Jalen Brunson already has the kind of championship résumé that usually changes everything. He led the Knicks through a 53-year title drought, put together a postseason that put him among the 75-best NBA players ever, and capped it with a 45-point Finals closeout that made him just the fourth player ever to finish off an NBA Finals that way. He also walked away with the 2026 NBA Finals MVP.
And yet, even that kind of run does not guarantee the full respect.
That’s the part Walt “Clyde” Frazier would understand better than anyone. Frazier came in at No. 59 on HoopsHype’s list of the 80-best NBA players of all time, despite winning two titles with the Knicks and doing it as one of the two best players on both championship teams.
The list put him behind players like Reggie Miller, Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook, Kevin McHale, Dominique Wilkins, Anthony Davis, and Ray Allen. All are great players.
Most never won a ring. Some did, but not in the kind of starring role Frazier owned.
His place in history should be bigger than it is. His only real disadvantage was the era he played in.
Frazier’s first title run came in 1970, when Willis Reed was out for Game 7 of the NBA Finals and Clyde took over anyway. He delivered one of the great playoff performances ever: 36 points, 19 assists, seven rebounds, and six steals in the clincher. Twenty-four years after the Knicks played in the first NBA game ever against the Toronto Huskies, Frazier led them to their first championship.
Three years later, he did it again. In the 1973 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Knicks won in five games, and Frazier was everywhere in the deciding Game 5. He played all 48 minutes, finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, and held Jerry West to just 5-17 FG.
The strange part is that Willis Reed took Finals MVP in both of those series, which has helped keep Frazier’s name from landing where it should in the broader all-time conversation. If you want to hear his case fully argued, you’re usually left with old sportswriters, grandparents, or the edges of NBA Reddit.
Brunson is trying to avoid the same kind of after-the-fact frustration. His postseason numbers were outrageous: he led the entire playoffs in total points and points per game, took at least 34 more shots than anyone else, and still finished fourth in total assists. Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were the only players ahead of him there.
The run really took off from Game 4 against the Atlanta Hawks and on. Once the Knicks started using Karl-Anthony Towns at the top of the key as a playmaker, the floor opened up for Brunson.
Even with some turnovers along the way, he kept steering the offense, including in New York’s record-setting 29-point comeback in Game 4. Then he closed the door on the San Antonio Spurs with that 45-point clincher on 14-27 FG.
Brunson’s Finals MVP should help him avoid the fate that has lingered over Frazier’s legacy. It won’t change the past, but it matters. Frazier never got that kind of recognition in either of his championship seasons.
And while his playing career hasn’t always gotten the credit it deserves, his broadcasting work has made him a fixture for generations of Knicks fans. As for Brunson, who turns 30 years old at the end of August, there’s still plenty of time left to build on what he’s already done. However it ends, he’s on track to go down as the best Knick of all time.
In Other News...
Josh Hart Sends Clear Message As Knicks Face Loaded 76ers Test
The Knicks are staring at a much tougher road in the Eastern Conference, with Philadelphia now looking like one of the leagues deepest and most star-heavy lineups for the 2026-27 season. A social media post of LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey working out together only added to the buzz, and it quickly caught the attention of a Knicks fan who tagged Josh Hart with a reminder to get ready for whats coming.
Hart didnt leave much room for interpretation. He replied on social media that he is already training, even if hed rather not turn his offseason into a stream of gym photos. For the Knicks, it was a small but telling moment, the kind of back-and-forth that underscores how seriously the matchup with Philadelphia is being taken before the season even arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Karl-Anthony Towns Just Gave Knicks Fans A Wedding Moment To Love
Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordyn Woods turned their wedding into something a little more New York-friendly than your typical celebrity celebration. The ceremony featured a display of the Knicks NBA Cup championship trophy alongside the Larry OBrien trophy, and several of Towns teammates were there to take part in the day as well. Guests even left with hoodies that played off the Knicks championship slogan, a small but telling touch for a player who has already made himself part of the citys basketball conversation.
For Knicks fans, it is another reminder of how quickly Towns has become woven into the teams culture as he heads into his third season in New York. He arrives with plenty of resume polish, including Rookie of the Year and six All-Star selections, but the wedding details added a more personal layer to the relationship between player and fan base. Whether it is on the court or in the middle of a celebration, Towns keeps finding ways to make the Knicks feel like part of the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Get An Early East Test Against A New-Look 76ers
The Knicks do not have to wait long to find out where they stand in the East. New York opens the 2026-27 season against Philadelphia at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 20, then sees the 76ers again twice in the first six games, setting up an early measuring stick against a division rival that has changed dramatically since the last time these teams met.
Philadelphias offseason makeover has turned the matchup into one of the leagues most intriguing early tests, with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown arriving while Paul George was sent to the Celtics. For the Knicks, that means a quick crash course against a revamped 76ers group that will bring a very different look, and likely a very different level of difficulty, than the one they have been preparing for all summer. [Read more 🡒]