Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon says she will not apologize for earlier comments questioning whether Knicks guard Jalen Brunson could serve as a championship team’s top option. Multiple outlets report that Hammon stood by her 2023 assessment that Brunson was “too small” and that he was not a consistent “1A” star, despite Brunson later winning NBA Finals MVP as New York claimed the title. Hammon’s stance is that her evaluation was her opinion at the time, and that it is not her responsibility to retract it simply because the outcome has changed. At the same time, she acknowledges Brunson’s run by saying he has “proved history wrong,” and describes his role in the Knicks’ title journey as somewhat of an exception—an “outlier.” Coverage notes Hammon’s continued insistence that she is paid to give opinions, and she frames the decision not to apologize as staying consistent with her views while recognizing Brunson’s performance in the Finals.