Jalen Brunson Channels His Inner Kobe Bryant Before Game 3

Jalen Brunson and his New York Knicks can seal their first championship in 53 years in the next two games at Madison Square Garden.

Jalen Brunson Channels His Inner Kobe Bryant Before Game 3

Jalen Brunson and Kobe Bryant (Image via FirstSportz)

Heading into Game 3, Jalen Brunson and his New York Knicks will have momentum and the cheers from the packed Madison Square Garden behind them.

Usually, those two factors alone are enough to give any team the confidence it needs. When adding the fact that the Knicks have not won a championship in more than five decades, it is all the more motivation.

The team has figured out how to defeat the San Antonio Spurs, something even the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder could not figure out in this past regular season and the playoffs.

On top of that, no team in history has come back to win the NBA Finals after losing its first two home games. All of these factors should assure the Knicks that they are about to script history. But Jalen Brunson is not ready to celebrate.

Not until it’s over.

Jalen Brunson replied

This was the superstar point guard’s response when asked whether he was aware of Knicks fans celebrating in the streets of New York, and whether his team had sensed that victory was close.

This was the Villanova alum channeling his ‘inner’ Kobe Bryant. The late Lakers great said one of his most memorable quotes 17 years ago after going up 2-0 in the NBA Finals.

Sure, Brunson did not echo the same words as Victor Wembanyama did a few days ago, but his cold response was similar to the Mamba. He knows victory is in sight, but will not break a smile unless he has the Larry O’Brien trophy in his hands.

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From his answer and demeanor, it is evident that Jalen Brunson wants to see through the task of winning the NBA championship before he wants to talk about it.

Jalen Brunson has led his Knicks to a 2-0 lead
Jalen Brunson has led his Knicks to a 2-0 lead (Image via Ahmed Big Business/X)

When reporters asked him what it meant for the passionate New Yorkers having to enjoy a Finals game for the first time in nearly three decades, he kept it a buck.

It’s really cool… 27 years since the last Finals game in this building, our fanbase is really excited – as they should be. But as a team, us inside the locker room, we have more work to do.

Jalen Brunson replied

He did shout out to those fans who have supported the Knicks through thick and thin over the past several decades. But at the same time, he did not want to talk about it much, as he believes his team has work to do before he can give fans what they have been waiting for.

The 29-year-old has a point. He and his teammates almost lost Game 2 if not for a Victor Wembanyama turnover and a late miss. That came about because the Knicks gave up a 14-point lead. Brunson wants to ensure that the situation does not repeat at Madison Square Garden.

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Jalen Brunson has one word response to his draft slide

If Jalen Brunson and his Knicks continue the league’s tradition of winning the championship after winning the first two road games of the Finals, his legacy will be one of the biggest stories that will be told in the future.

After all, he was a second-round pick. When asked what he thought scouts and executives did not see in him before the 2018 draft, he replied:

Everything.

He finally smiled as he said this. But journalists inside the media room knew how sarcastic it was. After all, his reaching the NBA Finals as the leader of the New York Knicks has been a slap in the face of several executives.

No one thought highly enough of him, even though the three-time All-Star led his Villanova Wildcats to two NCAA Championships. Now, he is about to deliver an NBA title, and those executives are the ones looking foolish.

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