New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson unanimously won the NBA Finals MVP award after the Knicks won the NBA Championship.
The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 on Saturday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to win the series 4-1 and give New York its first NBA title since 1973.
In the deciding game, Brunson scored 45 points to help lead the Knicks to victory, and after the game, it was revealed that Brunson had won the NBA Finals MVP award.
Jalen Brunson Named NBA Finals MVP
Brunson captured all 11 media votes to become the NBA Finals MVP.
While there was some talk that OG Anunoby might win the honor due to his heroics in Game 4 when he won the game with a tip-in with 1.2 seconds left, after Brunson scored 45 points in the clinching Game 5, the media really had no choice but to go with Brunson for the award.
Obviously, for Brunson, this is an incredible honor and puts the cherry on top of what has been another phenomenal season for the Knicks point guard.
Not only did he help lead the Knicks to their first NBA Championship in 53 years, but Brunson now also has some more hardware in his cabinet with the NBA Finals MVP award. It’s just truly amazing stuff from the Knicks’ team captain.
Jalen Brunson Was the Signing of the Century for the Knicks
In July 2022, the Dallas Mavericks let Brunson go to free agency, and he signed a four-year, $104 million deal with the Knicks that was thought to be an overpay at the time it was inked.
But Brunson’s contract has turned into an absolute steal for the Knicks, as he helped lead the team to its first championship in over half a century.
He is the Knicks’ leader both on and off the court, and he has become the face of the franchise. For that, his contract was a small price to pay for everything that he’s brought to the team.
Brunson’s second Knicks contract, which kicks in next season, is for four years and $156.5 million. This is another steal for the Knicks, as Brunson is probably worth double that amount of money — and he actually left money on the table when he re-signed with the Knicks, as he could have waited and gotten an even bigger contract.
But for Brusnon, winning an NBA Championship was the most important thing for him, and by leaving money on the table, it helped the Knicks acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets and fit him under their salary cap, plus it helped the team re-sign Anunoby after picking him up in a trade from the Toronto Raptors.
It’s another example of the selflessness that Brunson exemplifies, as he always puts the team first.
He is a truly incredible player, and if you thought he was loved before, just wait until now, as he helped deliver the Knicks their first championship since 1973.
By winning the chip and the NBA Finals MVP this year, Brunson will go down in the history books as an all-time Knicks great.
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