Becky Hammon Stands Firm, Rejects Apology Over Brunson Remarks

WHO:

Sportskeeda - Becky Hammon, Las Vegas Aces coach

Fox News - Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks star

Fox News - Victor Wembanyama, player for the San Antonio Spurs

Fox News - Craig Carton, special guest on the show

Fox News - Knicks owner James Dolan

WHAT:

Fox News - Becky Hammon stated, "Jalen, all he did was prove history wrong. He proves he’s an outlier," after the Knicks' championship win.

Fox News - Hammon referred to Jalen Brunson as "the greatest Knick ever" during a recent interview.

Fox News - Hammon said, "I mean, he was that 1A dude," in reference to Brunson's performance.

Fox News - Becky Hammon stated, "Let me just piss off Knicks fans again and say, I think he’s the greatest Knick ever," during a recent interview.

Fox News - Hammon expressed her admiration for Jalen Brunson, saying, "I’ve always been a Jalen Brunson fan. I was a fan of his at Villanova, in Dallas."

Fox News - Jalen Brunson, after winning the Finals MVP, remarked, "There’s a lot of people who have a lot of negative stuff to say... But when you prove them wrong, you don’t have to say s–t to them. They don’t deserve it."

Sportskeeda - Becky Hammon stated that Jalen Brunson was "too small" to lead a championship team in 2023.

Pro Football Network - Jalen Brunson led the New York Knicks to an NBA championship and was named Finals MVP.

Fox News - The New York Knicks won their first championship in 53 years.

Fox News - Jalen Brunson scored 45 points in the Knicks’ championship-sealing 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5.

Fox News - Brunson averaged 26 points, 5.3 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game over four seasons with the Knicks.

Fox News - Brunson has made the All-Star team three times in his four seasons and was named the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year last season.

Fox News - In the NBA playoffs, Brunson averaged 29.4 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in four playoff runs with the Knicks.

WHERE:

Fox News - The Knicks’ championship-sealing game took place at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Fox News - The Knicks ticker-tape parade occurred along the Canyon of Heroes in New York City, New York.

WHEN:

Fox News - The Knicks won the NBA Finals on June 13, 2026.

Fox News - The Knicks ticker-tape parade took place on June 18, 2026.

WHY:

Fox News - Hammon expressed that she is "never gonna apologize for having an opinion," emphasizing her stance on her previous comments about Brunson.

Fox News - Becky Hammon refused to apologize for her comments about Jalen Brunson, stating, "I’m never gonna apologize for having an opinion."

Fox News - Hammon expressed that Brunson proved history wrong and called him an "outlier."

HOW:

Fox News - Hammon made her original comments on ESPN’s "NBA Today."

After the Knicks' championship victory, Becky Hammon praised Jalen Brunson, declaring him "the greatest Knick ever" and highlighting his exceptional performance by saying, "I mean, he was that 1A dude." Hammon also noted that Brunson has proven history wrong and established himself as an outlier in the sport. She firmly stated, "I’m never gonna apologize for having an opinion," reinforcing her support for Brunson amidst her previous comments.