Jalen Brunson has spent years hearing that he was too small to be the face of a championship team. Now, in his new cover story for Sports Illustrated, one of the most talked-about critiques of his career was resurfaced—and teammate Mikal Bridges says it became fuel for one of the greatest seasons in New York Knicks history.
In a celebratory Instagram Live after the Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought, Bridges gave fans an unfiltered glimpse into the team's mindset. While calling for the franchise to "build that little big-headed ass a statue," Bridges singled out Hall of Famer Becky Hammon, who famously questioned whether a team led by Brunson could ever win it all.
"He ain't going to tell y'all," Bridges said. "He knows what she said. And it fueled him to go be great."
Hammon's comments date back to 2023, when she argued that New York's ceiling was limited because of the size of its star point guard. "If your best player is small, you're not winning," she said.
After Brunson silenced that narrative by winning the NBA Finals MVP award, Hammon didn't back away from her overall philosophy. Instead, she acknowledged, "I was wrong" about Brunson himself, describing him as an "outlier" alongside Isiah Thomas and Stephen Curry while maintaining she didn't owe anyone an apology for expressing her opinion.
Brunson, meanwhile, has remained remarkably consistent in how he handles criticism. When asked if Bridges was right that Hammon's comments motivated him, the Knicks captain refused to give the debate any extra life.
"I said this after we won," Brunson said to Sports Illustrated. "I didn't respond then, and I damn sure am not going to respond now. So you guys can take that and do what you want."
The silence is fitting for a player whose résumé has become his loudest response. Brunson capped New York's championship run with a legendary 45-point performance in the Finals clincher against San Antonio, averaging 32.6 points across the series while delivering clutch basket after clutch basket.
After watching Brunson dismantle the Spurs, interim coach Mitch Johnson admitted, "He's a heck of a player. He deserves everything he's got."
Those performances didn't come out of nowhere. Brunson has long embraced the idea that preparation outweighs perception.
"When I'm in the gym by myself in the summertime, those are the moments I'm thinking about," Brunson said. "Where everything, every detail has to matter."
He also dismissed the fear that often overwhelms players in the biggest moments.
"I just know how I work," Brunson said. "I'm not afraid to fail. I'm not afraid to lose in those situations. So it allows me just to be the best I can be."
That mentality has defined Brunson's improbable climb from second-round draft pick to the face of the New York Knicks. It has also shaped his next venture. Fresh off delivering the franchise's first championship since 1973, Brunson is preparing to release his debut children's book, Jalen Plays It All, a story centered on resilience, persistence, and the idea that success rarely follows a straight line.
Whether Hammon's remarks truly became championship fuel may never be fully confirmed. For his part, Brunson has no interest in settling that debate. But after proving every prediction about his ceiling wrong, he no longer has to.
