Kyrie Irving Gets Honest About Jalen Brunson and Knicks Reaching NBA Finals After 27 Years

For the first time in 27 years, New York is headed to the NBA Finals. Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks have fulfilled their promise from last season. In last year's Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers, 4-2, and vowed to come back stronger in the following year. They did just that and swept the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The incredible playoff run has caught the attention of the entire basketball world. This included the Dallas Mavericks star, Kyrie Irving. Currently out with a torn ACL, Irving took to a Twitch live stream to show some love to New York and is excited to see what the team can do.

"The Knicks making the finals is OD," Irving said. "A lot of people have said that New York City was going to get burned down and things of that nature. We'll see. It's still TBD because a lot of those Knicks fans in New York are gonna go bonkers, man."

Irving also gave credit to the team's leadership, especially first-year head coach Mike Brown. The Knicks took a huge risk when they fired Tom Thibodeau to hire Brown last summer, but it turned out to be a brilliant decision.

"They done made it to the NBA Finals, they done earned their ticket, they did everything that they could in the regular season and prepared. Now, I'm excited to watch them too. Mike Brown leading the helm, and Jalen Brunson is a great PG. ... He has great pieces around him that are built to help that system stay successful."

As of this writing, the Knicks are currently waiting to find out who they'll go up against in the finals. The San Antonio Spurs managed to force a Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals on Thursday. They've pushed the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, to their limit and have the opportunity to dethrone them on Saturday.

Either way, the Knicks might have the advantage come the finals. Because they swept the Cavs, they finished their series earlier, giving them more time to take a breather from the grueling competition. By Game 1, scheduled on June 3, New York will have fresher legs. That could give them the upper hand, no matter who they face.

Jalen Brunson Ready to do Battle in First NBA Finals Amid Knicks Teammate's Injury

It's an exciting season to be a New York Knicks fan after the team has finally made it back to the NBA Finals. However, it might not be as easy as everyone expects.

Whoever comes out on top of the Western Conference Finals will be a tough matchup.

As the defending champions, the Thunder already proved they know how to win. Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama turns the Spurs into a terrifying playoff threat.

A serious injury adds to the Knicks' stress. Center Mitchell Robinson broke his right pinky in Game 4 and had surgery. Fortunately, ESPN's Shams Charania reports he plans to wear a brace and play through the pain in Game 1.

Robinson might struggle to play his normal minutes. That forces Karl-Anthony Towns to work double-time inside to stop either Chet Holmgren or Wembanyama.

Regardless of the situation, Jalen Brunson seems to be ready for whatever challenges his Knicks team might face in the finals.

"Honestly, being able to just give everything you got," Brunson said. "If you go out there, obviously, put in the preparation and the work in, you go out there and do everything you can, sometimes you have to live with the results. But I think what's most important is being prepared for the worst."

Brunson was named the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP. He's averaging 26.9 points, 6.6 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in the playoffs. But will his numbers be enough to lead the Knicks to their first championship in 53 years?