New York Knicks captain Jalen Brunson received a public apology from longtime detractor Draymond Green after he led his team to a 107-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
“One game from now, I’m going to tell you now cuz I want to tell you their face, but then I’ll say it publicly after,” Green told Brunson on ESPN’s “Inside the NBA.”
“But I’m going to apologize in one game. So I’m going to say right now to your face, ‘I’m sorry.’ Then I’ll say when you go get your ring: ‘I apologize.”
In response, Brunson said, ” Appreciate that.”
What Draymond Said About Jalen Brunson
Over the past few years, Draymond Green has repeatedly questioned Jalen Brunson’s ability to be a 1A on a championship-winning team. Earlier this year, Green said the Knicks were missing a bona fide star to guide them to a title.
“I think the Knicks have pieces that can be great pieces to a championship roster — no question,” Green said on “The Draymond Green Show” podcast.
“But I still think the New York Knicks are missing that one piece that makes you a championship team. That’s Kevin Durant. That’s Steph Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James. Like, that is these, like, 1A. Like, they’re a 1A wherever they go. I think that’s what the Knicks are missing.”
After the Knicks reached the NBA Finals, Draymond doubled down on his earlier take, going as far as to question their credentials to win a championship.
“Just like Becky Hammond said. Prove me wrong,” Green said.
“Getting out of the East has never been a surefire way to win a championship. You get out of the East, you’re supposed to get out of the East. That just doesn’t mean you win a championship because you get out of the East.”
Will Becky Hammon Apologize?
Much like Green, Becky Hammon has repeatedly questioned Brunson’s ability to guide a team to an NBA title. A few years ago, she said of the Knicks, “If your best player is small, you’re not winning,” in reference to Brunson.
Hammon also doubled down on her theory after the Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East Finals to set up an NBA Finals clash with her Spurs.
“I speak from experience,” Hammon said of her earlier taken on Brunson.
“Allen Iverson got MVP, and he lost in the Finals. I think the two best teams are probably in the West, but I’m up for being proven wrong. That’s the other thing, I think Jalen Brunson’s a hell of a player. I’m speaking historically about the NBA with what I said. I don’t know why everybody’s so stuck on that.
“I said it two years ago. I stand by it.”
The Jalen Brunson apology tour is expected to continue, as the Knicks are just one win away from capturing their first NBA title since 1973.
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