Jalen Brunson Set to Make NBA History in Knicks-Spurs Finals
The San Antonio Spurs knocked off the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in a bruising Western Conference Finals showdown on Saturday night, punching their ticket to a blockbuster matchup against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
Victor Wembanyama delivered 22 points and seven rebounds, Julian Champagnie caught fire from deep, and the Spurs survived a monster performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to close out the series.
The win set up a 1999 NBA Finals rematch between San Antonio and New York, only this time with a fresh generation of superstars in the spotlight.
One of whom is the Knicks Jalen Brunson, who will make NBA history when he takes the floor in Game 1 alongside his father, Rick Brunson.
Rick suited up for the Knicks during their 1999 run to the NBA Finals. Now, Jalen will do the same in 2026, making the Brunsons the first father-son duo ever to each play in the NBA Finals for the same franchise.
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After starring at Temple and going undrafted in 1995, Rick Brunson, a 6-foot-4 point guard, fought through stops in Australia and the CBA before carving out nine NBA seasons as a rugged backup.
He played for multiple franchises, including the Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers, Seattle SuperSonics, Houston Rockets, and two separate stints with the New York Knicks.
Brunson appeared in 337 NBA games and averaged 3.2 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.3 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game.
Today, Brunson serves as an assistant coach for the Knicks, a role he took in 2022 after previous coaching stops with the Denver Nuggets, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Bobcats, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
His connection to Knicks history is easy to overlook because he played limited minutes during New York's improbable 1999 Finals run.
Yet he was part of one of the most memorable teams in franchise history.
New York was an eighth seed headlined by an aging Patrick Ewing alongside Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, and Larry Johnson, a group that bulldozed through the East before falling to Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and the Spurs in five games.
Now, 27 years later, his son is looking to finish the job against that very franchise.
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Game 1 tips off Wednesday, June 3, at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC from San Antonio's Frost Bank Center.
Oddsmakers currently view the Spurs as roughly 4.5-point favorites for Game 1, with around -205 odds to take the series.
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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 6:07 PM.