The Knicks are back in the NBA Finals for the first time in nearly three decades, and legendary broadcaster Mike Breen believes one player changed everything. That player is Jalen Brunson.
Breen explained what separates Brunson from almost every star in the league and why New York fans have connected so deeply with this Knicks team, speaking with New York Post columnist Steve Serby.
“He has an iron will,” Breen said. “He’s not tall, he’s not fast, he’s not overly athletic. But he’s one of the mentally strongest players I’ve ever been around. They talk about Michael Jordan, they talk about Kobe Bryant … in terms of mental toughness, I’d put him up there with anybody. He has a great basketball mind, and he always figures it out. He just figures out what the defense is doing and how to beat them.”
The longtime MSG and ABC broadcaster believes Brunson has already cemented himself among the greatest Knicks ever, even before potentially delivering a championship.
“Absolutely,” Breen said when asked if Brunson belongs in the same conversation as Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing. “And even if he doesn’t win a championship, I think he’s already in the conversation and this is just his fourth year with the team.”
Breen said the biggest reason Knicks fans have fallen in love with this roster is the way the team genuinely plays for one another.
“How connected they are, and how well they play together, and how they’ve sacrificed, they’re unselfish,” Breen said. “They’re so happy for each other’s success.”
But despite New York’s incredible playoff run, Breen knows the Finals against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will present a massive challenge.
San Antonio enters the series after eliminating the defending champion Thunder and has quickly become one of the league’s most dangerous young teams.
Still, Breen believes this Knicks group is built for the moment after years of frustration across the franchise.
“The electricity in the city about them and the vibe in the city about ’em is crazy,” Breen said. “It’s incredible the joy that the Knicks fans have.”
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