Why Draymond Green chose to apologize to Jalen Brunson following Knicks historic win against Spurs

Draymond Green has never been shy about saying what he thinks. And when the New York Knicks reached the NBA Finals, he wasn't shy about saying they didn't belong -- at least not as serious title contenders.

He backed Becky Hammon's famous historical take that Jalen Brunson was too small to lead a championship team, criticizing their Eastern Conference path by claiming they made the Finals simply because they were "supposed to" get out of a weak conference. He publicly told Brunson to "prove me wrong."

Over the past few seasons, Green had repeatedly questioned whether Brunson could be the primary option on a true championship-winning team, stating on his podcast that the Knicks were missing a transcendent, top-tier superstar like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant or LeBron James to guide them to a title. 

However, Brunson proved Green wrong and the Golden State Warriors forward admitted it before the series even ended.

In Game 4, Brunson had 36 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. He hit consecutive clutch shots in the final 2:21 to secure the Knicks' 107-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs. With this victory, the Knicks completed the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.

This performance was no accident. Brunson averaged nearly 30 points per game through the first four games of this series. On TNT's Inside the NBA, Green addressed it head-on with Brunson seated across from him.

"I want to tell you now because I want to tell you to your face," Green said. "I want to apologize in one game. So I'll say it right now to your face: I'm sorry. Then I'll say it again when you go and get your ring: I apologize."

He had been loud with his criticism, so the acknowledgment had to be direct. He didn’t want it buried on a podcast after the trophy was handed out. 

Former Knick Chris Childs had actually put Green on notice before the series, tweeting that the apology needed to be "just as loud" as the criticism. Doing it on national television, mid-broadcast on TNT, is about as loud as it gets.

Green has been wrong before, but he has never admitted it on a stage this big. This time, he did. Whether the Knicks close it out in Game 5 or not, this became a special moment. 

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