Stephen A Smith is the latest to hop on the Jalen Brunson train. The New York Knicks point guard has had plenty of praise from people across the league, and former players.
Recently, Jay Williams said that Brunson could be the greatest Knicks player ever. Smith thinks there is something the former Villanova guard needs to do first before becoming the greatest.
"If Jalen Brunson propels New York to the championship, he's a top 3 Knick of all-time. … [he] has arrived in New York and has just taken over. The brother is special. He's already one of the all-time great Knicks."
—Stephen A. Smith
(via @FirstTake)pic.twitter.com/nDvnsg8cRr
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 16, 2025
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“If Jalen Brunson propels New York to the championship, he's a top 3 Knick of all-time. … [he] has arrived in New York and has just taken over,” Smith said on First Take. “The brother is special. He's already one of the all-time great Knicks.”
It's not only his skills on the court. It's the selflessness he's shown. In the offseason, Brunson took a $113 million pay cut for his contract extension. His purpose? Bringing more stars to the Big Apple.
Safe to say that New York was able to land those pieces. They traded for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns before the season began.
The chemistry with all those players has been off the charts. Still, everyone knows that this is Brunson's team. His grit, scoring, playmaking, and sheer will epitomizes who the Knicks are.
Why does Stephen A Smith think Jalen Brunson could be a Knicks great?
For quite some time, the Knicks have been a laughing stock. Despite players like Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis coming into the fold, they never had sustained succeed.
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When Brunson came to New York, he was immediately given the keys to the franchise. Coming from the Dallas Mavericks, he had the chance to be the No. 1 option, and capitalized.
That work ethic, the underdog story, and other things lifted the city up. Most notably, he helped New York reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2024.
Had it not have been for a hand injury, the Knicks might've been to the Eastern Conference Finals. Either way, the reloaded and acquired more star power around the point guard.
Since then, the secured the third seed in the East, and are up, three games to two against the Boston Celtics. The hype surrounding the city is as much as it has ever been.
This might be the time to capitalize for Brunson and the Knicks. His legacy is already enshrined, despite being there for only three seasons. Now, this could be the chance to stamp his seal of being the best player in franchise history.
No matter what, the city has embraced him, and will continually support him.