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Two NBA legends’ leadership reminds Mike Brown of Knicks star Jalen Brunson
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- Two NBA legends’ leadership reminds Mike Brown of Knicks star Jalen Brunson
Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images
Mike Brown believes New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson carries the kind of leadership that helps explain why the Knicks have reached the NBA Finals.
This is the real weight behind Brown's comparison. It is not just praise for a point guard having another strong season.
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It is a championship coach identifying the trait that has allowed the New York Knicks to become more than a dangerous playoff team.
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Mike Brown compares Jalen Brunson to Steph Curry and Tim Duncan
In a recent SNY Knicks clip , Mike Brown explained why Jalen Brunson's leadership reminded him of two very different NBA legends.
"Tim Duncan and Steph Curry. They're not the same player, but the aura that those guys have, the quiet strength that they have, is unbelievable," Brown said.
That comment cuts to the heart of New York's Finals run. Brown is not comparing Brunson's game to Tim Duncan's interior dominance or Stephen Curry's shooting gravity.
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He is comparing the presence. That matters because every NBA Finals team needs a star who can settle the room when pressure rises. Jalen Brunson has become that figure for the New York Knicks. His scoring gets the attention, but his calm has become the team's identity.
That is why the Tim Duncan and Stephen Curry references work. Duncan led the San Antonio Spurs with quiet authority, while Curry shaped the Golden State Warriors without making leadership loud.
Brown has seen both forms up close. When he sees part of that in Brunson, it says plenty about why this New York Knicks team has lasted into June.
Jalen Brunson gives the New York Knicks their NBA Finals belief
The New York Knicks did not reach the NBA Finals simply because Jalen Brunson produced like a star. They reached this stage because his leadership made everything around him feel sturdier.
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Brown's background gives the comparison real authority. He was a San Antonio Spurs assistant from 2000 to 2003, including the 2003 championship season with Tim Duncan.
He later worked on the Golden State Warriors staff from 2016 to 2022, a run that included three championships with Stephen Curry. Those teams were built around elite talent, but also around trust in the right voice.
Brunson averaged 26.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds during the 2025-26 regular season, while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from three.
But the Finals run has made the bigger point. Brunson gives the Knicks a steady center, and that separates a talented team from a serious contender.
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Brown's comparison should land as more than a compliment. It explains how Jalen Brunson helped turn the New York Knicks into a team capable of reaching the NBA Finals.
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