Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon is not backing down from her 2023 opinion that a short guard cannot lead a team to an NBA title, even after Jalen Brunson's recent playoff performance. In a press conference on May 26, 2026, Hammon said, 'If he proves me wrong, he proves me wrong,' referring to Brunson, who is listed at 6-foot-2.
Hammon's original comments were made in 2023 on the '7PM in Brooklyn' podcast, where she stated that a 6-foot-1 guard could not be the best player on a championship team. Brunson, who led the New York Knicks to a 130-93 victory in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on May 12, 2024, has since been a key player in the playoffs.
Despite Brunson's success, Hammon clarified that her opinion was not a personal attack but a general observation about NBA team construction. 'It's not about Jalen specifically. It's about the history of the league,' she said. 'But if he proves me wrong, that's great for him.'
As of May 27, 2026, the Knicks have not won an NBA title since 1973, and Brunson has not yet led them to a championship. Hammon's comments remain a topic of debate among basketball analysts.
