Draymond Green Issues Apology To Knicks Star Jalen Brunson

Draymond Green has been begging for New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson to prove him wrong. On Wednesday night, the latter did just that during Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Brunson scored 36 points and led the Knicks on a historic 29-point comeback. He made plenty of clutch buckets down the stretch, including a 3-pointer over Victor Wembanyama to cut the deficit to 104-103. He then made a floater to give the Knicks their first lead of the second half. OG Anunoby later won the game for the Knicks with a miraculous tip-in.

Prior to the Knicks taking a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals, Green doubted that Brunson could lead them on a championship run.

"I think the Knicks have pieces that can be great pieces to a championship roster - no question," Green said. "But I still think the New York Knicks are missing that one piece that makes you a championship team. That's Kevin Durant. That's Steph Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James. Like, that is these, like, 1A. Like, they're a 1A wherever they go. I think that's what the Knicks are missing."

Brunson appeared on "Inside the NBA" after the Knicks' win on Wednesday night. Instead of ducking his previous comments, Green apologized to Brunson's face.

"One game from now, I'm going to tell you now cause I want to tell you their face, but then I'll say it publicly after," Green told Brunson. "But I'm going to apologize in one game. So I'm going to say right now to your face, ‘I'm sorry.' Then I'll say when you go get your ring: ‘I apologize.'"

Brunson simply replied, "Appreciate that."

Unfazed by his doubters.

Back in 2023, Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon said the Knicks don't have "a dude" to lead their roster to a title.

"He's too small," Hammon said in regards to Brunson. "If your best player is small, you're not winning. Steph Curry is the only dude."

When asked if she'd walk back her comments about the Knicks guard, Hammon doubled down on her initial stance.

"I speak from experience. Allen Iverson got MVP, and he lost in the finals. I think the two best teams are probably in the West, but I'm up for being proven wrong," Hammon said. "That's the other thing, I think Jalen Brunson's a hell of a player, a hell of a player. I'm speaking historically on the NBA with what I said. I don't know why everybody's so stuck on that. I said it two years ago. I said what I said. If he proves me wrong, he proves me wrong."

Brunson, meanwhile, has just continued to will the Knicks to heights they haven't reached in over 50 years.

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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 8:30 AM.