“If [Jalen Brunson] goes out … and wins a championship, he will be the greatest Knick of all-time.” 😳
—@KendrickPerkins on Jalen Brunson if he wins the championship 🍿
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Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks during a playoff game.
The New York Knicks have gone beyond just being a feel-good story and have become a real threat to the NBA Finals.
Having easily defeated the Philadelphia 76ers and being just one step away from the Finals, the faith in this Knicks team has really increased.
Besides, ESPN commentator Kendrick Perkins has made the most significant remark about Jalen Brunson and his goals in the 2026 playoffs.
GettyKendrick Perkins Makes Bold Jalen Brunson Claim as Knicks Chase NBA Finals
The biggest statement of the playoffs belongs to Kendrick Perkins:
“If Jalen Brunson goes out and leads this team and wins the championship, he will be the greatest Knick of all time,” Perkins declared.
“If [Jalen Brunson] goes out … and wins a championship, he will be the greatest Knick of all-time.” 😳
—@KendrickPerkins on Jalen Brunson if he wins the championship 🍿
Perkins placed Brunson in elite company alongside Steph Curry and Isaiah Thomas as the only small guards (6’3″ and under) who can lead a franchise to a title. If he completes the mission, the Frazier comparisons won’t even matter.
Perkins also delivered another stinging verdict: the Giannis conversation is officially dead. With Karl-Anthony Towns playing the best basketball of his Knicks career, Perkins made it clear: “I don’t even want to hear it.” KAT is averaging 6.6 assists this postseason.
Perkins added that the Knicks have the most depth coming out of the East and are clicking on both ends.
Kendrick Perkins Makes Bold Jalen Brunson Claim as Knicks Chase NBA Finals
Brunson is up to the 2026 playoffs, averaging 27.4 points per game right now. The thing is, he is scoring with great precision.
He made 35 points in the Philly Game 1 and 27 of those were in the first half, which was a pretty dominant half, then he made 33 points along with nine assists in Game 3 to put the Sixers in a 3-0 hole.
And in Game 4 he scored 22 points, giving the Knicks a good early lead. Later, other Knicks finished the game and swept the 76ers out of this series.
The upcoming Eastern Conference Finals matchup figures to come against either the Detroit Pistons or Cleveland Cavaliers, with Detroit leading that series 2-1.
Against the Pistons this season, Brunson averaged 23.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.
If Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs are next, expect Brunson to rise to that moment too.
The SportsLine model now gives the Knicks a 52% chance to win the East and a 20.6% shot at the title, numbers that have nearly tripled since the start of the postseason.
Jayesh Pagar Jayesh Pagar is a writer at Heavy Sports, covering the New York Knicks and other NBA teams. He brings four years of experience across digital sports media, including NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football. He covered as the Knicks beat writer for ONSI and has written for PFSN, Sporting News, and ClutchPoints. More about Jayesh Pagar
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