Becky Hammon’s controversial take on Jalen Brunson has been brought back to light following the guard’s superb display in the NBA Finals. The Aces coach had previously questioned the guard’s superstar status, believing his size didn’t allow him to lead a franchise.
Lakeshowyo shared a clip of Hammon’s damning 2023 take on X (formerly Twitter). In the clip, the Aces coach claimed the Knicks didn’t have an “1A” star before downplaying Brunson as a star because of his size.
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“They don’t have a dude, you got to have a 1A dude, and they are missing that,” Hammon said. “I have a philosophy. If your best player is small, you are not winning.”
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However, Brunson proved her wrong in the best manner on Saturday, clinching the NBA title while being crowned the Finals MVP. Following this display, fans quickly highlighted Hammon’s earlier take as Knicks supporters rained down on the former WNBA star, demanding an apology.
Knicks fans continued to fire back at Hammon in the comments as they celebrated their first NBA title since 1973.
While the clapback over Hammon’s remarks on Brunson was strong and swift, fans need to extend an olive branch as the comment was made in 2023, well before the Knicks built a roster around the guard.
The prediction, however, did age terribly with Brunson becoming one of the best guards in the NBA, and despite his smaller frame, he went toe-to-toe with arguably the best 7-footer in league history.
Additionally, the All-Star capped off the season with a strong performance in Game 5, dropping 45 points as the Knicks secured a 94-90 win.
Becky Hammon once doubled down on her earlier Jalen Brunson take
Becky Hammon has received huge criticism for her previous claims about Jalen Brunson. While Knicks fans have blasted her for her take on Brunson following their title win, the Aces head coach has not backed down from her stance, doubling down on her earlier claims on Tuesday.
“I speak from experience,” Hammon said. “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, a hell of a player. I’m speaking historically on 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.”
Hammon has since been proven wrong, and it remains to be seen if she will still stand by her earlier remarks, following Bruson’s Finals MVP win.
Edited by Arian Kashyap
