NBA FINALS: KNICKS VS. SPURS

June 4, 2026

Jalen Brunson

New York Knicks

Practice Day

Q. You took more shots last night than you had at any point in the postseason. At what point did you realize you were going to have that kind of offensive freedom, and what did you see from the defense the way they were covering you?

JALEN BRUNSON: Saw a lot of different things. I thought I shot some shots that I normally make. Had a couple bad ones, as well.

It's all about how you move forward, all about how you kind of respond in a positive way. No matter what's going on, just trying to stay positive, still trying to find a way to win.

Q. You haven't always been the best player on the teams that you've been on. I'm sure you can have a perspective on being in different roles. This season with the emphasis on developing the bench, how did you as a leader approach the interaction or the melding to make sure that everybody sort of stayed engaged and involved with the new dynamic?

JALEN BRUNSON: Yeah, obviously just talking, constantly talking. Also trying to lead by example, as well.

I can't really take a lot of credit for that because we have a lot of guys on this team who actually are gym rats. They get in the gym, they do the work. Even off days aren't off days for them. Everyone finds a way to continue to get better throughout the season.

Just knowing when their number's going to be called, they're going to be ready. That's a credit to the character of the guys on this team. No matter what, they're going to be ready to go.

Q. What personal lesson do you take from your first Finals game?

JALEN BRUNSON: I think being able to control what I can control. Like I said, you never really know what's going to happen throughout a game. It's all about how can you be better the next possession, how can you find a way to make an impact when things aren't going well. Controlling what you can control I think is a big thing.

Q. The defense that KAT has been playing the entire Playoffs, did you always think he was capable of playing defense like this? Have you seen him take it to a different level these last couple months?

JALEN BRUNSON: I think both. Definitely he's capable. Throughout this run, obviously he's been playing great. It's crazy to say, but we could all be better.

I think KAT playing defense, knowing that we have his back, no matter what happens when he's on the ball or off the ball, to be able to cover for each other, even when mistakes happen, it's all about not pointing fingers, it's all about coming together and figuring out what we got to do better the next possession.

I think the chemistry we have is still continuing to grow. It allows us to play better.

Q. With Coach Brown, with the nature of the way he was hired, the Thibs move was a shocker to a lot of people, Mike comes in, seemed like in the opening months there had to be a lot of trust built up. You go from that to what we've seen the past three weeks. How would you explain the growth of that relationship?

JALEN BRUNSON: Yeah, I think like all things, things take time. I think most importantly, though, we knew that we just had to get better every single day, every single day. In the world we live in now, everyone wants things instantly. So from our perspective, it's all about just getting better every single day, keep chipping away, keep chipping away, being 1% better.

When you take steps back, how can you improve? It's always about how can you improve, how can you improve. Having that mentality and focus and approach I think allows us to still be students of the game and still find ways to learn, even through wins, and I think we need to continue to do that.

Q. Bunch of plays yesterday where they were running that horns set, and you have to tag Wemby really high up when he’s rolling to the hoop. What’s the art of tagging a guy when there’s that big of a height difference?

JALEN BRUNSON: Just trying to be strong. Just trying to get my teammate a chance to get back. We're just trying to find ways to help each other out.

Like I said before, we have each other's back. When things don't go well, we hold each other accountable and find a way to do it better next time.

Q. When shots come and go for a team, how much does Josh's energy kind of be the constant for you guys? To see him yesterday with the guy a foot taller than him, he comes up with 15 rebounds, does it ever surprise you?

JALEN BRUNSON: It doesn't surprise me. I learned that that's just who he is. I mean, he was our leading rebounder in college for I think my final two years, whatever, something like that. Or his final two years. That's just who he is.

Yeah, his energy is just relentless, it doesn't stop. I mean, he eats candy all the time. That tells you who he is. He's a big kid with an absurd amount of energy.

Q. When you're on the road in the Playoffs and you're on the free throw line, you hear Knicks fans chanting 'MVP' and you're getting a consistent amount of support on the road from those fans, does that have a tangible effect on your energy? If so, how?

JALEN BRUNSON: It's very appreciative. It's something that you don't really think about in the moment. Like I said before, our fans, they're amazing. My family and I, we felt the love since day one. They've been nothing but supportive. I truly would not take them for granted.

Q. I know you're focused on tomorrow, but you know New York is going crazy for everything that you guys do. Ticket prices have been ridiculous. Last night after you guys won, they went crazy higher. There was a report that in the last row of the Garden, there are seats on sale for $7,500. What show would you pay that amount of money to go see?

JALEN BRUNSON: That’s a good question. A live Michael Jackson performance. That's a good one. That's a good one.