Brunson's imprint complete

Why not Jalen Brunson? Captain clutch had answers throughout the postseason and on the finals stage.

IMAGE: Graphic by Aidan Sinclair

To cement a legacy comes endless hours of tireless work.

There’s an intent to improve everyday, taking incremental steps to achieve greatness.

It doesn’t happen overnight.

Reaching the pinnacle takes blood, sweat and tears.

Sometimes it takes eight seasons.

Other times it may occur at the swan song of a player’s career, such as San Antonio Spurs legend David Robinson in 2003, albeit he won his maiden championship four years earlier. An assortment of All-Stars and superstars have waited their moment to relish their moment to relish the euphoric feeling of hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

It took Paul Pierce 10 seasons to realise a lifelong dream in 2008 as the Boston Celtics won its first title in 22 years after a transformative turnaround which the franchise went 66-16 in the regular-season after finishing 24-58 the season prior (2006/2007).

Part of the long wait came for Pierce’s teammates Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Garnett, already achieved a plethora of accolades in his first 12 seasons, all with the Minnesota Timberwolves, including winning MVP in 2004 and an Olympic Gold Medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

He underwent a litany of playoff hurdles, getting eliminated in seven consecutive opening-rounds from 1997 to 2003, until eventually reaching the Western Conference finals in 2004.

Like Garnett, Allen accomplished numerous accolades where he thrived in six and a half seasons at the Milwaukee Bucks, becoming one of the league’s deadly accurate three-point shooters and a high-flying dunker.

People know Allen for his sweet mechanical stroke, but he could jump out of the gym as evidenced by participating in the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest.

Watch his dunks on YouTube, they will leave jaws dropping to the floor.

It would take a number of playoff lessons both in Milwaukee and Seattle, until he achieved the ultimate prize in his 12th season.

A list of players to patiently bide their time has a place on its own, but there’s one player to talk about: Jalen Brunson.

Since he picked a basketball and learnt the ropes from his father Rick, Brunson became fastidious to learn and improve his game. Not every basketballer can grow to become 195 plus centimetres, and Brunson would list at 188 cm, or in old height measurement six foot two.

But then why did the criticism for his size matter to those who speak on the NBA?

Was he too small to knife his way through the trees?

Were opponents going to target him on every on-ball screen?

Or did teams looking decided the risk was too much?

Before Brunson arrived in New York in July 2022, he already showed tremendous resolve to prove to himself that he belonged in basketball’s greatest league. Prior to the 2018 NBA draft, only four teams would undertake a workout with Brunson - the Dallas Mavericks (whom the franchise drafted 33rd overall), Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and the Phoenix Suns.

During the 2021/2022 campaign, he truly broke out into an emerging player, only exemplified by his 41-point game two and 31-point game three performances in the opening-round against the Utah Jazz.

Not only did Brunson swing the series back to Dallas, but these two outings came without superstar Luka Doncic (left calf strain), who returned in game four.

Brunson showed he was ready to take the next step.

Prior to New York winning its first title in 53 years, detractors always seemed to come up with any reason to validate their point. It became a game of target practice, something you would find in Laser Tag (a gaming place across Australia). Only this came in media studios, not in the maze ring of lasering an opponent.

Throughout Chris Paul’s grandiose 21 seasons did he ever receive unrelenting criticism for being too small (standing six-feet, equates to 183 cm)?

Definitely not.

In a big man’s game, there’s additional incentive for shorter players to defy naysayers wrong.

Allen Iverson, Damian Lillard, Muggsy Bogues, Avery Johnson, Rajon Rondo, Chucky Atkins, Travis Best, Kyle Lowry and Isaiah Thomas (not the Detroit Pistons champion) which come to mind.

In four seasons, Brunson has ticked off a whirlwind of accolades from All-Star appearances to All-NBA teams. But by achieving the ultimate goal, he has become a New York legend. Many legendary Knicks players have grounded the Madison Square Garden hardwood and cemented their legacy in the city that never sleeps: Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell and Larry Johnson.

Every playoff moment Brunson seized, right from his maiden Knicks postseason debut game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023, when he calmly delivered ice cool jumper after another, two coming in the final 75 seconds in isolation over Cedi Osman - an 18-foot jumper and a left-handed floater off the glass.

Playoff heartbreak losing to the eight-seed Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals only fuelled Brunson and the what if scenario of not turning the ball over on the baseline in game six, trailing 3-2 (down two, 92-90) with 14.4 seconds remaining.

Every stupendous outing still left one thing missing.

Whilst Brunson would remain the main driver, putting playoff series performances for the ages, how could the Knicks keep him fresh without exhausting petrol tickets in crunch time?

The franchise had a solution and one to alleviate pressure from Brunson in the form of hiring coach Mike Brown. Differentiating Brown and coach Tom Thibodeau’s coaching philosophies came with Brown’s adaptability to construct a dynamic offence, specialising in spacing and constructing the right reads to create efficient looks.

Thibodeau’s straight line offence saw opponents hone in on Brunson as playoff battles wore on, eventually becoming obvious.

A system change kept Brunson fresh and posed additional problems to an opposition’s scouting report.

Playing off-ball became secret sauce number one.

Brunson has carried a reticent demeanour, staying ever-present and not forecasting too far ahead. The Knicks are Brunson’s team, but he doesn’t act that way.

A selfless attitude forges his play, as exemplified in July 2024 when he took $113 million less, re-signing on a four-year, $156.5 million deal, so that New York could retain OG Anunoby.

Talk about putting team ethos ahead of self-interest.

Coach Brown’s vision to have Brunson thrive further deserves every ounce of credit. Brown, having been in NBA circles for over two decades understands how to implement offences and construct dynamism, having taken the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2007 NBA Finals, a two-time Coach of the Year, propelling the Sacramento Kings back into the postseason in 17 years in 2023 and a Senior assistant under Steve Kerr at the Golden State Warriors.

Brunson’s comfortability to adjust playing off-ball grew as the regular-season progressed.

For all the years of aiming for the grand prize, his compact aptitude separated the Knicks from the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. 61 playoff games in a Knicks uniform will equip any player for what to expect in front of a National and Worldwide audience.

The same exterior and interior presence permeated throughout Brunson.

When decisive moments mattered, he seized them. Or as that famous saying in the 1989 film Dead Poets Society starring the late-Robin Williams goes “Carpe diem”, meaning “seize the day”.

It is watching a light flick switch and suddenly Brunson has his stroke going no matter how poorly he’s shooting the ball. Think about the heavy defensive perimeter attention he received from Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell.

Still he found a slight crease to patiently use his footwork in isolation plays to get to the mid-range and to the rim. As evidenced in the final period of game one, scoring 13 of his 30 points, including eight straight points and the biggest shot - a tough fallaway jumper over Vassell.

Same story in game two where seven of his 20 points came in the final stanza, although only going 7 of 25 from the field. And a near carbon copy of his clutch game one shot - this time over Julian Champagnie to tie proceedings at 104 with 39.3 seconds remaining in regulation.

In game three, 12 of his 32 points in the final period, although New York lost 115-111.

His final two games were masterpieces: 36 points in a historic final comeback, playing all but 10 seconds of the fourth stanza where he hit a ridiculous three in isolation over Victor Wembanyama and put a stutter dribble on Castle driving past for a floater.

And in game five, 45 points where offence became a prized commodity and Brunson delivered shot after shot, using his patience to get to the rim and producing a high 11-foot floater for New York to re-take the lead (90-88) with 1:06 remaining.

His emotions were visible to see.

Not many words can describe what winning a championship feels like.

And Brunson’s finals numbers tell the story: 32.6 points, 38.9% from downtown on 7.2 attempts, 86% from the free throw line on 8.6 attempts and two steals.

No longer will negativity stem from whether Brunson can lead New York to a championship because that mission is done and dusted.

Does he have any more points to prove?

Highly unlikely.

What’s left is to showcase why is one of the league’s top point guards and clutch players.

Brunson is a Knick immortal through and through and no one can take this away.