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Being selected in the second round of the draft does not stop a player from having a great NBA career. Nikola Jokic is, of course, the best example of that, but for Jalen Brunson, greatness was far from guaranteed. Now, however, he is the best player on the NBA's championship team. That is a remarkable achievement for the 33rd pick in the 2018 draft.
There is also the added pride of having brought a historic franchise back to the top. The New York Knicks had been waiting for a title since 1973, had not reached the Finals in the 21st century and are now the new kings of the NBA.
To make it happen, they assembled a powerhouse, made possible in part by the Finals MVP's below-market contract - a fact that clearly does not get enough attention.
But now that he is a champion and Finals MVP, you could almost say the hardest part is beginning. The quest for back-to-back titles was last completed by the Golden State Warriors dynasty in 2017 and 2018. The Milwaukee Bucks, the Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder all looked capable of doing it, but all fell short. Brunson therefore faces a challenge worthy of him this season.
To achieve it, he will have to be even better. The numbers and shooting percentages, of course, but above all, the leadership: keeping together a group whose individual ambitions are beginning to emerge, as so often happens after winning a title.
He must also continue guiding a team and a city that want more than victory. Could another three-letter trophy be waiting at the end of it?
2025/26 stats: 26 points on 46.7% shooting, including 36.9% from three-point range, and 6.8 assists (74 games)
Reasonable 2026/27 target: 30 points, 9 assists, MVP candidate