Jalen Brunson saw himself outside of the top three in the latest player rankings published by The Ringer following the conclusion of the 2025-2026 NBA season.
Brunson was just mere days removed from leading the New York Knicks to the NBA championship, the first for the franchise in 53 years. Brunson put up 45 points in the title-clinching Game 5, while the rest of the squad only had 49 points. He was named the Finals MVP for his performances.
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 2. Victor Wembanyama 3. Nikola Jokic 4. Luka Doncic 5. Jalen Brunson 6. Anthony Edwards 7. Giannis Antetokounmpo 8. Kawhi Leonard 9. Cade Cunningham 10. Stephen Curry 11. Donovan Mitchell 12.
In The Ringer, Brunson was ranked No. 5, behind No. 1 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the OKC Thunder, No. 2 Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, No. 3 Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, and No. 4 Luka Doncic of the LA Lakers.
Only Brunson, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jokic have an NBA championship associated with their names.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s ranking came after winning his second straight NBA MVP, while Wembanyama is coming off his first NBA Finals loss against the Knicks.
Meanwhile, Jokic got bounced out of the playoffs in the first round after bowing down to the Minnesota Timberwolves, while Doncic did not play in the playoffs due to a hamstring injury as the Lakers got eliminated in the second round.
Brunson is the only player from the Eastern Conference in the top five. No. 6 is Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves, then Giannis Antokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers, Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, and Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors follow suit to round up the top 10 players.
Jalen Brunson Envisions Himself Winning An NBA Championship
GettyJalen Brunson sees himself winning an NBA championship.
Jalen Brunson is not short of self-belief. According to him, he had seen himself winning an NBA championship, despite the doubts surrounding his frame as a 6-foot-1 point guard.
“I envisioned at some point I knew I was gonna win, that’s just how my mindset it,” he said. “I was going to figure out what I had to do, what role I had to fill in order to win a championship. Opportunity presented itself, and I didn’t want for it to slip away.”
In previous championship predictions to start the season, few have the Knicks winning the championship, much more Brunson winning the Finals MVP.
Brunson is now a champion and is considered one of, if not the best Knicks player in history. Right now, he is the king of New York.
Luka Doncic Speaks About Former Teammate Jalen Brunson After Knicks’ NBA Title Win
GettyLuka Doncic and Jalen Brunson send messages during the NBA Finals.
Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson were teammates at the start of their NBA careers. Now both stars in big market teams, the two remained in contact.
Doncic said he talked with Brunson a lot during the NBA Finals and that he is happy to see him achieve his first-ever NBA title.
“Well, first of all, he’s a great guy, a really nice fellow,” he said in the YouTube channel of Drafteados. “But I think what sets him apart is that he’s a winner. We’ve talked a lot during these finals.”
“Yes, yes, of course. Before the last match, I said, you know? ‘Just one more.’ And then, of course, after he won, I congratulated him, he messaged me back, and I thought, ‘He must have so many messages.’”
Brunson was the secondary star behind Doncic during their 2022 Western Conference Finals run, before he signed with New York in that year’s offseason.
NBA Champion Jalen Brunson Gets Disrespected In New Player Rankings