Becky Hammon's Infamous Jalen Brunson Knicks Take Shows Aces Coach Can't Win Them All

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon is one of the most respected minds in all of basketball. But a past take she had on New York Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson hasn't aged well, especially after Brunson carried the Knicks to an NBA championship on June 13.

During a 2023 segment on ESPN, Hammon discussed the Knicks' standing in the Eastern Conference and explained that she didn't believe New York had enough personnel to hang with the conference's top teams.

"But at the end of the day, they don't have a dude. You've got to have a dude. You've got to have a 1A dude, and they're missing that," Hammon added.

Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins then asserted that the Knicks "do have that dude" in Brunson.

"Nah, he's too small... If your best player is small, you're not winning," Hammon responded before noting Steph Curry as an exception.

Becky Hammon: [The Knicks] don't have a dude... you got to have a 1A dude."

Kendrick Perkins: "They do have that dude."

B: "Who?"

K: "Jalen Brunson."

B: "He too small. If your best player is small, you're not winning... Steph Curry is the only dude."pic.twitter.com/XWhJHZXpxT
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 21, 2023

Of course, Brunson (who averaged 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game during the NBA Finals) proved Hammon wrong with his extraordinary performance throughout this postseason, which led to the Knicks' first championship in 53 years. And Hammon's now infamous comments have resurfaced in the wake of New York's win.

For what it's worth, Hammon has been open to Brunson proving her wrong. She said as much when speaking about these comments last month, saying, "I think Jalen Brunson's a hell of a player. A hell of a player. I'm speaking historically on the NBA... I stand by [my comments]. There's no air to be cleared. I said what I said; if he proves me wrong, he proves me wrong."

Today I asked Becky Hammon what she’d like to say to Knicks fans, consider the hatchet buried.

Coach says there’s NO air to clear & she thinks Brunson is a “helluva” player. But make no mistake about who she’s pulling for this postseason.

🎥: @8NewsNow pic.twitter.com/YWEAPv8VdA
— Darrell Harris (@Dhoopster_) May 26, 2026

Does Becky Hammon's 'Best Player' Stance Hold Up in WNBA?

While Hammon said she was speaking about the NBA's history when asserting that a team can't win if its best player is small, it's fascinating to consider whether this argument holds up in the WNBA.

There's no question that the league has historically been dominated by forwards and frontcourt players. A guard hasn't won the WNBA MVP Award since 2009, when Diana Taurasi won it (Elena Delle Donne and Maya Moore were primarily wings).

Plus, while nearly every WNBA champion has had an All-Star caliber guard, there's a case to be made that each team's best player was indeed a big for at least the last two decades. And Hammon knows the value of having a great one better than most, given that she would not have three WNBA championships if not for A'ja Wilson.

Still, Hammon did admit that she was willing to be proven wrong. Brunson did so in the NBA last night, and perhaps one of the WNBA's elite guards can do so in the near future.

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