Jalen Brunson and the Knicks were urged by Kevin Durant to capitalize on the team’s historic championship victory while it lasts.
In an interview with Wall Street Journal Live in Cannes earlier this week, the Rockets star talked about the Knicks and the guidance he would offer Brunson in light of increased promotional and advertising opportunities.
Alongside OBB and Bolded founder and CEO Michael D. Ratner and Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman, Durant stated at the panel:
“I would tell him to strike while the iron’s hot,” “This is a time that I don’t think New Yorkers or the Knicks are gonna get back. You gotta take advantage of this time right now, you don’t know if this will come around [again].
“It’s been 53 years. It could be another 53-year wait.”
Does KD have a point chat 🤔
(📸:Getty) pic.twitter.com/XDNGKmCjwe
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) June 26, 2026
In 2019, the 37-year-old Durant notoriously rejected the Knicks in favor of signing with the crosstown Brooklyn Nets in free agency, saying that “the cool thing right now is not the Knicks.”
The two-time NBA champion and former MVP went on to say that he “didn’t want to be the savior of the Knicks or New York.”
In February 2023, the year Brunson made his Knicks debut, Durant was traded to the Suns following three and a half seasons in Brooklyn. Since then, Durant has joined his third team in four seasons, and the Brunson-led Knicks have developed into a dominant force in the Eastern Conference, winning an NBA title this past season.
Brunson’s nearly $1,000 photo opportunity at Fanatics Fest next month sold out, and his trading card saw a 1A-fueled rise, making him one of the most sought-after players since the victory.
