Overview
- Jalen Brunson led the New York Knicks to the NBA championship and won Finals MVP after scoring 45 points in the title-clinching Game 5 on June 13.
- Becky Hammon told reporters on Tuesday that Brunson was an “outlier” who proved history wrong but said she would not apologize for her December 2023 remark that a smaller best player typically can’t win a title.
- Hours later a small number of outlets and attendees reported Hammon opened a June 24 pregame media session by saying “I was wrong,” a brief comment that is reported inconsistently and has not produced a fuller, widely documented apology.
- Knicks players and fans reacted strongly to the original 2023 remark, with teammates saying the criticism helped motivate Brunson and some public exchanges, including a call for an apology from Josh Hart, keeping the issue in the spotlight.
- The episode highlights a wider point about the sport: lead guards under about 6-foot-3 rarely win Finals MVPs, which is why Hammon framed her view as historical analysis, and the back-and-forth underscores growing scrutiny of pundit accountability when game results contradict prior takes.