Shaquille O'Neal Apologizes to Charles Barkley For Doubting Him and Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson has done it. He's led the New York Knicks to their first NBA championship in 53 years following their 94-90 Game 5 win over the Spurs on Saturday. Now, those who questioned whether he could help them get over the line are among the first to admit they were wrong.

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal issued an apology for doubting Brunson's talent. Fellow NBA legend Charles Barkley had previously stated that Brunson was the best thing to ever happen to the Knicks, but O'Neal never truly bought into that idea.

However, after Brunson led New York to the title, Shaq felt he owed both Brunson and Barkley an acknowledgment of his mistake.

"Charles, I owe you an apology," Shaq said on Inside The NBA.

"You've been saying for the past two years that Brunson has been the best free agency signing ever. Now, it is. Now it becomes that. Listen, you knew he was good. I never knew he was this good. ... He woke up this morning saying, 'Hey, I'm going to get this win. Whatever I gotta do, I'm going to win this MVP, and I'm going to win this championship.'"

Brunson exploded for a 45-point performance in Game 5. While the Spurs appeared to be in control during the first half of Saturday's game, a familiar theme throughout the Finals, Brunson never let up and steadily helped the Knicks regain control with his emphatic scoring display.

Throughout five games, Brunson averaged 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting 42.1% from the field. His versatility on the floor and never-say-die attitude are what helped him win the NBA Finals MVP award.

It's also worth noting that Brunson is the first player in NBA history to win the NBA Cup MVP award, the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award, and the NBA Finals MVP award in the same season.

His historic season would undoubtedly be a good argument for him being the greatest Knicks player in history.

Jalen Brunson's Pay Cut Paid Off

It's safe to say that Jalen Brunson is one of the most humble players in the NBA today. While many superstars tend to go for max offers from their respective teams, Brunson went the other route and took a pay cut instead.

Before the fame and glory Brunson has achieved, the New York Knicks star had a big decision to make, one that would dictate his team's future. In July 2024, Brunson decided to take an estimated $113 million pay cut, declining a $269 million max contract. He instead signed a four-year extension with the Knicks worth $156.5 million.

Given the budget Brunson was permitted, the Knicks had plenty of wiggle room to build a championship roster. Fast forward to the present day, and Brunson and the Knicks achieved the ultimate goal of winning a championship.

In an interview with sports journalist Malika Andrews after the Knicks won Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals, she asked Brunson about his thoughts on taking the pay cut. She wanted to know if his sacrifice was worth it.

"100 percent worth it," Brunson said. "Even if I didn't (win a championship), I feel like being able to (take a pay cut) and grind and go on a journey to try and (win a championship) would've been worth it as well. But (winning the 2026 NBA championship) is the cherry on top."

Now that the Knicks are once again champions, it'll be interesting to see how their offseason goes. We've seen multiple championship teams make sudden adjustments to their roster, resulting in either more success or failures. It's intriguing to know what the next step will be for the Knicks as they enter the 2026-27 season as the defending champions.