“It was like the longest, shortest summer ever — but it was well worth it.”
That’s how Jalen Brunson described the Knicks offseason, which started when they won the franchise’s first title in 53 years, had a parade in Manhattan, and the party seemed to continue all summer long. That party will roll again on Oct. 20 when the Knicks raise that championship banner and Jalen Brunson and his teammates get their championship rings, in an opening-night ceremony you can watch on NBC (or stream on Peacock), before the Knicks face the 76ers.
However, the question all too quickly becomes, “What’s next? How do they do it again?”
“I think for us now, the way we approached last year, is taking one day at a time, every single day,” Brunson said at Knicks Media Day, one of several comments he made about sticking to the process. “So not talking about certain things. Obviously, we know what it takes, but just going into this with the same mindset for this journey. It’s a new journey, it’s a different journey, the approach has to be the same, if not better.”
On top of the Knicks now being the hunted, there also will be more distractions — like talk of the looming Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart extensions. Reports have the Knicks and Towns tens of millions of dollars apart on an offer, but the sides have until June 30, 2027, to figure out a number. At media day, Towns understandably tried to play all that down, quote via James Edwards of The Athletic.
“I’ve made it known that I want to play here. I’ve been a fan since a kid. I would like to get one done. I’d like to get it done and step on the floor and feel as comfortable as possible.”
Would he be more comfortable getting the deal done before the season starts, or is he comfortable with talks going on during the season?
“I think in this situation there’s no comfortability to be had.”
Hart said he would like to get an extension done “as soon as possible,” but he knows this is a business and things drag out.
Here are some other things Brunson said at his media day press conference.
He said he hasn’t watched his entire Saturday Night Live episode yet and doesn’t have a favorite sketch right now. He said he has only watched the monologue.
Jalen Brunson's monologue! pic.twitter.com/FnPKYkGcu7
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) September 27, 2026
On losing Michell Robinson to free agency (Boston), and Andre Drummond stepping into that role: “Definitely tough. It’s my guy. I think no matter what, I’m happy for him. Obviously, it’s another opportunity. Got paid as well, and so it’s definitely difficult. But you love to see someone advance some generational wealth, and so it’s cool to see from that aspect. And I’m just getting Andre, and I’m very excited. I think he could be a big key to this team.”
What did Brunson learn from winning a title in college that can apply to this season? “Just about not being satisfied. I think it’s the biggest takeaway moving forward. You still want to figure out how you can grow as a person, as a player. So I’ll use that experience....
“You just have to find a way to turn the page, move on, and I think it starts with the people who surround you. How quickly can they move on to the next thing? So, just understanding your environment and making sure you do what’s best for your mental approach.”
Was there a point last season when he felt the team clicked together? “You never know when things are going to turn for you, when things are going to click for you, but as long as you keep putting the work in every single day — keep tapping the rock, tapping the rock, eventually it’s going to break. So you just never know when, though. It wasn’t necessarily a turning point. It’s just you can continue to do the things you’re supposed to do every single day, and at some point, it all falls in your favor.”
On how much the continuity of the roster helps him and this team: “The first couple weeks or whatever of the season is going to show us who we are and where we are. So, no matter what we’re doing, whether we’re playing great, playing bad, how are we going to be able to learn? We’ll find a way. We’ll hold each other accountable, just like we did last year, and then we’ll be better....
“I think we have the confidence knowing that we did do it. That’s going to help us, but that can also hurt us. So it’s all about how we go into training camp and how we go into these first few weeks to see where we are as a team, and then we’ll be able to adjust or continue to grow.”
