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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 06: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks reacts in the third quarter against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden on January 06, 2025 in New York City.
NBA superstar Jalen Brunson was the biggest piece in the New York Knicks‘ historic 11-game winning streak en route to making the Finals for the first time since 1999.
While many would claim it was Brunson’s 38 points in the Knicks’ record-breaking comeback over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the ECF against the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York’s captain has been putting together strong performances day in and day out.
Most recently, the NBA announced that with his numbers during the Knicks’ run to the Finals, Brunson has now joined elite playoff history over the past month.
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 18: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks reacts during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026 in New York City.
In a post on social media, the NBA revealed Brunson has joined Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and the late Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers as the only players in NBA history to average at least 26 points and six assists per game during an 11-game postseason winning streak.
“Kobe. Steph. Brunson,” the league wrote. “Jalen Brunson joins Kobe Bryant (2001) and Steph Curry (2017) as the only players to put up 26+ PPG and 6+ APG during an 11-game win streak in a single postseason run.”
In the two previous occurrences that saw both Curry and Bryant average at least those numbers, their teams each won the championship in those respective seasons. Now, Brunson and the Knicks hope to do the same as they wait to find out their opponent for the upcoming 2026 NBA Finals.
Brunson, while he has scored more points and dished out more assists in other stretches in his career, has been the biggest factor in New York’s most successful playoff run this century.
Writing for ESPN, Vincent Goodwill detailed how the team’s 6’2″ point guard could join another elite list as he continues to lead the Knicks on a historic run.
“Jalen Brunson aims to join a very exclusive club — just two members — of players 6-foot-2 or under who are the undisputed headliners for a championship team,” he wrote. “Isiah Thomas and Stephen Curry are the only ones who can make that claim, and Brunson, the Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player, is four wins away.”
When arriving at the Knicks in a trade in 2022, there was hope Brunson would be a good player, but not to the level he’s shown in leading New York to the NBA Finals.
GettyNew York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson dribbles the ball in a game. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Brunson spent the first few years of his career with the Dallas Mavericks, but signed with the Knicks in 2022 on a contract that looked big in the moment, but now feels like a significant underpay.
“When the Knicks signed him in free agency in 2022, he was viewed as a piece but not the centerpiece for a Knicks revival,” Goodwill wrote on when Brunson arrived in New York.
However, he’s since turned into their franchise star. He’s taken less than the max contract to allow the Knicks to add other strong players, and so far, that’s paid off.
“That brings us back to the gamble he took in the summer of 2024, when he agreed to a 4-year, $156.5 million contract extension with the New York Knicks,” ClutchPoints wrote in a post on X. “That figure was $113 million less than what he could have commanded. All to bring the core Villanova squad together (Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart) and allow New York room to make championship moves. No matter what happens now, Brunson’s decision has already paid off in a way.”
Jalen Brunson is on course to become the first player to win the NBA Cup MVP, ECF MVP, and Finals MVP in the same season 👀
That brings us back to the gamble he took in the summer of 2024, when he agreed to a 4-year, $156.5 million contract extension with the New York Knicks.
Now, Brunson is being talked about as the best, or at least the most beloved, player in Knicks history. If he wins a title, there’s a good chance he gets a statue outside of Madison Square Garden and will sit alongside some of the legends that have worn a Knicks jersey in the past.
Brunson is already on a short list of one of the best players in the NBA, and he can further cement his legacy in New York and basketball history by leading the Knicks to their first championship since 1973.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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