The New York Knicks won the NBA championship. But that doesn’t mean Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon is apologizing for comments she made about New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.
In 2023, during an “NBA Today” discussion on ESPN about the Knicks, Hammon shared a hot take about Brunson’s ceiling. Hammon said New York didn’t have “a dude” or true No. 1 superstar to win a championship. Analyst Kendrick Perkins pushed back, saying the Knicks had Brunson, but Hammon didn’t agree.
The Aces coach argued the 6-foot-2 guard was “too small,” citing John Stockton, Steve Nash and Allen Iverson. Hammon mentioned Stephen Curry as the lone exception to the rule.
“Jalen, all he did was prove history wrong, he proves he’s an outlier,” Hammon said, when asked about the comments by reporters from New York in for the Liberty game on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET, USA Network). “So you can put his name next to Steph Curry and Isiah Thomas, and I thought he played brilliantly, especially down the stretch.
“I mean, he was that 1A dude. But apologize, I’m never gonna apologize for having an opinion. That’s what ESPN pays me for.”
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Stars show their New York pride at Knicks parade – Photos
Celebrities are celebrating the Knicks 2026 NBA Championship title in New York City Thursday. See their Knicks pride and more in photos.
Longtime Knicks fan Spike Lee attends the New York Knicks Championship ticker tape parade and victory rally on June 18, 2026, in New York City, celebrating the team winning the 2026 NBA Finals. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win their first NBA Championship in 53 years.
(DAVID DEE DELGADO, AFP via Getty Images)
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Stars show their New York pride at Knicks parade – Photos
Celebrities are celebrating the Knicks 2026 NBA Championship title in New York City Thursday. See their Knicks pride and more in photos.
Longtime Knicks fan Spike Lee attends the New York Knicks Championship ticker tape parade and victory rally on June 18, 2026, in New York City, celebrating the team winning the 2026 NBA Finals. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win their first NBA Championship in 53 years.
(DAVID DEE DELGADO, AFP via Getty Images)
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Stars show their New York pride at Knicks parade – Photos
Timothée Chalamet gets on the microphone at the parade.
(Angelina Katsanis, Getty Images)
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Stars show their New York pride at Knicks parade – Photos
Jordyn Woods celebrates with her fiancé Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks on a float.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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Stars show their New York pride at Knicks parade – Photos
Fat Joe, left, and Fabolous, right, react during the New York Knicks Championship ticker tape parade.
(Michael Heiman, Getty Images)
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Stars show their New York pride at Knicks parade – Photos
Fat Joe, left, reacts during the parade.
(Michael Heiman, Getty Images)
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Stars show their New York pride at Knicks parade – Photos
(Angelina Katsanis, Getty Images)
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Stars show their New York pride at Knicks parade – Photos
Jordyn Woods and Karl-Anthony Towns
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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Stars show their New York pride at Knicks parade – Photos
(Angelina Katsanis, Getty Images)
After making the statement in 2023, Hammon clarified the remarks on social media. She said she loved Brunson’s game but it’s hard to win a championship “if your best player is the smallest player on the court.”
And to her point, just four players 6-foot-2 or shorter have won Finals MVP since it was introduced in 1969: Brunson, Curry, Thomas and San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker. Hammon coached in the NBA for the Spurs from 2014-2021 before leaving to become head coach of the Aces. USA TODAY reporter Meghan L. Hall contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Becky Hammon won’t apologize for Jalen Brunson comments after Knicks title
