Overview
- The New York Knicks won the 2025-26 NBA championship by defeating Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs in five games, and Jalen Brunson was named Finals MVP after a 16-3 postseason.
- In a Sports Illustrated interview, retired former MVP Derrick Rose said he 'had them winning the entire time' and that he called Rick Brunson before the Finals to predict the matchup and a Knicks victory.
- Rose’s remarks draw weight from his time with the franchise, when he played for New York from 2021 to 2023 and shared a locker room with Brunson for a season before retiring after the 2023-24 campaign.
- Rose said his son rooted for Jalen Brunson throughout the playoffs and that he is personally happy for Brunson and his family, framing his prediction as a proud, personal reaction rather than a public proclamation.
- The recent stories are human-interest follow-ups to the championship rather than new developments about the title itself and spotlight how former players’ personal ties shape the post-championship narrative.