In May 2025, after the Knicks eliminated the Boston Celtics, Jalen Brunson walked up to Stephen A. Smith courtside and delivered a message without actually delivering one. “I’m not going to even say anything,” he told the ESPN personality before walking away.

Brunson had not forgotten who questioned the Knicks’ decision to sign him in 2022. He had not forgotten the criticism of his contract, the doubts about whether he could lead a contender, or the suggestions that New York had overpaid for a player averaging just 16.3 points per game in Dallas.

On Monday’s edition of First Take, Smith finally admitted Brunson had remembered correctly. “Let me confess on national television,” Smith said, addressing Brunson on the show. “Because last year, when y’all beat Boston, I’m on the court, and he just walks up to me and looks me in my face and goes, ‘I’m not going to even say anything,’ and just walked away. That’s what he does. Because he remembered that I doubted the brother when he was coming out of Villanova. He was in Dallas. I said, all right, the brother can play. But we getting him here in a four-year deal in 2022. I’m like, this is not Kevin Durant. What the h*ll are we going to do?”

Smith’s skepticism was hardly unique. When Brunson signed a four-year, $104 million contract with New York in 2022, Michael Wilbon said, “He’s not a real one. I’m not even sure he’s a real two.” Brian Windhorst argued Brunson was “not going to be the type of player that will elevate them into contender status,” while Bill Simmons mocked the move by saying the Knicks were “Knicksing” another offseason.

Smith then turned the moment personal, adding: “Me and Pops go back over 30 years. National television, I owe this man an apology. I am grateful for what you have done for this city, what y’all have done for this city. And you won’t be hearing any more doubts from me, my brother. You’re a champion.” Brunson kept it brief: “We’ll see about that. We’ll see about that. But thank you.”

The criticism surrounding Brunson extended beyond his production. At the time of the signing, many viewed him as Luka Doncic’s sidekick rather than a franchise cornerstone. Stephen A. Smith repeatedly questioned why New York had cleared cap space only to land Brunson, asking, “Is he KD? Is he Kawhi Leonard?” Critics also pointed to his size. Becky Hammon famously argued, “If your best player is small, you’re not winning,” reflecting a belief that followed Brunson throughout much of his career.

Four years later, nearly every major criticism has aged poorly. Brunson led New York to four consecutive playoff appearances, won the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals MVP award, captured the franchise’s first championship since 1973, and earned unanimous NBA Finals MVP honors. The same contract once labeled an overpay became one of the league’s biggest bargains after Brunson also accepted a team-friendly extension in 2024 that gave the Knicks added flexibility to build around him.

“I Didn’t Respond to Them Then,” How Brunson Silenced Doubters Without Saying a Word

If there was ever a moment for Brunson to revisit old criticism, it was after delivering the Knicks their first championship in 53 years. Instead, he responded to years of doubt the same way he always has: by refusing to engage with it.

“I didn’t respond to them then, and I’m damn sure not going to respond to them now,” Brunson said in a presser after the title win.

That approach has been consistent throughout his Knicks tenure. At his introductory press conference in 2022, Brunson rejected the idea that he was arriving as a savior, saying, “I’m not a savior in any way, shape or form. I just want to contribute and help this team win games.” Four years later, even with a championship and Finals MVP trophy in hand, the message had barely changed.

Smith ultimately became the most visible example of a much larger media reversal. Windhorst questioned whether Brunson could elevate a contender. Nick Wright wondered whether he was even a top-tier point guard. Bill Simmons doubted fans would ever “come see him score 38.” By the end of the 2026 Finals, Brunson had scored 45 points in the championship-clinching Game 5 and forced many of those same voices to reconsider their evaluations.

Brunson scored 45 points in Game 5, earning the Bill Russell Trophy as Finals MVP while New York closed out the Spurs 94-90 to secure its first championship in 53 years.

Less than a week earlier, Smith had criticized Brunson for “playing to be an MVP rather than playing to win Game 3.” On Monday morning, that same critic was sitting across from him on national television apologizing for years of doubt. Four years after being labeled an overpay, Brunson stood as a champion, a Finals MVP, and the player who forced one of his loudest skeptics to admit he was wrong.