Jalen Brunson 's championship run has turned one loud Kendrick Perkins statement into the new reality around Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks did not just win their first title since 1973.
They did it with Brunson as Finals MVP, closing the argument over who defines this modern era of New York basketball.
Perkins, an NBA champion with Boston in 2008, put Brunson's status in the city in the strongest possible terms after the Knicks finished the Spurs in five games.
"This man has become the greatest Knick of all time. He will never spend another dime on another meal, another drink. I don't know if he's even gonna have to pay his mortgage in the city of New York. This is Mr. New York. He is the new Derek Jeter of this generation. All-time great run."
That praise is huge, but it no longer feels reckless. Brunson delivered 45 points in the 94-90 Game 5 clincher at San Antonio , won Finals MVP, and became the face of the team that ended a 53-year wait.
His Knicks rise has been steady and loud. He averaged 24.0 points and 6.2 assists in 2022-23, jumped to 28.7 and 6.7 in 2023-24, posted 26.0 and 7.3 in 2024-25, then stayed around 26.0 points and 6.8 assists in the 2025-26 regular season.
The title run gave the numbers their weight. Brunson averaged 26.3 points and 6.2 assists against Atlanta in the first round, then 29.0 points and 6.0 assists against Philadelphia in the conference semifinals.
Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images
He took the Larry Bird Trophy in the East finals after averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists in a sweep of Cleveland . Then he climbed again in the Finals, averaging 32.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists against San Antonio.
The closeout made him permanent. His 45 points set a Knicks Finals single-game record and tied the NBA record for a road player in a series-clinching win.
Patrick Ewing still owns the longevity argument. Willis Reed and Walt Frazier still own the original championship mythology.
Brunson now owns the modern crown. He arrived from Dallas as a questioned $104 million signing, became New York's engine, and delivered what generations of Knicks stars could not. That is why Perkins' Derek Jeter comparison lands: Brunson is no longer just the best current Knick, he is the player this era will belong to forever.
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