Winning an NBA championship can change a team’s mindset. For the New York Knicks, the next challenge is to stay hungry after winning their first title in 53 years. Jalen Brunson knows defending the title will bring more pressure. Everyone will watch the Knicks closely.

Brunson shared his thoughts on the Road Trippin Show on YouTube. Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye, Kendrick Perkins and Allie Clifton host the show. Brunson said the Knicks must leave the championship behind.

“We don't want to speak of the trophy, we don't want to talk about the trophy, we don't want to see the trophy,” Jalen Brunson said.

Brunson wants the Knicks to act like they have achieved nothing yet. They must start the new season with the same hunger. In the same conversation on the Road Trippin Show on YouTube, he also said the Knicks need an even stronger mindset this season.

“We want to come in with the same mindset if not even tougher mindset we had last year," Brunson said. 

This mindset will be important because every team will want to beat the defending champions.

Brunson does not want the Knicks to relax after winning the title. He wants them to work harder and set higher goals. The point guard also remembers how quickly people changed their views. 

The Knicks started 2-9 and faced heavy criticism. But after they began winning, the praise returned. Brunson called the season a roller coaster.

Now, he wants the team to forget both. The championship is already in the past. The Knicks must now focus on the next season and find the same hunger that helped them win the title.

Why the New York Knicks’ previous mindset matters 

A Bleacher Report report by Zach Bachar gives more details about Brunson’s comments. The Knicks used a 0-0 mindset during their 2026 playoff run. They treated every game as a new start, no matter what the series score was.

The mindset worked very well. New York went 16-3 in the playoffs and ended the team’s 53-year wait for a championship.

The same report also said the Knicks outscored their opponents by 283 points, the biggest playoff point difference in NBA history.

Brunson played a major role in that run. He averaged 28.4 points per game in the playoffs, which was the best mark in the NBA.

In the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, he averaged 32.6 points, 4.6 assists and 2.0 steals over five games. He also won the Finals MVP award.

These numbers show why Brunson’s message about staying hungry is important. The Knicks already know the mindset that helped them win the title. Now, they must use that same mindset again.

For Brunson and the Knicks, the championship is now in the past. Their next challenge is to forget the success and chase another title from the beginning.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Kapil Manghnani brings over 4.5 years of experience in sports journalism, covering a wide range of sports, including Soccer, NHL, Tennis, Gymnastics, NASCAR, Swimming, and more. He has written for leading sports platforms, producing everything from breaking news and features to in-depth analysis, opinion pieces, long-form stories, and short-form content. Beyond articles, he has also scripted long-form storytelling videos for YouTube channels. His work focuses on delivering well-researched, engaging, and reader-first sports content across multiple formats.

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