Former NBA champion PJ Tucker absolutely went there, declaring Jalen Brunson the better player over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, sparking a fresh debate among championship-winning point guards. Both guards were the primary reasons their teams hoisted trophies in the last two seasons, naturally leading to non-stop comparisons. Now, one former champion has picked his horse.
The Champ Debate Rages On
Man, these two have been on another level, right? Jalen Brunson led his New York Knicks to absolutely crush a 52-year title drought, bringing a championship back to the Big Apple. And then you got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who brought the Oklahoma City Thunder their *first* title since way back in 1979, when they were known as our very own Seattle Supersonics. Talk about history. These guys were undeniable, carrying their squads on their backs, and it’s no shock everyone’s comparing them as some kind of rivals.
Tucker’s Unfiltered Take: It’s JB Time
So, what makes a guy like PJ Tucker, a former NBA champion himself, land squarely on Brunson’s side? He laid it all out on Club 520’s show at Fanatics Fest. Tucker was emphatic: “I’m rolling with JB for sure. JB’s so clutch, bro. It ain’t even like I think he’s like a 90s era player, bro… He don’t talk a lot, and he don’t going to do too much, but everybody like when you on his team and you on the bench, you over there like he’s getting the ball, bro. Like he’s going to if he’s not shooting, he’s making the play every single time. And it’s a lot of teams in this league that got stars and all that, and they do not want the moments.”
That’s a strong endorsement for Brunson’s killer instinct and game management. It’s wild too, because for a minute there, the NBA was all about these massive stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic. Stephen Curry changed the game for guards, but the league seemed to swing back. Now, we’ve got two point guards as champs, and Brunson’s an anomaly at just 6’1″ while being maybe the league’s most dangerous star. SGA is 6’6″, so not your prototypical little point guard, but still a guard leading the way.
But What About the Back-to-Back MVP?
Hold on a minute, though. While Tucker’s points for Brunson are super valid, you gotta ask: doesn’t a lot of that apply to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander too? I mean, come on, the dude is a *back-to-back MVP*! That’s not some fluke. He clearly knows how to deliver in big moments, how to make the play, how to be the best player on a championship team. It feels like Tucker might be just a little bit off, maybe underestimating the Thunder superstar a touch. This is a fair comparison because these two are absolutely among the best guards in the entire league, but to say one is definitively better? Especially when the other is a two-time MVP? That’s a spicy take, for sure.
This whole debate just blew up because of Tucker’s comments. It’s gonna keep NBA fans buzzing and probably arguing online for weeks. We’re talking about two guys who literally just brought titles to their teams. So, if you’re watching the league, you gotta ask yourself: who you got in this one?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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