International Notes: Parker, Hezonja, Bertans, Canada, Murray
Spurs legend Tony Parker is the new head coach of France’s Under-17 national team, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Parker, who played 18 NBA seasons, has already opened training camp for the upcoming FIBA U17 World Cup that will be held in Istanbul later this month.
“I’m so excited. Like the first day of school,” Parker said of his new job. “I was so happy to put on this French national team jersey again.”
This marks the start of a coaching career for the 44-year-old Parker, who will take over ASVEL Villeurbanne next season as the highest-paid coach in the French League. He’s a French basketball legend, but he never participated in the World Cup as a player.
“To put things in context, back then, the World Championship wasn’t the competition everyone wanted to play in,” Parker said. “Since there was EuroBasket every two years and the Olympic Games, it was tough to play every summer.”
There’s more international news to pass along:
- Former NBA forward Mario Hezonja has been named Most Valuable Player of the Spanish League, Askounis states in a separate story. Hezonja, who played five seasons with Orlando, New York and Portland, averaged 17.5 points per game with Real Madrid. There was reported to be “serious interest” in Hezonja from several NBA teams last spring, but he opted to remain in Europe.
- Davis Bertans, who played for five teams in eight NBA seasons, is taking over as sports director for the Latvian men’s national team system, Askounis adds in another piece. That will include everything from the Under-14 age group up to the senior national team. “During my playing career, I have had the great opportunity to work in world-class organizations with excellent coaches, team managers, and staff,” Bertans said. “I am confident that this experience will help me create an environment where players, coaches, and staff can achieve the highest goals. At the same time, by getting involved and developing the next generation of basketball players to ensure the sustainability of Latvian basketball.”
- Canada has unveiled its 23-man player pool for this summer’s World Cup qualifiers, which begin with a July 3 game against Puerto Rico, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN (Twitter link). The list features some big names, including two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but one notable omission is Nuggets guard Jamal Murray. “No, Jamal Muray is not committed to playing in the program going forward,” Canada general manager Rowan Barrett said (Twitter link from Michael Grange of SportsNet). “He’s got tremendous desire to play for the country, but sometimes there are things going on with the athletes that prevent them from doing so.” Shaedon Sharpe and Andrew Wiggins are also not on the list.
Thunder Notes: Holmgren, SGA, Wallace, Topic
Chet Holmgren‘s coaches and teammates expressed support for the embattled big man during the Thunder’s end-of-season interviews on Sunday, according to The Associated Press. Holmgren’s rough series in the Western Conference finals ended with a two-shot, four-point performance in Game 7, but head coach Mark Daigneault said he remains an important part of the structure in Oklahoma City.
“Every minute Chet Holmgren’s been on the team, we’ve been the 1 seed in the Western Conference,” Daigneault told reporters. “And it wasn’t the case before Chet was healthy.”
Holmgren is coming off his best statistical season, averaging career highs with 17.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. He made his first All-Star Game appearance, received his first All-NBA honors and finished second in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year. However, none of that shielded him from criticism after he got badly outplayed by Spurs star Victor Wembanyama during the seven-game series.
Two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was among the players speaking out Sunday on behalf of Holmgren.
“We need Chet. We need Chet Holmgren,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Before Chet was here, we weren’t who we are today. We didn’t have the success we had today. When he’s the best version of himself, we’re the best version of ourselves and it’s no secret.”
There’s more from Oklahoma City:
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports examines the case for trading Holmgren, noting that he’s had other playoff disappointments during the past two seasons and even during the NCAA Tournament at Gonzaga. O’Connor doesn’t completely advocate for a Holmgren trade, but points out that he has a history of durability issues and is about to get much more expensive when his rookie scale extension kicks in next season.
- General manager Sam Presti has handed out six extensions since the 2022/23 season, and Cason Wallace appears to be next in line, Bobby Marks of ESPN states in his offseason preview. The 22-year-old guard led the league in steals this season and earned All-Defensive honors for the first time. Marks notes that he held opponents to 41.6% from the field as the closest defender, which ranked fifth in the NBA, and in the playoffs he limited Austin Reaves, Devin Booker, Stephon Castle and Jalen Green to a combined 25% on three-point attempts.
- Nikola Topic is looking forward to making an impact after having his first two NBA seasons affected by a partially torn left ACL and then a diagnosis of testicular cancer. He hopes to ultimately benefit from those difficult experiences, relays Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “I learned a lot about myself,” Topic said. “I didn’t know how tough I was, honestly. It wasn’t the best, but I’m grateful I went through those experiences. I grew from those experiences as well. And it made me a better person today. And I wouldn’t be here if those things didn’t happen. I’m looking forward to getting ready to play.”
Magic Hire Sean Sweeney As Head Coach
JUNE 1: Sweeney’s hiring is official, the team announced (Twitter link). He will remain with the Spurs through the NBA Finals. “Sean brings a tremendous work ethic and a high degree of intensity that set the tone for everything he does,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. “Sean’s attention to detail and his ability to communicate and teach the game clearly stands out. He’s grounded in competitiveness and accountability, while also embracing a modern, competitive approach to coaching.”
MAY 29: The Magic are finalizing a deal with top Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney and will hire him as their head coach, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). He’ll receive a four-year deal, reports Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link).
Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line had reported earlier today that Orlando was “very interested” in Sweeney, who was connected to multiple teams with head coaching vacancies this offseason. The Magic had also been considering Jeff Van Gundy and Billy Donovan, who were the club’s other finalists, per Charania (Twitter link).
Sweeney, who joined the Nets as a video coordinator in 2011, was promoted to an assistant coaching role in Brooklyn in 2013, then followed Jason Kidd to Milwaukee, working as a Bucks assistant from 2014-18. Following a three-year stint as a Pistons assistant from 2018-21, Sweeney reunited with Kidd in Dallas, serving as an assistant for the Mavericks from 2021-25.
A year ago, Sweeney left Dallas to become the lead assistant under Mitch Johnson in San Antonio. He earned the title of associate head coach with the Spurs and was responsible for running the team’s defense, which improved from 25th in defensive rating in 2024/25 to third in ’25/26.
After they parted ways with former head coach Jamahl Mosley, there was a sense that the Magic might be seeking a veteran head coach with prior experience, since they were seeking a candidate who could help the team make a deeper playoff run following three consecutive first-round exits. However, the Magic will opt for another first-time head coach, as Sweeney “blew away” the team during the interview process, as Charania writes in a full story.
According to Charania and Stein (Twitter link), Magic officials flew to San Antonio during the Western Conference finals to meet with Sweeney. The plan is for the veteran assistant to finish out the remainder of the postseason with the Spurs before joining the Magic. That could happen within the next few days if the Spurs are unable to beat the Thunder in Game 7 on Saturday.
The Bulls had interest in Sweeney, who was also said to be in the mix for the Pelicans’ head coaching job before New Orleans hired Mosley. Additionally, there was a belief that the Mavericks might seek a reunion with their former assistant, though there hasn’t been much chatter about that job, so it’s unclear if Dallas ever really pursued him.
With Sweeney headed to Orlando, three head coaching searches are now complete, as the Magic join the Pelicans (Mosley) and Bucks (Taylor Jenkins) in hiring new coaches. The Bulls, Mavericks, and Trail Blazers still have openings.
Cavaliers Notes: Mobley, Allen, Harden, Mitchell, LeBron
The Cavaliers figure to be active on the trade market this summer, whether it’s to remake a roster that got overwhelmed by New York in the Eastern Conference finals or just to escape the second apron. The problem for president of basketball operations Koby Altman is that he doesn’t have many assets to offer unless he’s willing to part with a big name, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only story.
Fedor states that teams calling Altman typically express interest in Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson or Max Strus. Mobley and Allen are linchpins of a team that has become one of the best in the conference, while Tyson at 23 is one of the Cavs’ top young talents and Strus is a reliable shooter who’ll have a $16.7MM expiring contract next season. Cleveland also owns the 29th pick in this year’s draft and can offer its first-rounder in 2031 or 2032.
Mobley would be the most valuable asset if the Cavaliers decide to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo or another huge name, but Fedor states that the front office still views Mobley as a future star and appears to be committed to keeping him as part of the future.
“All I can tell you is, since Evan’s been here, we’ve had the third best record in the league,” Altman said Friday at his end-of-season press conference. “Now we don’t have a championship to show for that yet, right? Boston and Denver, the other two ahead of us, they have a championship to show for that. But all Evan has done is impacted winning. He’s been remarkable for us in terms of our ascent the last five years. He’s a huge part of what we do.”
Altman also expressed support for Allen, saying he’s a good fit alongside Mobley and they provide a “cheat code” on defense.
There’s more from Cleveland:
- The Cavaliers considered a few other options before deciding to trade for James Harden at the deadline, according to Fedor. One was Celtics guard Derrick White, which became unrealistic with Jayson Tatum‘s fast return from his Achilles injury. Another was Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday, a former Celtic, but they decided he doesn’t he doesn’t provide enough offense. There were also “internal discussions” about Antetokounmpo. Altman said they understood what they were getting with Harden, who holds a $42.3MM player option for next season and is expected to sign a multi-year contract this summer. “I think people need to take a step back and realize we didn’t trade for MVP James Harden,” Altman said. “We traded for James Harden at the end of his career that has transformed himself to becoming one of the best point guards in the league. He helped stabilize us. He helped re-galvanize the group. We were kind of shaky there, in terms of our belief. We’re not in the conference finals without James.”
- Altman called Donovan Mitchell “uniquely ours” during the press conference, but the team could face a difficult decision if he doesn’t agree to an extension this summer, Fedor adds. Mitchell will become eligible in July for a four-year deal worth up to $272MM, but that will increase to five years at around $350MM if he waits until next offseason. That means taking him into potential free agency, which the Cavs may be hesitant to do.
- Speculation about another LeBron James homecoming will hang over the franchise until his situation is resolved, Fedor notes. James would solve the team’s most pressing positional need and would bring a wealth of playoff experience, but the Cavs can’t offer more than the $3.9MM veteran’s minimum without making major changes to the roster. Another option is a sign-and-trade, which means giving James a three-year contract with at least one fully guaranteed season. Fedor points out that the Lakers would likely ask for a significant return in that scenario.
Knicks Notes: Sochan, Brown, Anunoby, Robinson
Jeremy Sochan hasn’t played much since signing with the Knicks, but his inside knowledge of the Spurs should be valuable heading into the NBA Finals, Jared Schwartz of The New York Post writes in a subscriber-only piece. Sochan was drafted by San Antonio in 2022 and remained with the team until he was waived in mid-February. New York scooped him up two days later and is now in position to take advantage of his familiarity with Victor Wembanyama and the rest of his former teammates.
“He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen, and he works on it all the time, but he gets tired,” Sochan said of Wembanyama. “It’s natural, being that tall, he gets tired. With the team we have, I think it’s important to give him different looks and, not beat him up, but be very physical with him and make him run. And he’s gonna get tired and he’s gonna have to take some plays off, in my opinion.”
Sochan was a lottery pick coming out of college and was a starter for most of his first three years in the league, but he fell out of the Spurs’ rotation this season and eventually became expendable. He saw limited action in 16 games with the Knicks during the regular season and has made five brief appearances in the playoffs. His main role in the Finals figures to be as an advisor.
“Whether I’m playing or not, it’s important to feed all the information I have,” Sochan said. “And I think I know quite a lot. I’m watching their games now, I’m seeing the old plays we [ran], when they go up to certain people and at what times, it’s pretty obvious to see. It’s gonna be interesting.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Coach Mike Brown also has ties to San Antonio, having worked three years as an assistant to Gregg Popovich early in his career, notes Howie Kusoy of The New York Post. That connection hasn’t done anything to dull Brown’s competitiveness heading into the series. “They definitely want to beat me and I want to kick their ass,” Brown said. “You love ’em and you can always love ’em before and after … I got ties to San Antonio and you appreciate the people, you appreciate the journey and all that other stuff. But at the end of the day, just like they want to beat you, you definitely want to beat them.”
- OG Anunoby may be the Knicks’ best option to slow down Wembanyama, Kusoy adds in a separate story. Anunoby has allowed the fewest points per possession among anyone who has been the primary defender on the Spurs’ big man for at least 100 possessions, Kusoy states. “OG is an extremely versatile guard, and you know, the luxury of having a guy like that is he’s long enough, athletic enough, strong enough to guard quick, smaller guys, he’s obviously got the size and athleticism to guard big wings, and then he’s got the strength and the length and the intelligence to guard bigger guys,” Brown said. “So having a guy like that gives us a ton of versatility to be able to move him around, knowing that he can adapt, slash, adjust, or whatever you want to call it, on the fly.”
- Mitchell Robinson, whose status for Game 1 remains uncertain as he deals with a broken pinky finger, posted a message for his fans Saturday on Instagram, relays Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “I can’t thank you guys enough for the love and support most of you bring especially at a time like this in my life,” Robinson wrote. “It makes everything in fighting for 100x easier to deal with.”
Northwest Notes: Gilgeous-Alexander, Game 7, Wolves, Blazers
The Thunder expected to be fighting to win their second straight championship next week. Instead, they face a summer of introspection and figuring out what they need to do to reach the Finals again.
When it comes to making or suggesting personnel changes, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says that he will not be a part of the discussions, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter video link).
“I will give zero input,” he said. “I will let Sam Presti, the greatest GM ever, do his job.”
As Gilgeous-Alexander won a second consecutive MVP award and led the Thunder to another deep playoff run, critics have griped about his playing style, accusing him of egregiously seeking out contact and flopping. Warriors forward Draymond Green said that the conversations have skewed too negative for his taste, according to Ali Thanawalla of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“We want to pinpoint the thing that we can slow down. Shai’s falling. Shai’s at the free-throw line. Everybody’s complaining about Shai getting too many foul calls. And going into Game 6, Shai had shot five more free throws in the series than Wemby. But the whole complaint is Shai’s getting too many foul calls. I don’t understand it,” Green said. “‘Ah man, he’s foul baiting.’ Shai, what I will say is, you’ve reached a new level of greatness, my man. Congratulations. Your hard work has paid off. You’ve reached a new level of greatness because you have sports media heads coming out and talking about what they don’t like about your greatness. Imagine that.”
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- The Thunder‘s inability to make, let alone win, their second straight Finals is a testament to how difficult it is to be a repeat champion in the NBA, Joel Lorenzi writes for The Athletic. While fans have grown accustomed in the past to teams like the Heat and Warriors rattling off championships, this season will mark the eighth straight year without a repeat winner. “It always takes a little bit of luck,” Alex Caruso said. “We were lucky last year, our team was healthy the whole time outside of (Jalen Williams’) wrist, but he was able to play still. This year, losing those two guys, it changes the dynamic of the team. Obviously, you’re playing a good opponent. You’re playing a 62-win team.” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr empathized with the difficult task. “The whole league, by the way, is spending all their time trying to figure out how to beat you, building their teams to beat you, building new schemes to beat you. That’s a lot to face year in and year out,” he said. “And at the same time, it’s like, what an honor that is.”
- Another team trying to figure out how to beat both the Thunder and Spurs is the one that lost to San Antonio in the second round: the Timberwolves. After an earlier exit than they would have liked, they’ll have some ability to be aggressive in pursuing trades, but will also have to deal with a handful of roadblocks, Yossi Gozlan writes in his offseason preview for the Third Apron. One of the bigger questions facing the team’s new ownership is whether the Wolves will be willing to operate as a second-apron team again. The answer to that question will determine how aggressive they’ll be in shedding salary or pursuing upgrades. With Anthony Edwards becoming extension-eligible this summer, the team will also need to show him that they’re taking the right steps in making the team a true contender.
- Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon‘s hockey team, the Carolina Hurricanes, is in the midst of a massive arena renovation that came through coordinated efforts with the state mayor, the public university system, and more parties. While it’s not a perfectly analogous situation to the Blazers’ efforts to renovate the Moda Center, exploring why the former has been so successful might help provide insights for the latter, writes Bill Oram of the Oregonian. The Blazers’ arena project faces community skepticism, especially regarding using a clean energy fund for the $4.3 billion franchise, at a time when the city’s economy is losing jobs at a rate much higher than in other areas of the country.
And-Ones: Eurocamp Mentors, Doncic, Osman, Condon, Cotton
This year’s Adidas Eurocamp, which serves as a platform for international basketball prospects to gain prominence among decision-makers around the globe, will be well-represented by NBA players who will serve as special guests and mentors in Franz Wagner (Magic), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Clippers), and VJ Edgecombe (Sixers), Johnny Askounis writes for Eurohoops.
Those are not the only NBA representatives who will be present. Bucks assistants Dave Joerger and Rex Kalamian will help run things, as will Sixers coaches Rico Hines and Bryan Gates and Phil Handy from the Mavericks, among others.
As far as participants in the camp go, the biggest names are Oscar Wembanyama, the 6’8″, 19-year-old brother of Victor Wembanyama, along with Australian guard/wing Dash Daniels, French forward Meissa Faye, Italian guard David Torresani, and Swann Penda, brother of Magic draft pick Noah Penda.
The games, which take place from June 5 to 7, will be streamed on Adidas’ YouTube channel.
We have more from around the world of international hoops:
- Lakers star Luka Doncic was approached by former Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson this season and asked if he wanted to help try to move a professional basketball team to Rome, Tani Ganguli writes for The New York Times. It was an easy decision for Doncic to say yes. The pair is now heading up an investment group that is attempting to bring Vanoli Cremona from northern Italy to the capital city as part of the NBA’s continued efforts to get its NBA Europe league off the ground. “Since I came to the N.B.A., my dream was always to own a team in Europe, especially because Europe gave me so much,” Doncic said. “… I am the player I am because of Euroleague.”
- Panathinaikos is headed to the Greek League Finals due in large part to the contributions of ex-NBA player Cedi Osman, who had 29 points with five made threes in the final game of the semi-finals sweep over PAOK BC. Former Knicks point guard Jerian Grant had 15 points, while Nigel Hayes-Davis, who played 27 games for the Suns this season, added 14. On the other side of the box score, Patrick Beverley had 14 points and 11 assists for PAOK. Osman scored 14 points in the third quarter, turning the momentum of the game, per the Eurohoops team. Panathinaikos will face Olympiacos in the Finals.
- The Australian national team selection for the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers is taking shape, with Alex Condon, who recently withdrew from the NBA draft to return to Florida, Cavaliers rookie Tyrese Proctor, and former NBA guard Bryce Cotton among the bigger names, per Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Cotton, who played two years in the NBA between 2014 and 2016, has been an NBL staple for nearly a decade. He has led the league in scoring nine times, has won six MVPs, and three championships, for which he received two NBL Grand Final MVP awards.
Draft Notes: Jazz, Kings, 2027 Pick Value, Samodurov
With the 2026 NBA draft combine over, the Jazz are in the next stage of their draft preparation, writes Sarah Todd of Deseret News.
One important area for Utah, which holds the second overall pick, is the return of medical evaluations and testing. Given that potential No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson dealt with health issues throughout his freshman season at Kansas, those medicals could play a crucial role in the Jazz’s decision on draft night. Peterson was limited to just 24 games this season, and often came under scrutiny for subbing himself out as he dealt with nagging hamstring and cramping issues.
The Jazz will also begin their pre-draft workouts this week. For the top prospects, this will likely consist more of in-depth interviews and dinners with coaches rather than heavily intensive skill drills, Todd writes.
We have more from around the draft:
- The Kings will host a pre-draft workout on Monday for six players: Quadir Copeland (North Carolina State), Melvin Council (Kansas), Tre White (Kansas), Nick Martinelli (Northwestern), KeShawn Murphy (Auburn), and Caden Powell (Baylor), per Sean Cunningham of KCRA News (via Twitter). In addition to the seventh overall pick, the Kings hold two second-round picks at No. 34 and No. 45. The aforementioned prospects would all likely be competing for the second-round picks or undrafted free agency slots. Of the six, Martinelli is highest rated on Jeremy Woo’s big board for ESPN at 53rd overall, while White, Murphy, and Powell are all unranked.
- With the league adjusting to the reality of the new rules regarding tanking and the lottery, one topic of discussion is how the new odds will impact the Grizzlies and Jazz, who completed a trade involving Utah’s 2027 first-round pick. The Jazz are hoping to be a much-improved team next season as they get their first extended look at a Lauri Markkanen/Jaren Jackson Jr./Walker Kessler frontcourt. They’ll also add the No. 2 overall pick and are expecting internal growth from players like Keyonte George and Ace Bailey. If Utah is at least in the play-in mix, the Grizzlies will actually gain expected value from that traded pick as a result of the lottery changes, Chris Crouse writes for Forty Eight Minutes, even though the pick would be prohibited from landing in the top five.
- Greek big man Alexandros Samodurov, an early entrant in the 2026 draft after playing this season for Panathinaikos, has committed to UNC, Jonathan Givony reports (via Twitter). The 21-year-old big man, who recently removed his name from the draft pool, flashed a burgeoning outside shot this year, in addition to strong shot-blocking ability.
Sixers Notes: Bona, Gansey, Walker, Lowry
With Joel Embiid in and out of the lineup for the Sixers this season, second-year center Adem Bona got a chance to prove his worth to the team. In his modest role, he showed some intriguing qualities but also some cause for concern, Adam Aaronson writes in his season recap for the Philly Voice.
Bona’s 3.2 blocked shots per 100 possessions was the ninth-best mark in the league, reflecting his ability to change games on the defensive end with his energy and his athleticism. However, he struggled with reading the game, touch around the rim, and defensive rebounding ability, all of which proved to be issues in the playoffs. For those reasons, Bona is better suited to be the third center than the primary backup, Aaronson argues, calling next season a “make or break year” for the 23-year-old.
Bona only attempted six three-pointers this season, but he says it’s something that he’s working on.
“That’s definitely a part of my game I do [want to] develop a little more, [earn] more trust in my teammates and myself and my coaching staff to be able to take shots like that,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a process; it takes time to get there. So obviously next year, the goal is to be able to do that more, even though [there weren’t many situations which] called for it this year.”
We have more from the Sixers:
- Newly hired team president Mike Gansey filled many roles for the Cavaliers during his decade-plus tenure with the team. One area he helped impact during his later years in Cleveland was helping to identify potential trade and free agent targets, including key contributors Max Strus and Sam Merrill, according to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Merrill, particularly, was a critical signing for the Cavaliers, as they were able to add him on a 10-day contract before his impact earned him a guaranteed deal.
- Jabari Walker showed a lot of versatility during his first year in Philadelphia, but it’s unclear if his inconsistent jump shot will allow him to consistently tap into his gifts, Aaronson writes. Walker is a strong rebounder who can make some passes on short rolls and even demonstrated the ability to play small-ball center. If he can just hit his open shots, he could be a valuable piece moving forward. It would also behoove him to try to get a little more mobile in order to defend quicker wings as well as smaller bigs, Aaronson adds.
- Most players are judged by their on-court impact, but a small group of players are there for a different kind of contribution. Kyle Lowry played just 118 minutes for the Sixers this season and didn’t attempt a single two-pointer in that time. However, every younger player on the roster raved about the 40-year-old’s impact on how they approach the game, Aaronson writes in Lowry’s season-end retrospective. “I couldn’t do this without him, honestly, right now,” Tyrese Maxey said. “He calls me at least three or four times a day and we talk. But it’s good, though. I’m glad he’s here and I appreciate him and we appreciate him.” Lowry hasn’t formally announced his plans for next season, but it seems quite likely that he has reached the end of his playing career.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Robinson, Rose, Sacrifice
Jalen Brunson accomplished something no other Knick has since the turn of the millennium, leading New York to the NBA Finals for a shot at bringing home the team’s first championship since 1973. For the people who have watched him the most, this success is only natural, given the makeup of who he is as a player.
“He has an iron will. He’s not tall, he’s not fast, he’s not overly athletic. But he’s one of the mentally strongest players I’ve ever been around,” said longtime Knicks and ESPN broadcaster Mike Breen in an interview with Steve Serby of the New York Post. “They talk about Michael Jordan, they talk about Kobe Bryant … in terms of mental toughness, I’d put him up there with anybody.”
Breen, who has worked alongside Knicks legend Walt Frazier for years, says that regardless of whether or not the Knicks beat the Spurs, Brunson has put himself in the conversation for the greatest Knick of all time, despite only being with the team for four seasons.
Brunson is also making a special kind of history, as his appearance in the NBA Finals will mark the first time that a father-son duo both played in the Finals for the same team, the NBA announced (via Twitter). Brunson’s father – and Knicks assistant coach – Rick Brunson played for New York in the team’s 1999 Finals matchup against, coincidentally, the Spurs. The elder Brunson played just 10 seconds in the series as a bench depth piece, while the younger Brunson’s responsibilities will be considerably greater.
We have more news and notes from the Knicks:
- According to head coach Mike Brown, Mitchell Robinson did some individual work during the Knicks’ practice on Sunday, per Stefan Bondy of the Post (Twitter link). Brown said he wasn’t sure exactly what Robinson is wearing to protect his pinky finger, which recently underwent surgery, nor could he provide an availability update on the big man for Game 1. The Knicks’ backup center figures to play a crucial role in the series, if healthy, as his size, defensive ability, and offensive rebounding could be a critical part of New York’s plan to deal with Victor Wembanyama.
- When Leon Rose took over the Knicks’ front office, the club was in the midst of what would end up being a 21-45 season, cut short by COVID. The first decision he made was to hire Tom Thibodeau to lead the team into what he hoped would be a resurgence of competitiveness. That was move one of 160 that brought the team from perpetual bottom-feeder to Eastern Conference champions, Mike Vaccaro writes for the Post. While there were a couple of missteps, such as the summer of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, Rose was able to quickly fix his own mistakes as easily as he moved on from those of his predecessors.
- If there’s one word that describes the makeup of this Knicks team, it’s sacrifice — so much so that the door of the team locker room has a “Standard of a Champion” contract signed by every player and coach, Jared Schwartz writes for the Post. “My willingness to sacrifice at the highest level for the team, on and off the floor will represent my dedication to our collective objective,” the first clause in the contract reads. The players have taken that philosophy to heart, whether it’s Karl-Anthony Towns sacrificing shots in order to help facilitate the team offense, Jordan Clarkson shifting from the run-and-gun style he played in Utah to hustling for offensive rebounds and intensifying his defensive intensity, or Robinson being willing to play a lesser role than he did a few years ago. “Being unselfish, I think that’s the biggest thing,” Josh Hart said. “And where we’re at right now, everyone is unselfish. We’re willing to sacrifice numbers and stats for the betterment of the team. And I think when we do that, we’re playing our best basketball.”