NBA FINALS: KNICKS VS. SPURS

June 13, 2026

Mike Brown

New York Knicks

Game 5: Postgame

New York Knicks 94, San Antonio Spurs 90

MIKE BROWN: First of all, just heck of a win. To have the fans that we have in New York City, and be able to bring home a championship after all these years is absolutely amazing. It's a surreal feeling. I mean, I don't know how long it's been since that final buzzer went off but I still don't believe it. I'm pinching myself. I'm telling myself to try to be present, all the stuff that I tell these guys every single day I'm trying do to do because -- I can't believe it.

I'm happy for Mr. Dolan, Leon Rose, Chris Jent -- by the way, there are a lot of jobs open out there. Chris Jent, my associate head coach, I am surprised he has not gotten an interview. He won the Summer League championship this past summer. He's our offensive coordinator and associate head coach. He's been around for a long time. You guys, somebody needs to give him an interview, because he will help your team win at the highest level.

But Chris Jent, Rick Brunson, Brendan O'Connor, Darren Erman, T.J. Saint, Ricky Fois, I could go on and on with my staff, they carried me all year.

And then our players. Our players are great. You can see it now, these guys are fantastic. I love them all. They have been ready from day one and not just our top five, but one through 18 have been ready from day one, you guys saw it. We called on different guys at different times, and every time we called on somebody, they stepped up.

So I love my players, love the organization, but more importantly, let's go New York. Let's go New York. We can't wait to get back home.

Q. You've seen it all year but Jalen, when you guys were struggling offensively early, just looked like he decided he was going to take you on the shoulders, a performance like that under this spotlight and coming from behind again.

MIKE BROWN: I've said it, and I hope, I hope you guys will listen to me but he's a Top 3 MVP candidate. You know, everybody kind of mentions his name in passing. They don't do it seriously enough. You know, people say he's too small. People say he's a 1B or a 2B or whatever.

He is a freaking 1A. He is an MVP candidate.

And I hope tonight you guys -- and I'm talking to the media more than the fans, but I hope you guys recognize what this man is about because he is A1 MVP. He is him.

ARIEL HUKPORTI: He is him. He is him.

MIKE BROWN: He is him.

ARIEL HUKPORTI: He is.

MIKE BROWN: Say "he is him" -- no? This is my grandson, Iverson.

Q. You've been around some players who have transformed franchises and since he's gone to New York, it's only been an upward trajectory. What about those kind of players that can help change a culture within an organization?

MIKE BROWN: I've got to give his mom credit, and I hate to say this but I'm going to give his dad credit, too, his entire family. You know, he understands what winning is about. You know, he comes and he probably takes a pay cut that I wouldn't have taken. Every time they would've thrown that number in front of me, I would have said no, and I feel like I'm a good guy. He set the bar before he even stepped on the floor. Every time it came to renegotiate a deal with him.

That set the standard.

Now when you take his play into account, it's off the charts, man. He's -- I love Pat. Pat's up there. I hope Pat doesn't kill me. He's bigger than me. We're both old and slow but because he's a longer reach, he might be able to kill me but Brunson he is him man when it comes to New York basketball, he is freaking him.

ARIEL HUKPORTI: He is.

Q. Right as that buzzer goes off, everyone is jumping around and you looked like you were wandering around sort of emotionless. But walk us through what you were processing in that moment and what you were feeling.

MIKE BROWN: I couldn't believe it, that was the first thing. It was surreal. I couldn't believe that it was happening.

And I am so tired. I mean, I'm gassed. And you know, just this stuff is harder than what you think, and you know, you have to have great assistants. You have to have great players, but I was gassed. I'll never forget, in 2003, as an assistant here, and when we won the Championship, I'll never forget. I was on the other bench, when the buzzer went off, I was sitting on my chair. All did I was lean back in my chair and I sat there, I felt like, for 10 minutes. It was probably 30 seconds but I just wanted to breathe. I wanted to breathe.

And that's what I wanted to do today. It was surreal. I was tired, and then I went to find my family. I went to find Ro, my grandson, my son Elijah, my step-kid, my mom, my sisters, I went to find my family and enjoy it with them.

Q. Congratulations on NBA Championship. With three chances to win one game, some teams might have said, hey, we're down 16 --

MIKE BROWN: Mitch! What's up? There you go.

Q. With three shots to win one game, some teams might have been down 16 and said, hey, we have two more shots to do this, let's just maybe pack it up and try to win back home. You guys have come back from down so many times this season, was there any doubt in your mind you would be able to do it in these circumstances and at what point did you know you guys were going to do it today?

MIKE BROWN: You never know but like I said, I'm human and sometimes you get carried away with the outcome. I just kept telling myself, be present, be present, stay present, stay present. Try to help these guys the next play, try to help these guys the next play. When you do that, when you can stay in the moment, you're going to give yourself a chance, especially with this group. This group is really, really resilient, and they have shown it time after time after time.

So it doesn't matter what we're down. You have guys like these around me, we are going to give ourselves a chance.

ARIEL HUKPORTI: Mitch, you got any questions?

MITCHELL ROBINSON: I don't got any questions.

ARIEL HUKPORTI: You can name yourself champion, my brother.

MIKE BROWN: I'm going to call myself champion, for sure.