New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson stated that defending the NBA championship will present a greater challenge than winning it for the first time, ending the franchise's 53-year drought. Brunson, speaking at the WSJ Sports: The Next Sports Economy event, described the upcoming season as having a "target on your back" with improved competition across the league.
"It will be different, for sure," Brunson said. "Obviously for the first eight years I went through disappointment, obviously losing at the end of the season; and now winning, I think it’s an even bigger challenge. Now, it’s a target on your back. Now, players and teams have changed; they’ve gotten better."
Brunson highlighted the league's parity, noting that punitive financial restrictions have contributed to eight different NBA champions in the last eight years. He also pointed to the strengthening of teams in both the Eastern and Western Conferences, including rivals like San Antonio and Oklahoma City, as factors that will make the Knicks' task more difficult.
"So how are we going to evolve as a team? How are we going to figure out what’s the next step for us? And that’s going to be a really big important question coming in the training camp: How are we going to be better? How are we going to literally look at the trophy, know that that was last year and then forget about it?" Brunson questioned.
He acknowledged the condensed offseason and the accolades received after the championship win could pose a challenge to maintaining the team's hunger and focus. "You definitely lose a lot of time — obviously for the right reason: we got it done — to be able to go through the summer and realize, all right, there’s a lot on your plate now," he said. "How are you going to remain hungry? How are you going to remain focused? How are you going to push the envelope for you to be better the next time?"
Brunson, a founding member of the JPMorgan Chase Athlete Council, took a pay cut in his contract extension to help the Knicks build a stronger roster, a decision that proved fruitful. He recalled realizing the team had a legitimate shot at the title once they reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive year.
"I think once we got to the Conference finals — obviously we lost there a season ago — just getting back there, back to where we were, we understand what we did last time and how can we change that," Brunson explained. "I think once we started to continue to win there, (I knew) yeah, we actually have a chance. But it was I think the best part about it; we just kept chipping away the entire season, and just kept chipping away, chipping away. You just never knew when things were going to break through. And having that mindset, then once they actually did, it was kind of a sigh of relief."
Brunson plans to use his downtime to recover from wrist and forearm surgery and spend time with his family before beginning preparations for the title defense. He also commented on the departure of center Mitch Robinson to rival Boston, expressing well wishes despite the future matchups. "First and foremost, I love Mitch. I’m happy for Mitch. I will always love Mitch. Except those four times we play him," Brunson said. "But, that’s my brother. I’m super excited for him. It’s a great opportunity for him. And, yeah, I’m happy…except for those four times."