The New York Knicks brought home their first NBA championship in over 50 years after pulling off another double-digit comeback in Game 5 of the Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Even before the Knicks won the championship, former NBA star turned analyst Charles Barkley had been calling the team’s signing of Jalen Brunson the best free agency move in NBA history. And finally, Shaquille ‘Shaq’ O’Neal agreed with him.
After Jalen Brunson’s game-high 45-point performance to lead the Knicks to the NBA championship, Shaq was ready to proclaim Charles Barkley’s statement correct.
“Charles, I owe you an apology. You’ve been saying for the past two years that Brunson has been the best free agency signing ever. Now it is. Now it becomes that,” O’Neal said. “What he has done, listen, we knew he was good, we never knew he was this good. We’re sitting up here just watching him … he woke up this morning saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to get this. Whatever I got to do I’m gonna get this MVP and I’m gonna get this championship.”
Brunson also added three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 41 minutes in Game 5. He shot 14-of-27 (51.9 percent) from the field, 4-of-7 (57.1 percent) from the 3-point line and 13-of-15 (86.7 percent) from the free-throw line.
Originally drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Brunson signed with the Knicks via free agency after his father Rick was hired as an assistant coach, The organization was also punished by the NBA for tampering after it was found they had prior contact with the former Villanova star before the free agency period opened.
During the Knicks’ run to the NBA championship, the Finals MVP averaged 28.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.2 steals with splits of 46.5 percent shooting from the field, 36.3 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 84.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
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