The NBA season is getting ready to kick off on Tuesday, with the New York Knicks playing host to the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. Prior to the game, the Knicks will hoist a banner and receive their championship rings after winning the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs last summer.
Recently, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stopped by ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show and had high praise for Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, as well as Victor Wembanyama, his adversary in those Finals.
“It's hard not to start with Jalen Brunson,” said Silver when asked who he views as the face of the league, per NBA on ESPN on X, formerly Twitter. “… look at the team they played, the San Antonio Spurs. Victor Wembanyama. People keep saying he's still getting taller. I don't know if that's possible, but he's an incredible player.”
Indeed, Brunson and Wembanyama are certainly viewed by most as two of the premier faces of the NBA today, although there is no clear criteria that would distinguish someone as having that honor.
The fact that Brunson was able to secure a championship for the NBA's biggest market while winning NBA Finals MVP in the process certainly bodes well for his case to take that mantle, and he can continue to stake his claim with another strong performance this year.
Article Continues BelowThe Knicks are set to bring back most of the same core that won a championship last year, although they did suffer a big loss when Mitchell Robinson signed with the rival Boston Celtics in free agency.
In any case, the Knicks and 76ers are slated to kick things off on Tuesday at 7:00 pm ET.