Former WNBA star and current Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon says she is not ready to back away from her belief that the New York Knicks cannot capture an NBA championship with Jalen Brunson as their primary scorer.
Speaking on 26 May 2026, Hammon repeated the position that first sparked debate earlier in the postseason, insisting Brunson is “an excellent player” but “not the No. 1 option on a title team.”
“I stand by what I said,” Hammon told the program. “Great point guard, great leader—just not the guy who can take you all the way by himself. I’m happy to be proven wrong.”
The comment reignited discussion among Knicks fans who watched Brunson average more than 28 points per game during New York’s 2025-26 campaign. Supporters point to his clutch performances and back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference semifinals as evidence that he can anchor a contender.
Hammon acknowledged Brunson’s growth since arriving from Dallas in 2022 but argued the franchise still needs a bona fide superstar wing or big to break through the East. “It’s not a knock on him,” she added. “It’s about roster construction at the very top level of the league.”
Brunson declined to weigh in when asked about Hammon’s remarks after practice at the team’s Tarrytown facility. “Opinions are part of the game,” he said. “We just keep working.”
The Knicks have not reached the NBA Finals since 1999 and last won a championship in 1973, a drought Hammon cited while calling for “one more elite piece” alongside Brunson.
New York owns multiple first-round picks in the next two drafts and significant cap flexibility entering the 2026 offseason.
Source: New York Post
