Brunson says – Jalen Brunson told reporters that watching Luka Dončić play “so effortlessly” early in his Dallas days made him question how hard he had to work to be the player he wanted to be. Now, after leading the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals, Brunson is set to begin
When Jalen Brunson looks back at the moment his confidence started to sharpen. he doesn’t point to a big trophy or a perfect highlight reel. He points to Luka Dončić—watching him in Dallas. seeing how easily he seemed to take over games. and realizing Brunson had to measure his own effort against that level.
Brunson led the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals after an impressive 11-game winning streak. including back-to-back sweeps against the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s a postseason that’s turned questions into admiration for how good Brunson is as a player—especially in the moments when the Knicks were running out of time.
He went off in the fourth quarter of a Game 1 comeback against the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, using the kind of late-game surge that can shift a series. This run has also moved Brunson closer to something he hasn’t tasted yet: his first-ever championship series.
But Brunson said that confidence didn’t come automatically. During Tuesday’s press conference, he recalled his early days with the Dallas Mavericks, when he was trying to earn his way into a role that matched his ambition.
Brunson said, “The only time is probably my rookie year … playing pickup with the team in Dallas and then obviously watching Luka doing his thing so effortlessly. ” adding. “That was probably the only time. and it made me kind of question myself to see how hard I actually had to work to be in the position that I wanted to be in.”.
The Knicks’ championship path has felt built on that kind of constant improvement. Brunson is one of the NBA Draft stories teams love to celebrate: Dallas selected him with the No. 33 overall pick in the second round, and he spent four seasons there, with his production improving steadily each year.
After he joined the Knicks as a free agent in July 2022, he kept rising. He earned his first NBA All-Star selection in 2024 and then two more in consecutive seasons. This season, he helped New York win the NBA Cup Championship in Las Vegas, claiming NBA Cup MVP along the way.
Now the postseason numbers are doing the talking. In the 2026 NBA Playoffs, Brunson has averaged 26.9 points, 6.6 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 48.6 percent from the field this postseason.
If the Knicks win the NBA Finals, the belief around Brunson will only intensify—because a championship from him likely comes with the kind of individual attention that can lead to an NBA Finals MVP Award, along with the ring itself.
There’s also the unfinished chapter on the other side of the floor. Brunson’s relationship to this matchup is personal. too. because the path from Dallas to the Finals runs through Dončić. Dončić will be arriving in his own Finals moment after playing in the NBA Finals for the first time a few seasons ago. though he was unsuccessful while playing alongside guard Kyrie Irving as the Mavs fell to the Boston Celtics.
The sequence of Brunson’s career—second-round pick to steady Dallas growth. then a steady climb with the Knicks. then a late-season breakthrough punctuated by sweeps—has landed New York at the doorstep. Against the Spurs. it’s not just about how the Knicks are playing now; it’s about how Brunson got here.
Brunson begins the journey with the Knicks as they battle the Spurs in Game 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Jalen Brunson Luka Doncic New York Knicks San Antonio Spurs NBA Finals NBA Cup Championship Eastern Conference Finals Philadelphia 76ers Cleveland Cavaliers Kyrie Irving NBA Playoffs