Hall of Famer Becky Hammon uses her “small basketball player” stature to defend Jalen Brunson take: “This game favors the tall”

New York Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson and Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon

Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon recently made headlines for throwing shade at New York Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson. However, on Thursday, the Hall of Famer clarified her comments.

During a recent appearance on ESPN’s “NBA Today,” Hammon spoke about the Knicks’ status as a mid-tier playoff team. The WNBA legend said that they will be stuck in that position for the foreseeable future, as they don’t have an elite No. 1 option.

“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.

Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins then pushed back, saying that Brunson is the Knicks’ “dude.” However, Hammon doubled down on her take, saying that Brunson can’t be the best player on a contender due to his relatively diminutive stature (6-foot-2).

“Nah, he’s too small. If your best player is small, you're not winning,” Hammon said.

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After facing backlash for her comments, Hammon released a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, clarifying her stance on Thursday.

Hammon said that she “loves Jalen Brunson’s game,” citing how he used to light up the San Antonio Spurs during her time as an assistant coach. She added that she “loves when undersized players give the league buckets” and called the Knicks star an “All-NBA performer.”

However, the Aces coach then defended her take regarding undersized players’ inability to carry teams to titles.

“I stand by my statement that I can’t put him in a LeBron [James], Steph [Curry], [Joel] 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. This game favors the tall. Wish it didn’t, but it does. - Sincerely, a small basketball player.”

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Also Read: "She’s right for the wrong reasons" - Becky Hammon dismissing Jalen Brunson as '1A'-tier player citing height issues has NBA fans buzzing

How has Jalen Brunson performed this season?

It’s still up for debate whether Jalen Brunson can be the best player on a championship contender. Nonetheless, most would probably agree that the star point guard is deserving of securing his first All-Star berth this season.

Through 27 games, Brunson is averaging a career-high 25.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.0 3-pointers per game on 47.2% shooting.

His 25.3 ppg leads New York, edging out co-star Julius Randle (22.7 ppg), who was New York’s lone All-Star last season. Meanwhile, the Knicks (16-11) rank fifth in the Eastern Conference.

Given that Brunson has asserted himself as the top dog on a top-five-seeded playoff team, he should be New York’s most likely All-Star selection.