Knicks’ Jalen Brunson drops stone-cold response to Stephen A. Smith’s apology

Jalen Brunson was blunt with his response towards Stephen A. Smith’s apology following the New York Knicks’ championship win in the 2026 NBA Finals.

Brunson completed his eighth season in the NBA, his fourth with the Knicks. He brought the franchise back to serious playoff contention, getting them to the second round in his first two years before gifting them their first East Finals berth since 2000 in 2025.

Year 4 finally saw him get the Knicks to the mountaintop, leading them to their first championship since 1973 after taking down the San Antonion Spurs in five games. Brunson won Finals MVP for his efforts, cementing himself as one of the greatest players in franchise history.

Brunson appeared as a special guest on ESPN’s First Take show with Smith, who is a longtime Knicks fan. The sports personality gave an apology to the star guard for his past criticisms, thanking him for getting the city back to the throne.

“I owe this man an apology. I am grateful for what you’ve done for this city… you won’t be hearing any doubts from me anymore my brother,” Smith said.

“We’ll see about that,” Brunson replied.

"We'll see about that!" @jalenbrunson1 responds to @stephenasmith's apology for doubting him pic.twitter.com/eT3R3mMNIc

— First Take (@FirstTake) June 15, 2026

What lies ahead for Jalen Brunson, Knicks this summer

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks will look forward to what Stephen A. Smith says about them moving forward. For the moment, the latter will be proud of his favorite team finally winning the title.

Brunson completed his eighth year in the league with 26 points, 6.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game throughout 74 contests. He had shooting splits of 46.7% from the field, including 36.9% from beyond the arc, and 84.1% from the free-throw line.

New York finished with a 53-29 record on the season, securing the third seed in the East standings. They went 16-3 in the playoffs, rolling off 13 straight wins to get to their first NBA Finals since 1999. After beating the Spurs, they end a 53-year drought as they earn their third-ever title.

The Knicks enter the offseason with plenty of security. They retain their star core but will address some holes in the second unit, which they will do in the draft and free agency.

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