Jalen Brunson's NBA Title Quip Becomes a Tax Policy Talking Point

Jalen Brunson delivered one of the great performances in NBA Finals history on Saturday, June 13, 2026 — scoring 45 points as the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs to claim their first championship in 53 years, winning the series four games to one. The rest of the Knicks roster combined for just 49 points, underscoring how singularly dominant the 6-foot-2 point guard was in the clinching game.

But it was Brunson's postgame wit that sparked a broader conversation. When a reporter asked what he had against Texas, Brunson deadpanned that he had nothing against the state — in fact, he misses the Texas taxes. It was a sharp reference to his move from the Dallas Mavericks to the Knicks in the 2022 free agency period, a transaction widely considered one of the most lopsided signings in modern NBA history. By leaving Texas, Brunson traded a state with zero personal income tax for New York's punishing top rates: 14.8% if he lives in New York City, or 10.9% if he's based in the suburbs.

The joke lands harder given Brunson's well-documented financial sacrifice for the team. In 2024, he signed a contract extension reportedly around $100 million below his market value, deliberately leaving money on the table so the Knicks could stay under the NBA's salary cap and pursue additional free agents. That selfless move helped build the roster that just won the title — but it also means Brunson is absorbing both a discounted salary and one of the country's highest state tax burdens simultaneously.

The commentary frames all of this as a cautionary tale for New York's political class. New York City's newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is expected to appear at Thursday's ticker-tape parade through the Financial District. But proposals to raise taxes further, the argument goes, could complicate the Knicks' ability to attract top free agents in future offseasons — since high earners like NBA stars are acutely sensitive to the after-tax value of their contracts when choosing where to sign.