Jalen Brunson's comebacks in the historic Knicks parade: "They don't deserve anything"

Jalen Brunson waited until the most special moment to respond to those who doubted him. Throughout the New York Knicks' historic journey to their first NBA championship in 53 years, the point guard avoided getting into controversies and preferred to focus all his attention on one goal: bringing the title back to the city of New York.

However, during the massive celebration held on Thursday at New York City Hall, in front of over a million fans, the Finals MVP left a message for his detractors.

"There are a lot of people with negative things to say. Many have opinions. But when you prove them wrong, you really don't have to say anything to them. They don't deserve it," Brunson stated.

The Knicks' point guard has followed an unconventional path to becoming one of the league's top stars. That trajectory led to many questioning for years whether he could lead a championship team.

Among the most prominent critics was Becky Hammon, former WNBA player and Las Vegas Aces coach, who in December 2023 stated that Brunson was not a top-tier player to aim for the championship and that New York couldn't win the title with a point guard who was only 1.88 meters tall as their main reference.

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"If your best player is small, you won't win," Hammon said back then.

His teammate Mikal Bridges revealed this week in an Instagram live that those statements served as a significant source of motivation for Brunson.

With a big smile during the champions' parade through Manhattan's famous "Canyon of Heroes," Brunson savored the most important moment of his career.

"New York, we truly did it. Somehow, I knew we'd find a way to achieve it," he pointed out.

The celebration culminated at City Hall, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani handed the city keys to players, coaches, owners, and organization members. Wearing a Knicks jersey under his jacket, the mayor recalled the decades of New York fans' waiting.

The parade was accompanied by a rain of blue and orange confetti and constant chants of "Let's go Knicks!". One of the most exuberant figures was OG Anunoby, the hero of the fourth Finals game thanks to his decisive basket with 1.2 seconds left. The small forward briefly left his float to approach the fans holding the NBA Cup trophy in one hand and a bottle of tequila in the other.

Another highlight was the presence of director Spike Lee, possibly the most famous Knicks fan, who shared a float with Brunson.

"I've never been to a parade, never, and I'm glad it's this one," he said.

The MVP's family also experienced an unforgettable day. His mother, Sandra Brunson, wore a shirt with images of Jalen and her husband Rick Brunson, former Knicks player and current member of the coaching staff.

"It was all worth it," she said emotionally.

Karl-Anthony Towns celebrated the title by lifting the Eastern Conference champion trophy and a cigar from the top of one of the parade buses. On another float, Carmelo Anthony also joined the festivities.

"The whole city won. New Yorkers are completely ecstatic right now," the franchise legend stated.

Over a Million Fans Take Manhattan

The route began at Bowling Green and ended at City Hall. From the early hours of the morning, thousands of fans crowded the subway to head to the southern tip of Manhattan. Many occupied traffic lights, cleaning trucks, and even the shoulders of other fans to get a better view of the parade.

Shareefa Wallace, a 34-year-old fan from Long Island, woke up at 3 a.m. to attend the event.

"I had to be here today," she said while wearing a Patrick Ewing shirt.

Franchise owner James Dolan thanked fans for over half a century of patience, while coach Mike Brown dedicated special words to them.

"Let's keep this energy because this championship is for you," he stated.

The celebration also featured numerous personalities like Timothee Chalamet, Jon Stewart, Ben Stiller, Mariska Hargitay, Alicia Keys, and the iconic commentator Mike Breen.

A Historic Parade for New York

The parade itself represented a historic event. Although the Knicks won titles in 1970 and 1973, the city never organized a championship parade for the team back then.

This time, New York fully embraced it. Authorities deployed 10,000 officers to ensure the event's security, bringing together over a million people in the streets.

The day saw only minor incidents, with ten arrests and several medical assists mainly related to heat and minor injuries.

However, for Brunson and the Knicks, nothing could overshadow a celebration that concluded over five decades of waiting and confirmed the point guard as the undisputed leader of a team that brought glory back to New York.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los zascas de Jalen Brunson en la histórica "parade" de los Knicks: "No merecen nada"