Jalen Brunson bet on himself and bet on the Knicks. A championship and a Finals MVP was his reward

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Jalen Brunson was fully aware of how much money some people spent to see the New York Knicks finally become champions again. Some tickets during the NBA Finals sold for $5,000, some for $50,000, some for probably more.

Of course, Brunson parted with more money than any of those fans.

Brunson is now an NBA champion and NBA Finals MVP in large part because of what he did against the San Antonio Spurs in the finals — though, really, his biggest contribution to this title run likely came in 2024, when he left as much as $113 million on the bargaining table to allow the Knicks the financial flexibility they needed to finish building a championship roster.

It was considered an unprecedented move.

It paid off.

Brunson had 45 points — including 13 straight down the stretch — to lead the Knicks to a 94-90, title-clinching win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night, one that sealed a 4-1 win.

“I knew it was achievable,” Brunson said.

It was a storybook finish to a story like none other; not only did Brunson make the Knicks champions, he made his dad one as well. Rick Brunson played for the Knicks, and now is an assistant coach on his kid’s team.

“I have all of his trophies,” Rick Brunson said. “He has not one trophy at his house. I’m going to get his MVP trophy, too.”

Brunson now has a seat at the table of sports kings of New York, alongside the likes of Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, Mark Messier and others. Deliver a championship to the Big Apple and you get celebrated for life. Brunson doesn’t seek attention — in fact, he genuinely seems to dislike it — but such is the risk one takes when he leads a storied franchise to its first title in more than half a century.

There was no doubt Jalen Brunson would win finals MVP. Knicks coach Mike Brown doesn't understand why he wasn't among the top vote-getters for the regular-season MVP as well.

“I hope you guys will listen to me: He's a top-three MVP candidate,” Brown said, holding his grandson on his lap in the championship celebration. “Everybody kind of mentions his name in passing. They don't do it seriously enough. ... He is a fricking 1-A. He is a MVP candidate and I hope tonight you guys recognize what this man is about.

“He is him.”

There are countless reasons why the Knicks have turned their fortunes around over the last four seasons, but the list starts with Brunson. New York had four winning seasons in a 21-year span before Brunson arrived; the Knicks have had four winning seasons in the four years that he’s worn the franchise’s colors. They’ve now won eight playoff series with Brunson in the lineup; they won seven series, total, from 1998 through 2022.

He’s a bona fide superstar as well, with three consecutive All-Star selections and three consecutive seasons in which he’s averaged at least 26 points. The only other players to do that in each of the last three years — be an All-Star and average 26 points in every one — are Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

They’ve all been NBA champions, too. So, now, is Brunson.

“He’s a tremendous player that’s skilled, picks his spots, knows his angles, shoots contested shots without being sped up,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said earlier in the finals. “He’s a phenomenal player.”

Texas has been good to Brunson when it comes to titles. Villanova's 2016 championship was won in Houston, and the 2018 championship came in San Antonio — at the Alamodome, just a few minutes away from the arena that the Spurs call home.

Oddly, Texas wasn't always that good to Brunson as a pro — which is how he ended up in New York.

Brunson joined the Knicks in 2022 after leaving Dallas, which didn't offer him a contract anywhere near what the Villanova guard felt he deserved.

And then, two years later, Brunson took far less than he'd earned.

In 2024, Brunson signed a four-year extension with New York that could be worth $156.5 million if he accepts his option for the 2028-29 season. If Brunson waited until 2025 for his extension, he would have been eligible for a five-year, $269 million deal.

Brown said, if he was in that position, he wouldn't have taken the discount deal.

“He set the bar before he even stepped on the floor,” Brown said.

Brunson will almost certainly recoup some if not all of that money in his next extension, one that could top $300 million — possibly by a lot. But by passing up the much larger guarantee then, he provided the Knicks with the ability to make other moves that are paying off now.

And among the ones that followed his June 2024 decision: The Knicks brought in starters Mikal Bridges (a former Villanova teammate) and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Could all that have happened if Brunson didn’t accept the smaller extension? Maybe, but unlikely.

“I think he’s still underrated in the league, and he keeps proving people wrong, game by game, series by series, playoff appearance by playoff appearance,” said Knicks forward Josh Hart — one of the ‘Nova Knicks,’ the moniker given to the trio of himself, Brunson and Bridges, all NCAA champions at Villanova who have now become NBA champions in New York. “As a friend, as a teammate, it’s funny because you know he’s one of the best players in the league, and you’re happy that he’s starting to get some recognition.”

He’s getting more than some recognition. He’s getting a ring.

“Just thankful that this opportunity presented itself,” Brunson said, “and we were able to get it done.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson holds the MVP trophy after the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson celebrates after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives as San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet (7) defends during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, left, drives past San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

ROME (AP) — José Mourinho left Roma 2½ years ago huffing and puffing over the referees after failing to qualify the club for the Champions League during his turbulent but also successful stay in the Italian capital.

Now he’s back to lead Real Madrid into the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday for Roma’s first Champions League home game in 7½ years. His ongoing laments and histrionics over the referees have prompted controversy in Spain and Madrid is struggling while rival Barcelona is soaring at the start of his second stint in the Spanish capital.

Mourinho didn’t show up for his mandatory post-match news conference Saturday after Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior had a goal dismissed and was sent off with a direct red card for pulling the hair of a Villarreal player in La Liga.

“I’ll say something so you stop asking me about it. Watch just the first minute of the Villarreal match," Mourinho said Tuesday. "That’s enough.”

The hair-pulling episode came after Madrid called for a new Spanish league president, arguing that Javier Tebas’ comments against the club regarding refereeing complaints were “intolerable.”

Tebas criticized the club for attacking the officiating crew in the 2-1 loss at Atletico Madrid before the international break.

After the derby, Mourinho took a piece of paper with photos to the post-match news conference, saying there were “two clear red cards” that weren’t shown to Atletico players. The Madrid coach then spent nearly five minutes complaining of “strange” things that have happened to his team this season and in the past.

Mourinho kept up his “strange” theme on Tuesday when asked about referee appointments.

“It seems very strange," he said. "Normally, referees are announced 24 hours before La Liga matches. Why do we know ours three weeks in advance? It smells strange.”

Perhaps Mourinho’s mood will get a lift in Rome, where he remains a beloved figure after leading Roma to successive European finals — a Conference League title in 2022 and a Europa League final the following season.

“For 90 minutes we're going to be opponents. But if they want to make a special tribute, well I also would like to embrace the Roma fans,” Mourinho said. "Before or after the match I'll touch my heart.”

Current Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini said he expected the club's fans to pay tribute to Mourinho before kickoff.

“It’s only fair. The fans really loved him so he deserves whatever tribute they give him," Gasperini said. "But once the match starts, I think they’ll forget those feelings and Rome’s people will cheer exclusively for their squad.”

Mourinho's current state could also bring back memories of more clashes with the officiating crews.

Mourinho was suspended by UEFA from four European games for verbally abusing the Europa League final referee in a stadium garage after Roma lost the 2023 final to Sevilla. He was also suspended for his final game at Roma against AC Milan in January 2024.

The last time Roma had a home game in the Champions League was against Porto in the round of 16 in February 2019. Roma won 2-1 but then lost the return leg 3-1 and was eliminated on 4-3 aggregate.

It's the second straight Champions League match that Mourinho is facing one of his former Italian clubs, after Madrid hung on for a 2-1 win over Inter Milan last month after scoring two early goals.

Gasperini achieved in one season what Mourinho couldn’t over three when he coached Roma to a top-four finish during his first campaign with the Giallorossi.

Having moved on after a successful nine-year stay at Atalanta, Gasperini has developed Roma into an attack-minded unit that is the antithesis of Mourinho’s defensive-minded teams.

“José left people with amazing memories and a deep affection for him as a coach,” Gasperini said. “However ours is a different sort of team now — very different from the one that played under Mourinho — even though it hasn’t been that many years.”

Donyell Malen leads Serie A with six goals in six matches and will be looking for redemption after picking up the first red card of his career on Sunday in a 0-0 draw with fellow Champions League side Como.

Malen went on as a second-half substitute for Borussia Dortmund when Madrid beat the German club in the 2024 final for its record-extending 15th Champions League title.

The match at the Stadio Olimpico will also likely mark the 100th Champions League appearance for Kylian Mbappé, who at 27 would become the youngest player to reach the century mark in the competition.

Lionel Messi set the current record at 28 against Roma in September 2015.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe controls the ball during the La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Villarreal in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Roma's Donyell Malen reacts after getting a red card during the Serie A soccer match between Como and Roma, in Como, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (Tiziano Ballabio/LaPresse via AP)

Real Madrid's head coach Jose Mourinho reacts during the La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Villarreal in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Real Madrid's head coach Jose Mourinho argues with a referee during the La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Villarreal in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Real Madrid's head coach Jose Mourinho sits on the becnhs before the La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Villarreal in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)