Shai Gilgeous-Alexander falls short as Jalen Brunson tops 2026 NBA Finals MVP race

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s two-time MVP reign faces fresh scrutiny after Jalen Brunson led the New York Knicks to the 2026 NBA championship on June 15. The lefty point guard’s clutch scoring, gritty defense, and old-school playstyle earned him Finals MVP honors, sparking debates over who truly sits atop the NBA’s hierarchy.

What happened in the 2026 NBA Finals?

Brunson torched the league in the 2026 Finals, averaging 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. On June 15, the Knicks closed out the series with a 112-105 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6, sealing Brunson’s first title. He shot 42.1% overall and 38.9% from three, but his late surge in Games 4 and 5 told the real story.

Why Tucker’s praise stings for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

During a July 21 appearance on the “Club 520” show at Fanatics Fest in New York, two-time NBA champion P.J. Tucker made waves by picking Brunson over Gilgeous-Alexander. “I’m rolling with JB, for sure,” Tucker said. “He’s like a ’90s-era player, bro. And people don’t see it like that because he don’t talk a lot and he not going to do too much, but everybody on his team and on the bench feels like he’s getting the ball every single time.”

Tucker’s take landed hard in Oklahoma City, where Gilgeous-Alexander’s two straight MVPs still loom large. The Spurs’ 4-3 upset of the Thunder in the Western Conference finals on June 2 dashed any chance of a Thunder-Knicks Finals showdown, leaving SGA’s supporters to wonder what might’ve been.

How Brunson’s run stacks up against SGA’s legacy

Brunson’s playoff heroics included a 40.5-point, 5.0-assist, 4.0-rebound, 2.5-steal per-game tear across Games 4 and 5 of the Finals. He drained 50.0% from three in that stretch and played through a right-wrist injury suffered in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals on June 3. Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, watched from afar as the Thunder fell to San Antonio in the West finals, ending their title defense before a potential Finals rematch.

What comes next for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?

Unless the Thunder and Knicks meet in a future Finals, the Brunson vs. SGA debate won’t get a definitive answer. For now, Gilgeous-Alexander remains the reigning two-time MVP, but the 2026 championship forces fresh questions about who truly rules the NBA. With Brunson’s old-school mastery on full display and SGA’s next move uncertain, the league’s power structure just got a lot more interesting.