Hammon not apologizing for opinion, says Brunson NBA 'outlier'

LAS VEGAS -- Aces coach Becky Hammon acknowledged Tuesday that New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson has put himself in a unique class of players but didn't back off her general stance that small guards generally don't lead teams to NBA championships.

Brunson, listed at 6-foot-2, did just that in earning NBA Finals MVP after guiding the Knicks to a five-game victory over the San Antonio Spurs. He scored 45 points in the title-clinching game on June 13.

Hammon made her original comments on ESPN in December 2023, saying Brunson wasn't a "1A dude."

She was asked about her remarks at Tuesday's Aces shootaround leading up to her team's home game against the New York Liberty. The Aces have won three of the past four WNBA championships, and the Liberty won two years ago.

"Jalen, all he did was prove history wrong," Hammon said. "He proves he's an outlier, so you can put his name next to Steph Curry and Isiah Thomas. I thought he played brilliantly, especially down the stretch.

"I mean, he was that 1A dude. But apologize? I'm never going to apologize for having an opinion. That's what ESPN pays me for."

This is the second time in recent weeks she defended her original comments. Hammon also was asked her opinion after Brunson was named Eastern Conference finals MVP when the Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"I think Jalen Brunson's a hell of a player, a hell of a player," Hammon said on May 26. "I'm speaking historically on the NBA with what I said. I don't know why everybody's so stuck on that. I said it two years ago.

"I said what I said. If he proves me wrong, he proves me wrong."br/]