Jalen Brunson may have a championship, Finals MVP honors and the Keys to the City, but the Knicks star says one title he will never give himself is “King of New York.”
Jalen Brunson rejected the “King of New York” nickname during an appearance on the Road Trippin’ podcast, explaining that he has no interest in crowning himself after leading the New York Knicks to an NBA championship. “I’ve never called myself the king of New York. I will never call myself the king of New York,” Brunson said, according to Complex.
Brunson said introducing himself with that nickname would feel self-centered, even as the label has become increasingly common around the city. He credited the people closest to him, including longtime friends and his parents, with helping him stay grounded as his profile has grown.
The nickname picked up additional momentum after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly called Brunson “the king” during an Aug. 28 city parks event. Earlier in the summer, Brunson received the Keys to the City after the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to end the franchise’s 53-year championship drought.
Brunson’s postseason run made the praise understandable. The 30-year-old guard was named 2026 NBA Finals MVP after averaging 32.6 points, 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds in the series, then scored 45 points in the championship-clinching Game 5.
Still, Brunson made clear that he is more interested in what comes next than in embracing a royal nickname. On the same podcast appearance with Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye and Kendrick Perkins, he said the Knicks do not want to dwell on last season’s trophy as they prepare to defend their title.
“We don’t want to speak of the trophy, we don’t talk about the trophy, we don’t want to see the trophy,” Brunson said. He added that New York needs to enter the 2026-27 season with the same mindset, or an even tougher one, instead of getting comfortable with what the team already accomplished.
The Knicks are trying to become the NBA’s first back-to-back champions since the Golden State Warriors won consecutive titles in 2017 and 2018. For Brunson, the message heading into that challenge appears consistent with his response to the “King of New York” label: keep the focus on the work rather than the crown.
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