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Jalen Brunson has been compared to Kobe Bryant after leading the Knicks to victory in the 2026 NBA Finals

The New York Knicks are fresh off one of the most dominant championship runs in recent memory, as they lost only three games on their way to winning the 2026 NBA Finals. While the Knicks’ deep roster guided them through the postseason, it’s clear that the leader of this group is superstar guard Jalen Brunson.

After years of being overlooked and not considered one of the top players in the league, Brunson spent the playoffs torching every opponent he came across. That helped him win Finals MVP shortly after the final buzzer sounded on New York’s Game 5 win over the San Antonio Spurs, and now that this run is in the books, he has drawn an eye-opening comparison to Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

Jalen Brunson Gets Compared to Kobe Bryant

Ever since arriving in New York four years ago, Brunson has helped transform it into one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. And while it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, Brunson helped this team get hot at the perfect time, with the end result seeing the Knicks run riot during the playoffs.

The regular season saw Brunson put together a typically efficient season for New York (26 PPG, 6.8 APG, 3.3 RPG, 46.7 FG%), but he was even better in the playoffs. That was particularly true in the Finals, as he found a way to will the Knicks to victory over the Spurs time and time again (32.6 PPG, 4.6 APG, 4.2 RPG, 42.1 FG%). When all was said and done, Brunson had his first Finals victory and a Finals MVP Award to his name.

Throughout the series, San Antonio did its best to be physical with Brunson in an effort to throw him off his game, with Victor Wembanyama’s shove on him in Game 3 being one of the most controversial moments of the entire postseason. Brunson responded by taking his game to another level from that point forward, and after he scored on Wembanyama several times in Game 5 to ice New York’s championship victory, he earned a direct comparison to Bryant.

“He called for (Wembanyama), and that, to me, was the ultimate kill shot,” NBA analyst Alan Hahn said on “Get Up.” “Revenge is the ultimate response when it comes to what Wembanyama did to him earlier in that playoff series. That’s relatable. That’s what people can really get close to. And by the way, that’s the closest thing to Kobe we have seen in the NBA.”

Jalen Brunson Cements His Standing in NBA History

GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – FEBRUARY 22: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks reacts during the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on February 22, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

For a while now, we have known Brunson to be one of the best point guards in the NBA, despite him being fairly undersized. Throughout his career, Brunson has been overlooked, but he managed to shut up all his haters during this playoff run. The final challenge was taking down Wembanyama and the Spurs, and it should come as no surprise that, when his team needed someone to step up, Brunson was almost always the guy with the ball in his hands.

Brunson’s style of play may not be totally reminiscent of Bryant’s, but his mentality is what helped the Knicks win their first championship in 53 years. Now, the city of New York is rightfully celebrating its title, and thanks to Brunson’s offensive skillset, it’s fair to assume that this team will remain a top contender in the league for as long as he’s in town.