her arms around me and always to feel her love in my life, in so many different ways.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a testament. I haven\u2019t felt love from a woman like that until I met my fianc\u00e9. It really means a lot that, in a way – without sounding weird – Jackie Jr. was able to be here celebrating this moment with me.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s amazing. It\u2019s truly a humbling feeling when you know you have walked the path. I stayed faithful. In every decision that I was supposed to make, I made the right one. Feels good to be at this moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cY\u2019all heard my story, y\u2019all know my story. I just want to say: Thank you Mama, I appreciate you getting me one.\u201d<\/p>\n
On finally winning a championship:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou work your whole life for this moment. As they always said with this team, it is written for New York.\u201d<\/p>\n
On bringing the monster truck to the championship parade:<\/p>\n
\u201cI just got asked to put my truck in it so I\u2019m gonna be really excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Jalen Brunson\u2019s Game 5 performance:<\/p>\n
On snakes being the Knicks\u2019 lucky charm:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what\u2019s crazy? Yesterday at the hotel I caught a snake. I think it\u2019s something about snakes.\u201d<\/p>\n
On finally winning a title with the Knicks:<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen the recipe being made. I\u2019ve been here when we\u2019ve won 17 games, when we\u2019ve won 60 games, and to finally be able to get it done in 2026, it\u2019s been amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
On his offensive rebounding and his late effort:<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s just something I always do. I trust my guys that they are going to make them, but I\u2019m just going crash anyway \u2013 luckily I did and came up with a big rebound.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrabbed it, kicked it out and they fouled us again, so we got a chance to shoot two more and I almost got it again, so I\u2019m just going to continue to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Jalen Brunson carrying the team:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe owe him. We weren\u2019t great offensively tonight, but he is generationally great offensively.\u201d<\/p>\n
On winning a championship:<\/p>\n
\u201cJust really proud of this group and excited to celebrate and kick our feet up for a little while and enjoy this. This is special.\u201d<\/p>\n
On winning the title with the Knicks:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is something we\u2019re going to celebrate for life.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Knicks ending the drought and hunting for more:<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, New York! I\u2019m sorry it took so long, but here we are, and hopefully it won\u2019t take that long again.\u201d<\/p>\n
On his expectations for Jalen Brunson:<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought when we acquired him if he averaged 20 points and six assists it would be good. I thought like other people, in a playoff scenario where you get guys 6-[foot]-6 and 6-7 on him, he would have trouble scoring. But he found a way, against all these guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Brunson\u2019s place in Knicks history:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got to be considered one of the greatest Knicks ever. He\u2019s been magnificent the whole playoffs and all season. \u2026 Clutch, he\u2019s Mr. Clutch. He comes up with the big baskets. He was the only guy scoring at one time for the Knicks. That kept them in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Brunson changing perceptions of small guards:<\/p>\n
\u201cBrunson has definitely changed the mindset of that thinking, a guy 6-foot-2 can\u2019t lead a team to a championship.\u201d<\/p>\n
On watching the championship run:<\/p>\n
\u201cI was living through the eyes of Jalen, saying \u2018Wow, I used to be doing that out there on the court.\u2019 I\u2019m sure those guys [from our last championship team] are watching tonight, and they\u2019re very proud of the team like I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
On what the title means for the New York Knicks:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a magnificent night for the fan base and the franchise.\u201d<\/p>\n
On finally seeing the Knicks win a title:<\/p>\n
\u201cFourth time is the charm. \u201999, I did the same thing I did tonight, just sit and watch and cheer. I take my hat (off) to the team, take my hat off to Jalen. He did an outstanding job with putting us on his back and being able to bring a championship back to New York.\u201d<\/p>\n
On what the championship means for New York and the Knicks:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means everything to the city. It was a magical run, all the things they were able to accomplish.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis guy right here, this is my guy, right here.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Jalen Brunson\u2019s contract sacrifice:<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to give him some credit. I want to give, you know, obviously what you said about Brunson, I said, it\u2019s the greatest free agent signing in NBA history, but also he took so much criticism for guys when he took a hundred million dollars less so they could go out and get other players. He deserved like, hey, listen, a hundred million dollars is a lot of money, but he wanted them to go out and get him some help, and they went on and got him some help, and they are the World Champs.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Knicks\u2019 title-winning moment:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s over! It\u2019s over! Knick fans, this is not a dream! Your long, long wait is ended. Go ahead and cry: after 53 years, the Knicks are finally NBA Champions once again!\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Knicks winning the championship:<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t even know how to put it in words because I damn sure didn\u2019t play. I didn\u2019t practice like these guys did, they did it. But it\u2019s been 53 long years, and there\u2019s been so many moments of misery that we had to endure as New York Knick fans. And to be here tonight, I gotta confess until this series I never thought it\u2019d happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo many things have gone wrong: The layups that wasn\u2019t with Charles Smith, the [Patrick] Ewings finger rolls, the Game 7s they didn\u2019t come out on top. Time after time after time\u2026 And to be in attendance witnessing the end of a 53-year drought as born in The Bronx, raised in Hollis, Queens, New York City. I\u2019ve been a New York fan all my life, I never thought I\u2019d see it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t even know what to say. I can\u2019t put into words how this feels. It\u2019s the best feeling I\u2019ve ever had in my life covering sports. I\u2019ve never had a feeling like this. It\u2019s unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n
On why the Knicks \u2018saved\u2019 the NBA:<\/p>\n
\u201cJalen Brunson and the New York Knicks saved the NBA with this championship. Stay with me. If the Spurs win the championship, the entire NBA is evolving its scheme around how do you knock off the alien, the 7-foot-5 alien from France. How do you do it?<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, guess what? Now that a 6-1 guard, who\u2019s not the most athletic above the rim dude \u2014 that ain\u2019t his game, just savvy, brilliant as a basketball savant, footwork extraordinaire \u2014 that guy at 6-foot-1 led this team. And in a close-out Game 5 drops 45 on a Spurs defense that was pretty elite. That\u2019s what they did.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Knicks winning the championship:<\/p>\n
\u201cAs happy as I\u2019ve ever felt. It\u2019s pretty amazing. It\u2019s pretty amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On Jalen Brunson being a true No. 1 star: \u201cI hope you guys will listen to me, he…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":266600,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[52132,9,56,63,65,64],"class_list":["post-266599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-knicks-news","tag-new-york","tag-ny","tag-nyc","tag-nyc-headlines","tag-nyc-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=266599"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266599\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/266600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=266599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=266599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=266599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}