Jalen Brunson is three wins away from delivering New York its first NBA championship in over five decades. But the Knicks' captain is doing everything in his power to pretend the Larry O'Brien Trophy doesn't exist.
During a recent interview on NBA Today, Brunson was asked about his habit of steering clear of any promotional events where the championship trophy is present. The guard appeared genuinely surprised that anyone had noticed. When pressed for an explanation, he froze, then offered a curt response: “It… no comment.”
The moment went viral, with fans quickly dubbing Brunson the most superstitious superstar in the league. But for Knicks supporters, his refusal to even acknowledge the trophy is a sign of something deeper: a player so locked in that he won’t allow himself a single moment of premature satisfaction.
“He’s so locked in it’s honestly terrifying me,” one fan wrote on social media. Another added, “Jalen Brunson will be studied for generations on how locked in he truly is on this championship run.”
Brunson’s mindset echoes the recent praise from Charles Barkley, who called Brunson one of the greatest free-agent signings in NBA history. That kind of focus was on full display in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Spurs.
After a sluggish first half, Brunson exploded in the second half, dropping 19 points—13 of them in the fourth quarter—to finish with a game-high 30 points. The Knicks walked away with a 105-95 road win, silencing a rowdy San Antonio crowd that had been under investigation for taunts directed at Brunson.
Now, with a 1-0 series lead, the Knicks face a critical Game 2 on Friday night at Frost Bank Center. A win would push their championship odds from roughly 70 percent to over 85 percent. But standing in their way is Victor Wembanyama and a Spurs team that has no intention of rolling over like the 76ers or Cavaliers did earlier in the playoffs.
Brunson knows the job isn’t done. That’s why he won’t go near the trophy. “He doesn’t want his brain to experience the satisfaction of something he doesn’t have,” one fan observed. “He is in a battle with his own body. The job is not done yet.”
For a franchise that hasn’t hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy since 1973, Brunson’s refusal to celebrate early is exactly the kind of mentality that could end the drought. But first, he’ll have to keep dodging the trophy—and the questions about it.
