Fresh off leading the New York Knicks to their first NBA championship since 1973, Finals MVP Jalen Brunson recounted one of the most talked about moments of the series against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
Host Whoopi Goldberg asked Brunson how he stayed calm after being pushed to the ground by Win Benyama in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
Brunson admitted he thought about responding, but knew doing so could hurt his team at a critical moment.
“Honestly, I think it starts with my parents and how they raised me,” Brunson said on ABC’s “The View.” “I’ll start here. I think [retaliate] But at the same time, I know that as a leader, knowing the moment, knowing the situation, you have to stay calm. Whenever it’s too high or too low, you have to stay even. This is something I’ve had for a long time. “
This game quickly became one of the biggest talking points of the finals. There were no fouls on the court and Wembanyama also avoided flagrant fouls. That’s significant because the Spurs superstar already racked up two flagrant foul points earlier in the playoffs in an incident involving Minnesota’s Naz Reid.
Brunson’s ability to stay calm was tested throughout the Championship Series, especially in Game 1 when he became visibly frustrated with the referees. Brunson had multiple no-calls during New York’s win and had several heated exchanges with veteran referee Scott Foster.
The Knicks star attributes much of his calmness to his father, Rick Brunson, an assistant coach under Tom Thibodeau. Father and son share an emotional moment after New York clinched the title in Game 5.
For Brunson, keeping his cool might have been one of the most important plays in the Finals and ultimately helped New York win the title.
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