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The New York Knicks won the NBA championship. But that doesn't mean Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon is apologizing for comments she made about New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.
In 2023, during an "NBA Today" discussion on ESPN about the Knicks, Hammon shared a hot take about Brunson's ceiling. Hammon said New York didn't have "a dude" or true No. 1 superstar to win a championship. Analyst Kendrick Perkins pushed back, saying the Knicks had Brunson, but Hammon didn't agree.
The Aces coach argued the 6-foot-2 guard was "too small," citing John Stockton, Steve Nash and Allen Iverson. Hammon mentioned Stephen Curry as the lone exception to the rule.
“Jalen, all he did was prove history wrong, he proves he’s an outlier,” Hammon said, when asked about the comments by reporters from New York in for the Liberty game on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET, USA Network). “So you can put his name next to Steph Curry and Isiah Thomas, and I thought he played brilliantly, especially down the stretch.
“I mean, he was that 1A dude. But apologize, I’m never gonna apologize for having an opinion. That’s what ESPN pays me for.”
After making the statement in 2023, Hammon clarified the remarks on social media. She said she loved Brunson's game but it's hard to win a championship "if your best player is the smallest player on the court."
And to her point, just four players 6-foot-2 or shorter have won Finals MVP since it was introduced in 1969: Brunson, Curry, Thomas and San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker. Hammon coached in the NBA for the Spurs from 2014-2021 before leaving to become head coach of the Aces. USA TODAY reporter Meghan L. Hall contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Becky Hammon won't apologize for Jalen Brunson comments after Knicks title
Continue reading...
In 2023, during an "NBA Today" discussion on ESPN about the Knicks, Hammon shared a hot take about Brunson's ceiling. Hammon said New York didn't have "a dude" or true No. 1 superstar to win a championship. Analyst Kendrick Perkins pushed back, saying the Knicks had Brunson, but Hammon didn't agree.
The Aces coach argued the 6-foot-2 guard was "too small," citing John Stockton, Steve Nash and Allen Iverson. Hammon mentioned Stephen Curry as the lone exception to the rule.
“Jalen, all he did was prove history wrong, he proves he’s an outlier,” Hammon said, when asked about the comments by reporters from New York in for the Liberty game on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET, USA Network). “So you can put his name next to Steph Curry and Isiah Thomas, and I thought he played brilliantly, especially down the stretch.
“I mean, he was that 1A dude. But apologize, I’m never gonna apologize for having an opinion. That’s what ESPN pays me for.”
After making the statement in 2023, Hammon clarified the remarks on social media. She said she loved Brunson's game but it's hard to win a championship "if your best player is the smallest player on the court."
And to her point, just four players 6-foot-2 or shorter have won Finals MVP since it was introduced in 1969: Brunson, Curry, Thomas and San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker. Hammon coached in the NBA for the Spurs from 2014-2021 before leaving to become head coach of the Aces. USA TODAY reporter Meghan L. Hall contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Becky Hammon won't apologize for Jalen Brunson comments after Knicks title
Continue reading...
