Jalen Brunson just did what only three players in NBA history have done: score 45+ in a Finals closeout. In 1991, Chicago was euphoric at the prospect of winning its first NBA championship with Michael Jordan and the Bulls routing the Knicks in the playoffs. 35 years later, New York experienced that same thrill under the sheer dominance of their underdog NBA team. Tonight, the New York Knicks are officially champions of the basketball world for the first time in 53 years, completing a historic run behind a breathtaking, legacy-defining performance from franchise savior Jalen Brunson.

In an intensely contested 94-90 Game 5 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center to clinch the championship, Brunson single-handedly carried the scoring load for a heavily fatigued New York squad. Brunson carried the Knicks on his back, scoring 45 points, including 29 after halftime and 15 in the fourth quarter, to close out the Spurs. It’s a Black Cat level performance, and it showed.

His 45-point masterpiece didn’t just secure the Larry O’Brien trophy and the Finals MVP crown. It catapulted Brunson into the most exclusive club shared by Jordan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Bob Pettit. Brunson became only the fourth player in the history of the sport to record at least 45 points in a championship closeout game.

Until tonight, Giannis Antetokounmpo was the only modern superstar in the same tier as Hall of Famer Bob Pettit and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.

The weight of his personal accomplishment was lost on the Knicks captain. He was visibly overwhelmed during the post-game championship presentation. He got to share that in San Antonio, not only with his team, but also with his dad, Rick Brunson, who was part of the Knicks squad that last went to the Finals in 1999 and lost to the Spurs. It’s been even longer since a championship; the Knicks last won the Larry O’Brien trophy in 1973.

The newly crowned Finals MVP completely choked up as he reflected on the underdog journey to the Finals. “It’s everything we dreamed of,” Brunson stated, fighting back tears while embracing his father. “It’s why I came to New York.”

The Knicks had a worse regular-season record than the Spurs, having faced significant turbulence at various points in the year. The Spurs were heavily favored, having beaten the defending champion OKC Thunder on their path to the finals.

Jalen Brunson cements his legendary status with a Michael Jordan-like feat

The sheer magnitude of Jalen Brunson’s scoring exploits looks even more astonishing when compared against the legends he matched on Saturday night. Before Brunson’s Game 5 heroics, only three men had ever displayed such clinical offensive dominance with a single championship game on the line.

Bob Pettit exploded for a historic 50 points for the St. Louis Hawks (the former incarnation of the Atlanta Hawks) to eliminate the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the 1958 NBA Finals.

Michael Jordan logged his 45-point performance with the iconic ‘Last Shot,’ the famous final free throw line jumper to close out the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. The Bulls were trailing by one point with under 20 seconds remaining. MJ stole the ball from Karl Malone, crossed over Bryon Russell, and sank a 20-foot jump shot to seal the Bulls’ 87-86 victory, a magnificent curtain call on the Bulls dynasty.

Fun fact: Sunday, June 14, marks the 28th anniversary of the Last Shot, a day after Brunson matched his record.

This record looked achievable for the first time in the modern era when Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a legendary 50-point masterpiece to seal the championship for the Milwaukee Bucks against the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals. Ironically, the Knicks might just fall out of the Giannis sweepstakes after winning the title.

Brunson’s execution on Saturday mirrored Jordan’s 1998 workload with eerie perfection. Navigating a grueling Spurs defense and hurting his ankle on a (missed) foul by Victor Wembanyama, Brunson shot an impressive 14-for-27 from the floor and aggressively forced his way to the charity stripe to connect on 13 of his 15 free throws. The rest of the Knicks squad combined, barring Brunson, shot under 30% from the field, highlighting the absolute necessity of Jalen’s scoring surge tonight.

Like Jordan’s 1998 closeout, Brunson’s 45 points came on heavy volume (27 shots) against elite defense.

By putting the entire city on his back to break the franchise’s agonizing half-century title drought, Brunson didn’t just join Michael Jordan in the record books; he secured eternal legendary status in the heart of New York City.