Jalen Brunson has a Finals MVP trophy, a championship ring, and the Keys to the City, but the one thing he refuses to accept is the title.
The Knicks star flatly rejected the "King of New York" label during an appearance on the Road Trippin' podcast, telling hosts he would never introduce himself that way.
"I've never called myself the king of New York. I will never call myself the king of New York," Brunson said. "Imagine I get on this call with you, right? I'm like, 'Yo, no king of New York's here,' whatever, whatever. You guys are going to look like, 'What the fuck, this dude is so self-centered.'"
Brunson made the comments alongside former NBA champions Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye, and Kendrick Perkins, according to Yahoo News. A Bleacher Report clip capturing his reaction to the nickname circulated widely on Wednesday.
The nickname has been pushed hardest from City Hall. Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared Brunson "the king" on Aug. 28 during a NYC Parks Family Camping event at Inwood Hill Park, telling a group of children gathered around a campfire: "I'm happy as the mayor. Jalen Brunson is the king." Mamdani had previously presented Brunson with the Keys to the City following a ticker-tape parade on June 18, after the Knicks ended a 53-year title drought by defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games.
Brunson, 30, was named Finals MVP after averaging 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in the series. He closed it out with 45 points in the title-clinching Game 5 against San Antonio.
Off the court, the championship buzz has taken on a life of its own across the city. Hundreds gathered near Washington Square Park on Aug. 30 for a Mamdani look-alike contest; winner Amadeo Fusca wore a Knicks jersey beneath his suit and took home $100, per Revolt TV.
Brunson also used the podcast to address the team's mindset heading into the 2026-27 season. "We don't want to speak of the trophy, we don't talk about the trophy, we don't want to see the trophy," he said. "We want to come in with the same mindset, if not, even a tougher mindset than we had last year... It's important for us to come into this season to be like, 'That's over with.'"
The Knicks are chasing back-to-back titles for the first time since Golden State won consecutive championships in 2017 and 2018. The Eastern Conference will test that goal as the 76ers have added LeBron James, the Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Raptors are in pursuit of Kawhi Leonard.
As for what keeps him grounded through all of it, Brunson kept his answer simple. "I just find a way to kind of be the same because of the people around me," he said. "I have the same people I had around since high school."
