Stephen A. Smith Claims Jalen Brunson’s Knicks Will Not Be Championship Favorites Next Season

The New York Knicks are just celebrating their first NBA championship in more than five decades, and many do not believe they can repeat.

Stephen A. Smith Claims Jalen Brunson’s Knicks Will Not Be Championship Favorites Next Season

Stephen A. Smith and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (Image via FirstSportz)

Whenever a new champion is crowned, they are generally considered favorites to defend their crown. That means the pressure is on Jalen Brunson and his New York Knicks to ensure that stays true.

It so happens that the NBA has not been following that trend over the past decade. Ever since the Cleveland Cavaliers-Golden State Warriors’ rivalry stopped, the league has not seen a dominant run by anyone.

Sure, teams are threatening to win every year, and are predicted to. But eight different champions in eight years is a sign that those predictions are not panning out.

That has led a certain analyst to label the NBA title as a ‘participation trophy.’ He did receive a lot of backlash for disrespecting the championship, but he had a point.

NBA teams do not have the luxury to repeat as champions, at least not in this Second Apron salary cap era. But there is a different reason why Stephen A. Smith believes the Knicks will not repeat next season.

New York shouldn’t be the favorites next season, even if they are the champions… The New York Knicks should be favorites to come out of the East… But we can’t put anything against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Stephen A. Smith said

The New York native was clear that his Knicks are the best team in the East. No matter how healthy the rest of the teams in the conference are, Jalen Brunson and his teammates are better.

But there is no denying that they do not stand a chance if they face a healthy Oklahoma City Thunder. Smith pointed out that the only reason the Knicks won this year is that they did not face the 2025 champions.

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Former champion agrees with Stephen A. Smith’s Knicks take

Stephen A. Smith might court some heat from his fellow New York natives for this take, especially since the dust has not settled on their first NBA championship in more than five decades. But he is not the only one who does not believe the champions will be the favorites next year.

I have to go with OKC. They were the best team in the league last year… Sometimes the best team doesn’t win, and it was the case this year… OKC will come back as the No. 1 team next year.

Markieff Morris said

Hearing this, First Take host Shae Cornette asked again if the 2020 champion felt that the best team did not win the title this year. Markieff Morris agreed, stating that the Thunder were far better than anyone else.

It was just that injuries curtailed both their charge in the regular season to upstage the 2016 Golden State Warriors’ win-loss record, and the postseason.

Had Jalen Williams been healthy in the playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs would not have made it to the NBA Finals, and neither would Jalen Brunson’s Knicks have a chance.

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Stephen A. Smith reveals Knicks fans were starved of championship

While the cast of First Take was talking about the Knicks on their show, the champions were in the streets of New York, celebrating with the fans. When Stephen A. Smith was asked what this felt like, he replied:

Fans line up in Manhattan for the Knicks championship parade
Fans line up in Manhattan for the Knicks championship parade (Image via Bleacher Report/X)

It just represents how starving we were for a championship… I waited my lifetime. We thought it would never happen… We never dreamed that we would ultimately feel this moment.

Stephen A. Smith said

The man has lived in the city since he was born, and knows how the disappointments of the last 53 years have frustrated fans. That is why he felt that it was fitting that hundreds of thousands lined up the streets to celebrate this moment.

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