Jalen Brunson, who scored a legendary 45-point game on Saturday to lead the New York Knicks to their third NBA title, was named Finals MVP, a culmination for this former underrated player who maintains a close relationship with his city.

Great players shine on the big stage, when the stakes make their hands tremble, like those of the Spurs on Saturday night. Jalen Brunson proved he was indeed a great player, and his champion's heart will never, ever be underestimated again.

While the Spurs were once again leading and stifling the Knicks with their defense, Brunson took matters into his own hands from the second quarter onwards, beginning an offensive festival that saw him score 14 of his 27 shots, including 4 of 7 from beyond the arc.

Brunson attacked the basket, made mid-range shots, floaters, and was solid at the free-throw line (13 of 15), notably scoring 14 points in the third quarter and then 15 in the fourth, when the Spurs were capped at 18.

He was the one who tied the game with 4:45 left on the clock, drew a foul to put them back in front with 3:40, and then gave them a two-point lead with 1:07 to pave the way for a third title for the Knicks. Their first since 1973. An eternity.

- Knicks since childhood -

The point guard with the flying braids has achieved his masterpiece and vindicated the New York franchise that attracted him from Dallas in 2022, giving him the keys to the team when he was only a lieutenant, having been drafted only 33rd in 2018.

When the Knicks recruited him, the franchise was accused of nepotism, having just hired his father Rick as an assistant - two decisions made by director Leon Rose, former agent of Brunson Sr.

Born and raised for a time in New Jersey, Brunson was close to the legendary Madison Square Garden from childhood, his father notably being part of the team that lost in the final to... the San Antonio Spurs in 1999.

Small (1.88 m) in this giant slalom championship, not the fastest nor the most athletic, Jalen Brunson progressed at his own pace, becoming out of necessity "a fighter", in his own words.

Through a series of decisive shots in the final minutes, he became the impassive face of the team.

However, the mask cracked on Saturday night: sobs followed the final whistle, when he was reunited with his father, still on the New York staff, and then his voice was still very emotional in the press conference.

- Pressure -

"I never felt any pressure," he asserted, referring to the Knicks' gamble in making him their No. 1 offensive weapon.

"My father experienced pressure firsthand, having had 8 or 9 non-guaranteed contracts during his career, being kicked off a team that no longer wanted him, being sent somewhere in the country when his family was on the East Coast. That's pressure (...) I'm lucky to be in my position, I've worked hard for it, I believe in myself, I've never been afraid of failure."

In the glittering New York environment with its VIP fans Spike Lee, Ben Stiller or Timothée Chalamet, the three-time All-Star, darling of the vibrant Madison Square Garden which knows how to venerate its heroes, claims to have "never enjoyed the spotlight", preferring "a simple life".

A formidable scorer (32.4 points per game in 2023-2024, 26.9 this season), a cold-blooded shooter at the end of games - which earned him a trophy for the most decisive player in 2025 - Brunson was able to find a family within the squad, not to mention his father on the staff or his former coach Tom Thibodeau who had known him as a child.

The Knicks, now coached by Mike Brown, have indeed surrounded him with his close friend Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges. The trio shone ten years ago in the Villanova college jersey, forging lifelong bonds.

"Winning with them is an incredible feeling," he concluded after winning the hearts of New Yorkers.