yahoo - 5/27/2026 7:00:35 PM - GMT (+2 )
Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon makes zero apologies for previous comments she made about New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.
In 2023, during an NBA Today discussion on ESPN about the Knicks being stuck in purgatory, Becky Hammon shared a hot-button take about Brunson's ceiling. Hammon asserted New York didn't have "a dude" or true No. 1 superstar to win a championship. Analyst Kendrick Perkins pushed back, saying the Knicks had Brunson, but Hammon didn't agree.
The Aces coach argued the 6-foot-2 guard was "too small," citing examples such as John Stockton, Steve Nash and Allen Iverson. Hammon mentioned Stephen Curry as the lone exception to the rule. With the Knicks now in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, Hammon's comments have resurfaced. The Las Vegas coach appears to be catching some heat from fans, but remains unfazed.
"The two best teams are probably in the West, but I'm up for being proven wrong," Hammon said. "And that's the other thing. I think Jalen Brunson's a hell of a player. A hell of a player. I'm speaking historically on the NBA with what I said ... I stand by it."
In response to the recent online backlash, Hammon didn't understand why her comments had resurfaced when it's been over two years. A media member said they were giving Hammon a chance to "clear the air," but she didn't subscribe to that notion.
"There's no air to be cleared. I said what I said. (If) he proves me wrong, he proves me wrong," she said. Hammon, who spent time in the NBA from 2014 to 2021 with the San Antonio Spurs as an assistant coach, emphasized again she believes the two best teams in the league were in the Western Conference.
"You know who I'm cheering for," Hammon said, smiling.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Becky Hammon addresses Jalen Brunson fallout over resurfaced Knicks take
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