Jalen Brunson had no say in the NBA Cup banner decision

The The decision of the New York Knicks not to raise the NBA Cup banner after their recent tournament win is it didn’t affect by the star guard Jalen Brunsonwho said he had not been consulted on the matter and supported the organisation’s approach.

After that The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs earlier this week to win the NBA Cupthe franchise confirmed it will not follow the example of the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks, who both raised banners after their NBA Cup victories. The selection drew attention given the league’s ongoing efforts to establish the tournament as a significant accolade.

Brunson addressed the topic after his game-winning 3-pointer in Thursday’s 114-113 win over the Indiana Pacersclarifying his role in the decision during an interview with Stephen Bondi of the New York Post.

“Was I part of the discussion? No,” Brunson said. “But in a way, I don’t see the need for it. But at the same time, it’s not my decision. We have a lot of goals as a team and I think we accomplished one of them by winning the NBA Cup. But it’s not something you celebrate. You enjoy that moment, that day. But there’s a lot of basketball to be played.”

Jaylen Branson agrees with Knicks priorities amid NBA Cup banner debate

Brunson’s comments underscored a broader sense within the organization that the NBA Cup represents progress, but not the ultimate measure of success. The Knicks have prioritized bigger postseason ambitions as they continue to build momentum during the regular season.

Not everyone agreed with the restrained approach. Former NBA player and Hall of Famer Dwight Howard shared the opposite view on social mediasuggesting the decision could draw scrutiny if the season ends without a deeper playoff run.

“I’ll be second-hand embarrassed if the Knicks don’t raise the NBA Cup banner and then make it to the championship this year… Celebrate your wins while you can,” Howard wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Knicks haven’t won an NBA championship since 1973. They reached the 1999 NBA Finals as the No. 8 seed and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals last postseason for the first time in over 25 years before falling to the Pacers.

New York improved to 19-7 with the latest win and will return home for a two-game set against the Philadelphia 76ers (14-11) on Friday night and the Miami Heat (15-12) on Sunday night.