The confetti had barely settled on the Madison Square Garden floor when the debate started. New York Knicks fans had just watched their team erase a 16-point deficit in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals, beating the San Antonio Spurs 95-90 to end a 53-year championship drought. But even in victory, a familiar question hung in the air: Who gets the Finals MVP?
For Stephen A. Smith, the answer was never in doubt — and it’s not OG Anunoby, despite the defensive standout’s massive impact throughout the series. The famously passionate Knicks fan and ESPN personality took to X (formerly Twitter) during the fourth quarter, before the outcome was sealed, to make his case.
Smith’s MVP Pick: Jalen Brunson
“Btw……..if the @nyknicks come back and win this, no more noise about OG! @jalenbrunson1 cannot be denied MVP! Again……..IF the @nyknicks come back and win this thing,” Smith wrote.
Brunson delivered a performance for the ages in the clincher: 45 points on 14-of-27 shooting from the field and 13-of-15 from the free-throw line. He carried the Knicks when their offense sputtered early, refusing to let the Spurs build an insurmountable lead. It was the kind of gut-check game that defines a superstar’s legacy.
The series as a whole hasn’t been Brunson’s smoothest stretch. He has struggled with slow starts in every Finals game, putting the Knicks in early holes. Yet even on nights when Karl-Anthony Towns or Anunoby grabbed headlines, it was Brunson who steadied the ship. His ability to pull the Knicks back from double-digit deficits became the defining theme of the series.
Why the Debate Exists
Anunoby’s case for Finals MVP wasn’t manufactured. He guarded San Antonio’s best perimeter player for stretches, generated timely steals, and hit critical shots. Towns provided interior scoring and rebounding that stretched the Spurs’ defense. But Smith’s argument cuts to a simple truth: without Brunson’s late-game heroics and his 45-point eruption, the Knicks likely don’t win Game 5.
The Knicks have not confirmed any official vote tallies, and fans online noted that the conversation around Brunson vs. Anunoby gained steam only after New York fell behind early in Game 5. It’s a debate that will simmer until the NBA announces the award — likely later this week.
A Fitting End to Brunson’s Journey
If Brunson wins Finals MVP, it would be the culmination of a remarkable arc. He arrived in New York in 2022 as a free agent signing viewed by some as a overpay. Now he’s on the verge of hoisting both the Larry O’Brien Trophy and the Bill Russell Award as the best player in the Finals. For a franchise that waited more than half a century for a title, Brunson’s gritty, determined style became the perfect symbol of the Knicks’ revival.
The confetti might be cleaned up by now. The debate? That’s just getting started.
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