Becky Hammon Stands by Her Opinion on Jalen Brunson Despite ECF Finals MVP Win

A couple of years ago, WNBA and Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon stirred a hornet’s nest when she claimed that small players such as Jalen Brunson could not lead a team to a championship.

The Hall of Famer was speaking from experience. As a 5’6″ point guard, she, too, could not lead her New York Liberty or San Antonio Stars to a WNBA championship.

Despite her individual accomplishments, the greater glory always eluded her. That is what she tried to suggest when talking about the Knicks.

But that was that time, and now the New York-based franchise is in the NBA Finals. After blowing the Cleveland Cavaliers out in four games, many Knicks fans have taken shots at the WNBA legend for her past opinion.

I speak from experience. Allen Iverson got MVP, and he lost in the finals… 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. I said what I said. If he proves me wrong, he proves me wrong.

Becky Hammon told Darrell Harris

This was the 49-year-old sticking to her opinion with another example of Allen Iverson, that small guards do not end up leading a team to a championship.

Today I asked Becky Hammon what she’d like to say to Knicks fans, consider the hatchet buried.

Coach says there’s NO air to clear & she thinks Brunson is a “helluva” player. But make no mistake about who she’s pulling for this postseason.

🎥: @8NewsNow pic.twitter.com/YWEAPv8VdA

— Darrell Harris (@Dhoopster_) May 26, 2026

Becky Hammon reiterated that she knows from experience of both playing and coaching that a team needs to be led by other bigger players if they are to win titles. This means she does not expect Brunson to lead the Knicks to glory.

Becky Hammon not picking Jalen Brunson’s Knicks

The three-time WNBA championship-winning coach did add that if Jalen Brunson does end up leading the Knicks to a title, she would not feel bad to be proven wrong.

She essentially challenged the point guard to prove her wrong by winning the 2026 title. But at the same time, she was not picking him or his Knicks.

I do think the two best teams are in the West… You know who I’m cheering for.

Becky Hammon told reporters

With the first half of her answer, Hammon basically made it clear that she thought both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs were better teams than the New York Knicks.

Then, when a reporter asked her which team she was rooting for, the former Spurs assistant made it clear where her loyalties lay. Since her former team is still in the fight for an NBA Finals berth, Hammon might be hoping that Victor Wembanyama ensures her theory stays true.

Jalen Brunson and his Knicks will get more rest than West champions

Becky Hammon’s theory that smaller players struggle to lead their teams to win titles may be true, for now. She might also believe that the two teams still battling it out to be Western Conference champions are better than the New York Knicks.

But what she cannot ignore is that the longer her Spurs and the Thunder continue to battle in the Conference Finals, the advantage for Jalen Brunson and his teammates will keep rising.

The NBA Finals are set to start on June 3rd. With the Eastern Conference Finals done, they have more than a week’s rest before playing a game.

Hammon’s Spurs are currently trailing in the West Finals. That means, if they manage to win Game 6 at home, neither they nor the Thunder is getting rest until May 31st.

Three days compared to more than a week can give Brunson and his teammates enough time to recover their tired bodies, while also game planning against their future opponents. It might be the small player’s advantage after all.

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