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New York Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson made history during Sunday's 97-92 Game 4 first-round playoff road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Afterward, Brunson's sister, Erica Brunson, took a shot at one of his most notable skeptics, Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon.
Brunson set the Knicks' franchise playoff-scoring record with 47 points on 52.9% shooting. The first-time All-Star added 10 assists as he guided New York to a 3-1 series advantage heading back home for Tuesday's Game 5 clash.
Through four playoff contests, Brunson is averaging a team-best 33.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game. His strong first-round outing comes months after Hammon questioned his status as a true No. 1 option.
During a December appearance on ESPN's "NBA Today," Hammon highlighted how the Knicks' ceiling was limited with Jalen Brunson as their top player.
"You gotta have a dude, you gotta have a 1A dude, and they’re missing that at the end of the day if we’re just getting down to brass taxes," Hammon said.
She added that undersized players typically can't lead their teams to extensive playoff success.
"He's too small. If your best player is small, you're not winning," Hammon said.
After facing backlash from Knicks fans, Hammon defended her take on X/Twitter, naming examples of "1A" players, including Sixers superstar center Joel Embiid.
"I stand by my statement that I can’t put him in a LeBron [James], Steph [Curry], Embiid-type of 1A-tier player," Hammon said. "If your best player is the smallest player on the court, you probably won’t win a championship."
So, after the 6-foot-2 Brunson outplayed the 7-foot Embiid on Sunday, his sister took to Instagram to reference Hammon's infamous comments.
“Seems pretty 1A to me," Erica Brunson said.
Jalen Brunson and the Knicks still need to win one more game to eliminate the reigning MVP and the Sixers. Nonetheless, most would probably agree that the 27-year-old has looked the part of a bona fide No. 1 playoff option so far.
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Jalen Brunson was seemingly unfazed by Becky Hammon's criticism
As for Jalen Brunson's thoughts on Becky Hammon's critical comments about his ability to be a legitimate playoff superstar, he appeared unfazed.
During a December interview, Brunson noted that he had grown accustomed to people doubting him throughout his basketball career.
"I’ve heard things like that all my life, so it doesn’t really change anything," Brunson said.
Jalen Brunson has continuously proved his doubters wrong since being drafted No. 33 by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 NBA draft. When he signed his four-year, $104 million contract with New York in 2022, many considered it an overpay. Two years later, his deal is widely viewed as one of the league's best-value contracts.
It remains to be seen how far Brunson can guide the Knicks in this year's playoffs. However, if they knock off Philly, they should be in prime position to make their first conference finals appearance since 2000. A deep playoff run would likely cement Brunson's status as one of the greatest players in New York's modern franchise history.
