Jalen Brunson reveals the bigger challenge Knicks face after snapping championship drought

For the Knicks, winning the title was already tough.But defending it will be even harder.“Yeah, it will be different, for sure,” star Jalen Brunson admitted.“Obviously for the first eight years I went through disappointment, obviously losing at the end of the season; and now winning, I think it’s an even bigger challenge.

Now it’s a target on your back.Now, players and teams have changed; they’ve gotten better.“So how are we going to evolve as a team? How are we going to figure out what’s the next step for us? And that’s going to be a really big important question coming in the training camp: How are we going to be better? How are we going to literally look at the trophy, know that that was last year and then forget about it? And so, it’s going to be a very interesting training camp to see where our mind’s at.

But I’m excited for the challenge.”Brunson — speaking Thursday at WSJ Sports: The Next Sports Economy — captained the Knicks to a thrilling NBA Finals victory over the Spurs, helping them end their 53-year title drought.As challenging as that was, he knows defending that crown will be even tougher, with the league now in an era of parity.New punitive financial restrictions like the second apron have led to eight different winners in the last eight years.

And while the Western Conference is loaded with San Antonio and Oklahoma City, the East has gotten tougher around the Knicks.For the reigning champs, standing still will mean falling behind.They’ve already lost center Mitch Robinson; but they can’t afford to lose their edge as well.

Between their truncated offseason, and being toasted and feted and told how great they are, that can be a challenge in its own right.Sign up for Inside the Knicks by Stefan Bondy, a weekly exclusive on Sports+.

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