In 2023, Hammon said that Brunson was not a "1A dude" and said that if your best player is small, you aren’t going to win on ESPN’s "NBA Today." She doubled down on her take in late May and questioned why everyone was so stuck on it.Despite Brunson winning Finals MVP and leading the Knicks to a title, she still refused to apologize for her take on Tuesday.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM(Left) Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon coaches against the Phoenix Mercury during the first half in Phoenix, Arizona, on June 17, 2026.(Right) Jalen Brunson is seen during the New York Knicks ticker-tape parade along the Canyon of Heroes in New York City, New York, on June 18, 2026.
(Mark J.Rebilas/Imagn Images; NDZ/Star Max/GC Images)"Jalen, all he did was prove history wrong.
He proves he’s an outlier," Hammon said after the Aces’ shootaround, according to the New York Post."So you can put his name next to Steph Curry and Isiah Thomas, and I thought he played brilliantly, especially down the stretch.""I mean, he was that 1A dude," Hammon said.
"But apologize, I’m never gonna apologize for having an opinion.That’s what ESPN pays me for." Brunson, who is 6-foot-2, scored 45 points in the Knicks’ championship-sealing 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 and cemented himself as one of the best players in franchise history.The Knicks’ captain then appeared to address Hammon’s comments during the Knicks parade last week when speaking in front of City Hall.ZERO BS.
JUST DAKICH.TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD.
DOWNLOAD NOW!Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks celebrates with the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award trophy and Knicks owner James Dolan after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 13, 2026.(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)"There’s a lot of people who have a lot of negative stuff to say," Brunson said.
"There’s a lot...