Rick Brunson did not need a long speech to turn the New York Knicks’ championship celebration into one more reminder of the Dallas Mavericks’ biggest missed chance.
The Knicks won the 2026 NBA Championship behind Jalen Brunson, who left Dallas in 2022 and became the face of New York’s rise. His Finals MVP performance made the old Mavericks’ decision look even more painful.
That context gave Rick’s post-title line its bite, because the joke was really about the path that brought his son to Madison Square Garden.
Rick Brunson thanks Mark Cuban after Jalen Brunson leads New York Knicks’ title run
According to Polymarket Hoops on X, Rick Brunson was heard taking a cheeky shot at Cuban after the Knicks won the championship.
“Tell Mark Cuban thank you,” the Knicks assistant coach stated.
The jab was simple, but the meaning was obvious. Cuban’s Mavericks drafted Jalen in 2018, watched him develop beside Luka Doncic and then lost him to New York in 2022 free agency.
Dallas had chances to secure Brunson before he reached the open market, including the possibility of a cheaper extension before his value exploded.
By the time New York offered a four-year, $104 million deal, the Knicks had built the cleaner path to a lead-guard role.
Mark Cuban’s regret grew as Jalen Brunson became New York Knicks Finals MVP
Cuban’s frustration with Brunson’s exit was public long before the Knicks became champions, including his comments about family involvement and the disputed free-agency process.
The Knicks were later punished for early free-agency contact, but that did not change the basketball outcome. Dallas lost Brunson for nothing, while New York gained the player who became the engine of a championship team.
Brunson made that gap impossible to ignore in Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs. He scored 45 points as the Knicks won 94-90, closed the series 4-1, and captured their first NBA title since 1973.
Rick’s line was funny because it flipped the old argument. What once looked like a messy Dallas exit now looks like the move that delivered New York its franchise star.
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