{"id":1625,"date":"2026-05-26T08:05:37","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T08:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=1625"},"modified":"2026-05-26T08:05:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T08:05:37","slug":"jalen-brunson-leads-knicks-to-nba-finals-wins-larry-bird-trophy-as-eastern-conference-finals-mvp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=1625","title":{"rendered":"Jalen Brunson leads Knicks to NBA Finals, wins Larry Bird Trophy as Eastern Conference finals MVP"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, center, holds the Eastern Conference Championship trophy after Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo\/Sue Ogrocki)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

CLEVELAND \u2014 The New York Knicks made a commitment to Jalen Brunson four years ago, signing him as a free agent and building their team around him.<\/p>

Read more Peptides and banned swimsuits: Welcome to the doping Olympics<\/a><\/p>\n

Brunson proved they made the right decision by leading them to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.<\/p>\n

The All-Star point guard averaged 25.5 points and 7.8 assists during New York\u2019s sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals, earning the Larry Bird Trophy as the series MVP. He had 15 points and five assists Monday, when the Knicks crushed Cleveland 130-93<\/a> in Game 4.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an honor to be here in this city and this organization,\u201d Brunson said, sitting side-by-side with former Villanova University teammates Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t trade it for the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still writing our story, but I like the journey that we\u2019re on right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Skepticism abounded around the league when New York extended a four-year, $104 million contract<\/a> to the then-Dallas Mavericks guard in 2022. Brunson silenced many critics when he averaged 24.0 points in his first season, then added three straight All-Star selections.<\/p>\n

After helping the Knicks reach the East finals in 2025, when they lost to the upstart Indiana Pacers, Brunson was the best player in the series from start to finish against the Cavaliers. In Game 1<\/a> , his 38-point masterpiece fueled New York\u2019s comeback from a 22-point hole in the fourth quarter.<\/p>

Read more In series opener against Cleveland, Nationals show up in full force<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cHe just puts in the work. He\u2019s a testament of that,\u201d Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. \u201cHe believes in that, and he showcases that every single day to all of us and it drives us to be better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brunson\u2019s work ethic instantly impressed New York coach Mike Brown when he was hired last summer, then forced him to change his sleep habits during the season as the 29-year-old went all out in morning shootarounds. It prompted Brown to compare his determination to basketball legends Stephen Curry and Tim Duncan.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir quiet strength, all the time, is what they all have in common,\u201d Brown said. \u201cJalen\u2019s work ethic is off the chart and he makes me adjust because he goes so hard every day. When your leader is that way, it\u2019s easy to be a coach.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Knicks subsequently brought in Bridges and Hart via trades, and acquired Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves as the final piece of the puzzle. That core four is now just four wins away from delivering the franchise its first NBA title since 1973.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no player, no other guard I\u2019d want to be in this position with than J.B.,\u201d Bridges said.<\/p>

Read more Svechnikov scores in OT as Hurricanes beat Canadiens 3-2 in Game 3 of East final<\/a><\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP NBA: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nba<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The New York Knicks made a commitment to Jalen Brunson four years ago, signing him as a free agent and building their team around him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nJalen Brunson leads Knicks to NBA Finals, wins Larry Bird Trophy as Eastern Conference finals MVP - Moving Insider USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=1625\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jalen Brunson leads Knicks to NBA Finals, wins Larry Bird Trophy as Eastern Conference finals MVP - 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