The NBA Finals are now alive again after the San Antonio Spurs stole Game 3 at Madison Square Garden to cut the New York Knicks’ series lead to 2-1.
Before that loss, much of the conversation around New York had been glowing. The Knicks had made a fantastic start to the series, Brunson had strengthened his status as the face of the franchise, and the Garden had become the centre of the NBA world.
Draymond Green was among those paying attention. Before Game 3, he singled out Brunson’s pull in New York and compared the city’s reaction to him with the way fans have rallied around legends LeBron James and Steph Curry.
Draymond Green says Jalen Brunson jerseys remind him of LeBron James and Steph Curry
Green made the comparison while speaking about how often he has seen Brunson jerseys around New York, saying the point-guard’s Knicks popularity now stacks up with two of the defining players of this era.
He said (via ESPN): “I’ve obviously played in six NBA Finals or whatever it is. But I played with Stephen Curry and I played against LeBron James a lot. The amount of Jalen Brunson jerseys I see stacks up to the amount of Stephen Curry and LeBron James jerseys you see.
“That’s what been most impressive to me, how much support they have for this team but in particular how much this city has banded around this guy who is the engine pushing this whole thing forward.”
That is not the same as saying Brunson is already on LeBron or Curry’s basketball level, but he is getting close to that level in playoff influence. He has become one of the league’s elite late-game scorers, and his recent postseason production has put him in rare company alongside names such as Michael Jordan and LeBron.
Even in the Game 3 loss, Brunson still finished with 32 points. The concern, as Stephen A. Smith questioned Brunson, was more about shot selection and balance than whether he can carry the Knicks.
Not the first time Draymond Green praised Jalen Brunson
Green has made this kind of point before when talking about Brunson’s late-game ability. On The Draymond Green Show last week, he said Brunson’s crunchtime consistency belongs with the very best.
“It’s up there. It’s definitely up there on an elite level,” Green said.
“Needless to say, when Jalen Brunson has the game late and you’re on Jalen Brunson’s side, damn it, you feel good about it. Like Steph Curry.”
Green did add one important caveat.
He concluded: “You must win a championship to put it in the same category.”
That is where Brunson still has work to do. He has the Garden behind him, the numbers are climbing, and the comparisons are getting louder, but the title is the line that separates great runs from legendary ones.
Game 4 now feels massive. If Brunson answers, these comparisons will keep on coming.
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