NEW YORK — You’ve got a better chance of getting Jalen Brunson to flash a genuine smile than you do of stopping him with the game on the line. But after the Knicks’ closed practice session on Sunday, sources close to the team say the captain finally cracked — and what he revealed has the basketball world buzzing.
Brunson has spent his entire career being told he isn’t enough. Thirty-one names came off the board before his in the 2018 NBA Draft. That was just the appetizer. When asked before Game 3 of the Finals what scouts allegedly missed about him, the guard reportedly shot back with a single word: “Everything.”
Now, with the Knicks up 2–0 on the San Antonio Spurs after stealing both road games, Brunson stands just two victories away from the ultimate prize. But insiders say that’s exactly when the real lesson hits — the same brutal reality check that Stephen Curry knows all too well.
Throughout this decade, the league’s biggest stars have used a championship as the ultimate credential. LeBron James left the 2020 bubble with his throne polished and untouchable. Giannis Antetokounmpo went from “Robin” to the planet’s best player after his 2021 Finals MVP. Nikola Jokic silenced every defensive doubt with his 2023 coronation. But for smaller point guards, the story is reportedly different.
Curry won multiple rings, but Kevin Durant snagged the Finals MVP trophy twice. When Curry finally earned his own in 2022, the narrative still allegedly refused to put him on Jokic’s level. The reason? He wasn’t tall enough to ride the NBA’s most exclusive roller coaster. According to league insiders, it’s far easier to be viewed as the game’s elite when you’re a 7-footer.
Even Jayson Tatum, after winning in 2024, didn’t get the universal crown — partially because Finals MVP went to Jaylen Brown. But Tatum is also a forward. The ceiling, sources claim, is lower for guards who can’t tower over the rim.
Curry, one of the two best point guards to ever lace up sneakers, may not lose sleep over it. He’s got the hardware behind glass somewhere in San Francisco — a golden answer to any doubt. But for Brunson, the lesson is reportedly just beginning.
With two more wins, Brunson can ensure a similar trophy makes its way to Madison Square Garden. If he pulls it off, those close to the situation claim he’ll learn exactly what Curry learned: the recognition may never fully come. And according to what we’re hearing, he likely won’t care at all.
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