Jalen Brunson’s postseason run was always going to force a bigger conversation.
The New York Knicks guard reached an impressive NBA Finals level, won Finals MVP and produced the kind of title-clinching performance that changes how history views a player.
That achievement was too large to stay inside New York, and Paul Pierce, the 2008 NBA Finals MVP, has now weighed in.
Paul Pierce says Jalen Brunson has earned a real debate
The former Boston Celtics star did not say Brunson’s all-time place was settled, but he suggested the Knicks star now belongs in a serious guard discussion.
Speaking on No Fouls Given, Pierce stated: “I said this about a week ago, like, man, does he rate amongst the best? Is he rated ahead of guys like Kyrie Irving, who a lot of people are saying is the most skilled guard ever? Where does he rate amongst guys like Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups, Steve Nash, John Stockton? Like, is he in that category now?”
He added: “We’re going to have to take a sip of something and have a real conversation about this. Because he did his thing, man.”
That is the power of an NBA trophy. Brunson is no longer only a Knicks success story, he is being measured against champions, MVPs and elite creators.
Jalen Brunson produced historic Game 5 numbers
The 29-year-old guard scored 15 fourth-quarter points in the Knicks’ 94-90 Game 5 win over the San Antonio Spurs, the most in a Finals-clinching fourth quarter since Michael Jordan scored 16 in 1998.
Brunson also finished with 45 points, tying Jordan’s 1998 Game 6 mark for the most points ever scored on the road in an NBA Finals-clinching game.
Those numbers help explain why Pierce’s question resonates.
