Jalen Brunson capped off his impressive run in the NBA Cup by being named the MVP after leading the New York Knicks past the San Antonio Spurs, 124-113, to win the title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Brunson finished with a game-high 25 points on top of four rebounds, eight assists, and one block. He joined Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo as winners of the NBA Cup MVP.
The crafty guard is having another strong campaign for the Knicks, who are second in the Eastern Conference with an 18-7 record.
New York coach Mike Brown made a strong plea to reporters after Brunson claimed his latest hardware.
“I hope on this stage, you guys, when you start talking about MVP candidates, his name is one of the first to come out of your mouth. Because on this stage, to go get it done while winning is what, in my opinion, what the MVP is about,” said Brown.
“So you guys do your job.”
Article Continues Below
As part of his opening statement, Mike Brown addressed the media after Jalen Brunson won NBA Cup MVP:
"When you start talking about MVP candidates, his name is one of the first to come out your mouth. Because on this stage to go get it done while winning. You guys do your job" pic.twitter.com/aTRbF58Ayl
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 17, 2025
While the Knicks have other dependable weapons in Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart, the 29-year-old Brunson is the engine that keeps the team running.
Since joining the Knicks in 2022, Brunson, despite being undersized, has grown into one of the league's top players, earning back-to-back nods to the All-NBA Second Team in 2024 and 2025.
With Brown empowering the lefty playmaker even more, expect him to lift the Knicks to greater heights as the season progresses.
The Knicks will enjoy the NBA Cup trophy for a day before going back to work against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday.