In July 2014, Dirk Nowitzki had a choice. The Dallas Mavericks legend could have chased one final massive payday after receiving lucrative offers from around the league. Instead, he signed a heavily discounted deal to stay in Dallas, sacrificing tens of millions of dollars because he believed roster flexibility gave the Mavericks a better chance to compete. More than a decade later, that same philosophy would resurface in New York in a far more dramatic fashion.

The Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought on Friday night, defeating the Spurs in five games to capture the franchise’s first title since 1973. But long before Jalen Brunson lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy and accepted Finals MVP honors, he made a financial decision that helped shape the roster around him. Two years after leaving roughly $113 million on the table to help New York maintain roster flexibility, Brunson was asked whether the sacrifice had been worth it.

“100% worth it. 100% worth it,” Jalen Brunson doubled down on his claim. “Even if we didn’t achieve this, I feel like being able to do that and grind and go on a journey to try and achieve it would have been worth it as well. This is definitely the cherry on top.” 

Brunson’s answer carried extra weight because the decision was unlike anything seen from a superstar in his prime. In July 2024, the Knicks guard agreed to a four-year, $156.5 million extension instead of waiting for free agency, where he could have become eligible for a projected five-year deal worth roughly $269 million.

The decision was viewed as unprecedented around the league. At the time of the extension, The Athletic’s Fred Katz wrote: “No one else in league history has recommitted himself to a franchise in this fashion,” highlighting just how unusual it was for a superstar still in his prime to forgo that level of guaranteed money.

ESPN cap expert Bobby Marks described Brunson’s decision to forgo roughly $113 million as potentially “an historic moment” for stars trying to build championship rosters under the NBA’s restrictive apron system.

Meanwhile, back in February, Jalen Brunson shed light on his decision. The 29-year-old said, “I’ve seen players wait and then get hurt, and then they’re at the mercy of the organization. A lot of people say I sacrificed for the team.” He added that he prefers to have a “free mind” that doesn’t have to worry about getting paid. “One hundred percent, I sacrificed for the team. But most importantly, I made sure my family and I are taken care of,” the now-NBA champ concluded.

Brunson’s team-friendly extension also gave New York valuable breathing room under the NBA’s increasingly restrictive salary-cap rules. The flexibility helped the Knicks absorb Karl-Anthony Towns’ massive contract, acquire Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn, and retain a championship-caliber core without crossing the league’s punitive second-apron threshold.

Mike Brown believes Brunson’s sacrifice helped establish the culture that ultimately produced a championship. “He understands what winning is about. He took a pay cut that I wouldn’t take. Every time they would throw that number in front of me, I would say no, and I feel like I’m a great guy,” Brown said. Moreover, “He set the bar. That set the standard,” the head coach added.

Team president Leon Rose praised Brunson’s approach when the extension became official, saying: “Jalen has consistently led by example and continues to show a willingness to sacrifice for this organization, his teammates and everyone in the Knicks family.”

Brunson also reflected on the championship run itself during his conversation with Malika Andrews.

Jalen Brunson shares true feelings in candid interview

Brunson’s Finals performance placed him in rare company. His 45 points in the championship-clinching victory made him just the fourth player in NBA history to score at least 45 points in a Finals closeout game, joining Michael Jordan, Bob Pettit and Giannis Antetokounmpo. It also set a new Knicks record for points scored in an NBA Finals game.

Brunson won the title alongside fellow Villanova products Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, giving the trio a second basketball championship together after their NCAA success. “After the parade, yeah. I’ve done a decent job of being able to not look ahead, not look past anything, staying in the moment,” Brunson said. “I’m going to try and enjoy this for a little bit, and then once it’s time to get back to work, it’s back to work.”

Hart has repeatedly argued that Brunson still doesn’t receive enough recognition around the league, saying after the Finals that his longtime Villanova teammate “keeps proving people wrong, game by game, series by series, playoff appearance by playoff appearance.”

The road to the championship was far from smooth, but Brunson said the Knicks never lost sight of the identity they wanted to build as a team. “A team that is never going to quit. We’re going to find a way. I feel like over the years we’ve had that mindset, but I think this year we proved it to each other. We actually truly believe it,” he said.

And now that Jalen Brunson is the NBA champion and also Finals MVP, when will the reality sink in? “Probably when I get some alone time and probably get home. It’ll sink in a little bit. Probably when I hug my daughter tomorrow morning,” Brunson shared. Two years after leaving roughly $113 million on the table, Brunson has his answer: a championship ring, a Finals MVP trophy, and a place in Knicks history.