Finals MVP Brunson Has Wrist Surgery After Knicks Title
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- Jalen Brunson is undergoing surgery on his left wrist and is expected to return to basketball activities later this summer, according to ESPN sources.
- Brunson played through the wrist injury during the Knicks' championship run, which ended a 53-year title drought with a Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
- In five Finals games, Brunson averaged 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 steals, setting a Knicks single-game Finals record with 45 points in the close-out win — 15 of them in the fourth quarter.
- Brunson became just the 13th player under the modern playoff format (since 1984) to average at least 28 points for a title winner, posting 28.4 per game across the postseason after a 26-point, 6.8-assist regular season.
- Brunson's postseason heroics leaned heavily on clutch scoring: he delivered 38 clutch points while the rest of his Knicks teammates combined for just 35.
Why it matters: Brunson powered the Knicks to their first title in 53 years while playing through a wrist injury, and the offseason procedure is timed so he can return to basketball activities later this summer. His 38-to-35 clutch-point edge over his own teammates is the clearest measure of just how one-man the championship run was — and what a healthy version of him looks like for next season.
