Jalen Brunson’s Win Over Victor Wembanyama in Finals Saved the NBA, Per Stephen A. Smith

Jalen Brunson is on top of the basketball world. After winning the 2026 NBA title, Brunson has suddenly been widely regarded as the best player in the league today. JB was named the NBA Finals MVP, Eastern Conference MVP, and NBA Cup MVP all in one season. He's the first and only player to achieve that feat. To add the cherry on top, he recently won the Best NBA Player ESPY award, solidifying his status as this season's top dog.

Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith recently applauded Brunson's efforts in leading the New York Knicks to success. The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs and the fan-favorite Victor Wembanyama in the 2026 NBA Finals. It was a feat that nobody saw coming.

Smith noted how Brunson's hard work has paid off and is genuinely impressed by how he accomplished his success.

"Very proud of Jalen Brunson," Smith said on First Take. "Brother put on a show. I think that he's the greatest overachiever that we've seen in the modern era. Nobody expected him to be this great, this productive, this kind of a finisher. It's absolutely phenomenal. I'll say it again, I think Jalen Brunson saved the NBA."

Many critics have seen Brunson as a 1B player over the course of his career. 1B players are the type of stars who typically need a 1A player to achieve success in the league. However, after leading by example, taking a huge $113 million pay cut to allow the Knicks to gather the pieces they need to win, there's no questioning Brunson's status as a 1A player.

In addition to the accolades mentioned earlier, JB won two other ESPYs. These are, namely, the Best Male Athlete and Best Championship Performance awards.

With his newfound stardom, it'll be interesting to see if Brunson can follow up on his recent performance throughout the 2025-26 season. The real challenge is only about to begin for the Knicks as they enter the 2026-27 season as the defending NBA champions. A target has undoubtedly been put on their backs, and other teams are hungry to dethrone the champs.

Jalen Brunson is Anticipating the Obstacles the Knicks Will Face in the 2026-27 Season

Being the defending champions in the NBA is no easy task. There are a lot of expectations placed on the team, which adds a lot of pressure and can potentially affect their performance on the hardwood.

In the case of the New York Knicks, their NBA Finals MVP, Jalen Brunson, is aware of their situation and is prepared to face whatever obstacles are thrown their way.

"It'll be different for sure," Brunson said. "Now winning (the NBA title), it's an even bigger challenge. Now it's a target on your back. Now players and teams have changed and gotten better. … It's going to be very interesting at training camp to see where our minds are at. But I'm excited for the challenge."

NBA training camp is set to kick off in late September, nearly one month before the start of the regular season. With several teams already making drastic adjustments to their roster, the Knicks will have to prepare for the league's new competitive environment.

Teams to watch out for next season are the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Heat recently acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo to pair with Bam Adebayo. Meanwhile, the Sixers secured Jaylen Brown to form a big three with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. As for the Wolves, they traded for LaMelo Ball, pairing the young star with his fellow draft classmate, the explosive Anthony Edwards.