Peter Okereke
With the New York Knicks winning their first NBA title in 53 years after beating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 on Saturday night, all eyes are centered on the greatness of Jalen Brunson.
As some fans stand ready to call Brunson the greatest Knicks player of all time, he would go on to speak on his use of social media or lack thereof, during the NBA playoffs.
Indeed, long forgotten due to the excitement of New York clinching the championship is the way the playoff run started, as the team started the first series against the Atlanta Hawks, down 2-1.
After that game, the Knicks would only lose once, which was Game 3 against San Antonio in the NBA Finals, which came after beating the Hawks and sweeping both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jalen Brunson opens up on decision to drop social media during playoff run
Going back to the Hawks series, Jalen Brunson told “Inside the NBA” crew on ESPN that after going down 2-1 to Atlanta, that is the pivotal moment he decided to “shut down social media.”
“Honestly, after that, as when I shut down social media, I shut down in between series, I would post something like post one or two things, like maybe like it was like a shoe or whatever, but I would then get rid of it,” Brunson said.
What came after Brunson shutting down social media was a brilliant run for the Knicks. It capped off in a Game 5 and NBA Finals-clinching performance where he scored 45 points on 14 of 27 shooting from the field, to go along with three rebounds, three assists, and two steals to bring the franchise its first title in 53 years.
Getting off of social media wasn’t too much of a chore for Brunson, as he credited his New York teammates for keeping him humble. Nonetheless, the Knicks captain and his teammates will celebrate the historic title win and look for continued success on the court.
