Fresh off leading the New York Knicks to their first NBA championship since 1973, Finals MVP Jalen Brunson is opening up about one of the most talked-about moments of the series against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
Brunson was asked by host Whoopi Goldberg how he managed to keep his composure after being shoved to the floor by Wembanyama during Game Three of the NBA Finals.
Brunson admitted the thought of responding crossed his mind, but he knew doing so could have hurt his team in a crucial moment.
“I think it starts, honestly, with my parents, how they raised me,” Brunson said appearing on ABC’s The View. “I’ll start there. I wanted to [retaliate] but at the same time, I knew that being a leader, understanding the moment, understanding the situation, you have to keep your composure. No matter when it’s being too high or being too low, you gotta stay even-keeled. That’s something I had for a long time.”
The play quickly became one of the biggest talking points of the Finals. No foul was called on the court, and Wembanyama avoided receiving a flagrant foul.
That was significant given the Spurs superstar had already accumulated two flagrant foul points earlier in the postseason following an incident involving Minnesota’s Naz Reid.
Brunson’s ability to stay calm was tested throughout the championship series, particularly in Game 1 when he was visibly frustrated with officiating. Brunson had multiple heated exchanges with veteran referee Scott Foster after several no-calls during New York’s victory.
The Knicks star credited much of his composure to his father, Rick Brunson, who serves as an assistant coach on Tom Thibodeau’s staff. The father-son duo shared an emotional moment after New York secured the title in Game 5.
For Brunson, keeping his cool may have been one of the biggest plays of the Finals, and ultimately helped deliver a championship back to New York.