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Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks reacts during an NBA Finals game.
The New York Knicks are one win away from winning their first NBA championship in 53 years. The Knicks will play Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday at the Frost Bank Center.
Down by as much as 29 points in Game 3, the Knicks battled back to complete the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history to beat the Spurs 107-106.
OG Anunoby tipped in the game-winning shot, while Jalen Brunson had a game-high 36 points.
Magic Johnson Sends Jalen Brunson Message
GettyJalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks reacts during the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 03, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
In an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up on Friday, five-time champ and NBA legend Magic Johnson discussed the NBA Finals with Mike Greenberg. Johnson was asked about the narrative surrounding Jalen Brunson, whom some people thought was “too little” to lead a team to a title.
“You hear me start laughing?” Johnson said, via NBA Courtside on X. “You know why the man is a winner? He won in high school, won at Villanova. This the guy who you want have on your team in those moments in the situation where he’ll figure it out. He’s so intelligent and he’s tough physically and mentally, so this doesn’t surprise me.
“I love Jalen Brunson want he stands for, what he’s capable of in the biggest moments, and he’s been doing it his whole career.”
Brunson won a state title in high school and was even named Mr. Basketball in Illinois. He had a legendary career at Villanova, leading the Wildcats to two NCAA championships in 2016 and 2018.
But due to his size, Brunson dropped to the second round of the 2018 NBA draft. He had his breakout year in his fourth season with the Dallas Mavericks, helping them reach the Western Conference Finals in 2022.
Brunson used that season to get a four-year, $104 million contract with the New York Knicks in free agency.
Jalen Brunson’s Case For Being The GOAT Knick
GettyJalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter in Game Two of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 21, 2026 in New York City.
In just four seasons with the New York Knicks, Jalen Brunson has already established himself as one of the greatest players in franchise history. Brunson has turned into a real superstar for the Knicks, averaging 26.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.
But what if Brunson leads the Knicks to their first title since 1973? Will he become the greatest player in franchise history? ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith thinks so.
“If the New York Knicks win the conference tournament, and they end up advancing to the Finals, and they win the Finals with Jalen Brunson doing what he does, Jalen Brunson will go down as the greatest New York Knickerbocker in history,” Smith said on his YouTube show last month.
“Better than Walt ‘Clyde’ Frasier, better than Bernard King, better than Patrick Ewing, all of it. He’ll go down as the greatest Knick of all time if he delivers the championship to this city. No doubt about it.”
Patrick Ewing is generally considered the GOAT Knicks player ever, even though he never brought a title.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He's currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David