New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson does not refer to himself as the ‘King of New York,’ even if his fans have given him that nickname.
Brunson cemented himself as the King of New York with his incredible performances through the 2026 NBA Playoffs, ending the city’s 53-year wait for an NBA Championship.
While fans and even Mayor Zohran Mamdani refer to Brunson as the king now, the 30-year-old Finals MVP would never call himself that.
Jalen Brunson shares the simple reason why he won’t call himself the ‘King of New York’
Brunson appeared on the Road Trippin’ podcast to speak to former NBA Champs Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye, and Kendrick Perkins, where he revealed why he wouldn’t call himself the king of NY.
“I will never call myself the King of New York… Imagine I get on this call with you, right? I’m like, ‘Yo, King of New York’s here.’ You guys are going to look like, ‘What the —-? This dude is so self-centered.'”
Brunson’s humility since the title win has shone through in all of his interviews, with the guard clearly focused on the challenges that await him and the Knicks rather than resting on their laurels.
His nickname might even be more endearing now that he has publicly acknowledged the nickname as a potentially self-centered one if he’s the one using it.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
But as long as Knicks fans have a fun time crowning Brunson as the king of the city, they will continue doing so.
Jalen Brunson looking to cement the Knicks as a dynasty
Even if Brunson doesn’t want to be king, he does want to lead the Knicks into a dynastic reign. That starts by becoming the first team to defend their title since the 2018 Golden State Warriors.
The Knicks’ core is a strong five-man unit in their physical primes with Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart.
Their versatility as a unit and Brunson’s ability to be one of the best end-of-game on-ball options will make the Knicks major title threats again, even with the improvements around the NBA.
Other teams might have more talent on paper, but the Knicks just proved to the world that they have unparalleled functional dominance with their roster, especially when the star leading them can create a bucket at any point he wants.
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