Jalen Brunson Didn't Cry Right After the Knicks' NBA Finals Win. Then, He Saw His Dad Rick
Jalen Brunson Didn't Cry Right After the Knicks' NBA Finals Win. Then, He Saw His Dad Rick
Bailey RichardsSun, June 14, 2026 at 6:59 PM UTC
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Jalen Brunson and Rick Brunson hug after the Knicks NBA championship win; Jalen BrunsonCredit: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty; Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty -
Jalen Brunson became emotional after the New York Knicks' 2026 NBA championship win, but only after seeing his dad, Rick Brunson
The Knicks point guard and the team's assistant coach shared an emotional embrace after the team's historic win
Rick praised Jalen's leadership and sportsmanship, calling the NBA title moment "surreal," and credited his wife for raising the athlete right
Jalen Brunson shared an emotional moment with his dad after leading the New York Knicks to the team's first NBA title in over 50 years.
As soon as the Knicks won the championship game on Saturday, June 13, the star point guard, 29, hightailed it over to shake hands with the San Antonio Spurs and the team's head coach — all while keeping his composure. Then, he spotted his dad, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson.
"I was good. [After] the final buzzer, I walked right to half court, shook Mitch Johnson's hand and then turned around. My dad was there," Jalen said during a post-game press conference after the Knicks' 94-90 victory at Texas' Frost Bank Center. "And then [I] felt emotional from that point on."
Rick Brunson hugs son Jalen Brunson after the Knicks' championship winCredit: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty
"I just remember Josh [Hart] talking into my ear and him just saying, like, 'We did it. We did it,' and then I was emotional for a good like 5, 10 minutes," the Knicks star continued. "And then the excitement started to kick in."
"It was definitely more emotional than I thought it was going to be right away," he added while speaking alongside his dad on ESPN'sInside The NBA. "Once I got on stage and everything, it kind of started to settle. But man, it is everything I dreamed of. Seriously."
Jalen and his dad, 54, shared an emotional embrace after they realized the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy would be returning to New York City after over five decades — thanks in part to the point guard, who finished the nail-biter with 45 points.
One photo captured in the aftermath of the thrilling championship game shows Rick wrapping his arms around his son, who appears visibly emotional. Both father and son had their eyes closed as they embraced in the post-game picture.
When asked what he's most proud of when it comes to his son, Rick said on Inside the NBA: "The way he carries himself."
"The leadership. He's a winner. He keeps all the noise out, outside, and just goes out there and does his job," he continued. "So we're just happy, man. It's crazy for me."
Rick Brunson and Jalen Brunson after the Knicks' 2026 NBA championship winCredit: Ronald Cortes/Getty
Rick also lauded the sportsmanship his son showed by heading for handshakes immediately after the final buzzer, according to The New York Times. "Because he was raised right," the coach said of his son's post-game actions, per the outlet."But that's his mom. That ain't me."
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The proud dad and coach — who welcomed Jalen with wife Sandra two years before he joined the Knicks as a point guard himself — also opted to wear a T-shirt with his son's face on it rather than the official team championship shirt, per the Times.
"My heart is just in my sneaker, man," he said after the Knicks win, according to the outlet. "You can't see it on the outside, but on the inside, I'm steaming inside."
The proud father also said that he never expected his son to get to where he did. "I never thought he'd get to this level. I'd be lying to you if I said I thought he would be this good," he said, the Times reported. "I just wanted someone to come to New York, run a team, and hopefully have a chance to win a championship."
"And for him to be the guy to help me help the team, this is surreal," Rick added of his son.
Jalen Brunson, Mike Breen and Rick Brunson after the Knicks' 2026 championship winCredit: Jesse D. Garrabrant /NBAE via Getty
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Jalen, for his part, also cited Rick— and his dad's NBA career — as the reason he's "never afraid to fail" in the post-championship presser.
Asked if there was pressure that came from being Knicks President Leon Rose's "No. 1 guy," the star player said, "No pressure. No pressure whatsoever."
"My dad being on eight or nine unguaranteed contracts throughout his career and not knowing when you're going to get cut, when a team is going to move on from you, while your family is on the East Coast and you are wherever you are in the country. That's pressure," the newly minted NBA champion continued. "Working out three times a day in the summertime and watching him push himself just to get a training camp deal, that's pressure. I'm very fortunate to be in the position I am and I definitely think I worked pretty hard."
"So when the opportunity presented itself like it did today, I just trusted my work," Jalen added, noting that he's "just never afraid to fail."
on People
Source: “AOL Sports”
