Knicks forward OG Anunoby and teammates during the championship trophy ceremony on June 13
Knicks forward OG Anunoby and teammates during the championship trophy ceremony on June 13
I’d still give Jalen Brunson the Finals MVP trophy. I’d also want the Knicks to understand exactly what LeBron James appreciated about OG Anunoby, because the useful part of his argument has nothing to do with taking an award away.
On the October 13 episode of Mind the Game, James described Anunoby as his view of the team’s MVP in the Finals, praising his consistency, shooting and decisive defensive work. The conversation also included substantial praise of Brunson’s leadership. The full exchange with Steve Nash wasn’t an attempt to portray the Knicks captain as a passenger.
New York can take a basketball lesson from those comments: Anunoby should remain an active offensive participant while Brunson handles the difficult possessions that make him so valuable. Celebrating one contribution doesn’t require downgrading the other.
Knicks forward OG Anunoby celebrating with teammates after his winning tip-in in Finals Game 4
June 10, 2026: OG Anunoby celebrates with Knicks teammates after his winning tip-in in Finals Game 4. Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Knicks needed both versions of greatness
Anunoby scored 33 points on 10-for-15 shooting in Game 4, including seven makes in nine three-point attempts. His late block and winning tip-in became the lasting images of a remarkable comeback. Those moments deserve all the appreciation they receive.
Brunson had 36 points and seven assists in the same 107-106 win. Even the game most associated with Anunoby’s heroics required a huge offensive contribution from the point guard.
Then came the clincher. Brunson scored 45 of the Knicks’ 94 points in Game 5, a 47.9% share of their scoring. Anunoby finished with 11 points on 3-for-11 shooting. Brunson supplying that much offense in a four-point championship-clinching win is a convincing reason he received the award.
A bigger role doesn’t have to mean harder shots
My preference for this season would be to preserve the conditions that let Anunoby hurt a defense while it is occupied with Brunson. Keep him involved through movement, timely cuts and early passing decisions. Don’t let long stretches of standing in a corner turn a capable scorer into somebody who only gets a touch when the main action breaks down.
Giving him more involvement doesn’t mean replacing Brunson as the late-clock creator. Anunoby’s best Finals possessions don’t prove that adding a steady diet of difficult self-created attempts would help the offense. More involvement can mean better opportunities rather than a more complicated job.
There is a strong case for continuing to give Brunson the hardest late possessions. He has earned that trust. The alternative to diversifying the attack is to lean even more heavily on the player who repeatedly delivered when those Finals games tightened.
I’d avoid making that the default for an entire season. Two Finals games can’t tell us the ideal usage split, but they do show why the Knicks shouldn’t approach their best players as competing explanations for the same title. Anunoby’s defensive finish and Brunson’s shot creation solved different problems. Keeping both involved gives New York more ways to win when the next opponent takes one of them away.