New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson has reached the NBA Finals, and they are three games away from being crowned champions. While some players celebrate prematurely, Brunson has remained focused on the task at hand.
On Wednesday, he led the Knicks to a 105-95 win in Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Brunson had 30 points, and 13 points came in the fourth quarter. Even if New York has a slight advantage, the NBA star doesn't want to get ahead of himself. He also doesn't want to be in any of the promotional videos with the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Malika Andrews Wanted to Know Why Jalen Brunson is Avoiding the NBA Trophy
Players get to use the Larry O'Brien Trophy in promotional materials whenever they get to the NBA Finals. However, Brunson has done the opposite and has tried his best to avoid it. ESPN's Malika Andrews asked the Knicks star why he doesn't want to be near the championship trophy on Thursday.
"No comment," is all that Brunson said about the question.
Andrews asked Brunson if he would comment on the topic if the Knicks are close to winning it. However, the NBA star had the same approach and refused to comment on it. After the win in Game 1, the star guard credited the team's mentality of being focused on what they should do to overcome the youthful Spurs squad.
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When he mentioned his composure under pressure during his postgame news conference, he brought up the Knicks' mindset. He took over for New York in the final period, which gave them the momentum and advantage to win the game.
“I don’t want to say calmness, but I think we know what we have to do. I think we are a pretty together group. Be able to trust each other… It’s just a credit to the mentality that we have as a team,” Brunson said.
“I think most importantly, knowing we’re on the road, and knowing my teammates have my back, I think that’s the biggest thing in an environment like this.”
Ahead of Game 1, Brunson told the media that the team had ignored the outside noise. He added that the team has been focused on staying consistent with their mentality of not being satisfied with just reaching the Finals.
“Our mentality is the right place at the right time. We just have to stay focused and keep learning. We can’t be satisfied just because we’re here; we have to continue to keep learning,” Brunson said.
The ultimate goal remains the same for the Knicks, and that is to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
