Jalen Brunson Reveals Why He Hugged Spurs Coach First After Knicks

June 19, 2026

Jalen Brunson reveals how his parents’ sacrifice and tough love shaped him into an NBA champion and leader for the New York Knicks.

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Jalen Brunson showed his true character the moment the New York Knicks won their first NBA championship in 53 years.

Before celebrating with his father, Rick Brunson, the Knicks superstar made a point to hug Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich first.

“I hugged coach Johnson from the Spurs first to show respect,” Brunson explained during an appearance on CBS Mornings.

The gesture wasn’t lost on the hosts, who recognized it as a reflection of how well he was raised.

Brunson credited his parents, particularly his father, for instilling values that go far beyond basketball.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0LuNxsVpp8

“Everyone sees the videos of me and him in like in the park and him yelling at me and getting on me, but no one saw the conversations like after the fact or before saying, ‘Is this what you want to do for a living?’ And the answer was always yes. So, everyone thinks that he just kind of forced basketball upon me, but it was something that I chose to do and knew he had the the study guide. He had the blueprint. He did it before.”

Rick Brunson, now an assistant coach for the Knicks, shared his philosophy on raising a champion.

“Well, I just believe basketball kind of parallels to life. You know, just working hard on the court. Building habits. How you raised and things you do kind of parallel to life… We worked every day and but the credit goes to him. I just I just did all the yelling.”

The Knicks’ championship victory marked a historic moment: the first time a father-son duo won an NBA title as a player and coach for the same team. Jalen’s composure and leadership throughout the Finals came directly from his upbringing, he said.

When asked about his calm demeanor under pressure, Brunson revealed the balance his parents struck.

“It came from my mom. It came from both of them. They did a good job of piggybacking off each other.

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