Jalen Brunson hilariously defended Luka Doncic’s defense after a young reporter claimed the Lakers star does not play defense, while also playfully admitting he is not a Doncic fan.
Jalen Brunson is having a nice time now. Having won the NBA championship in historic fashion, the center of attraction at the moment is the 29-year-old. In a hilarious turn of events, alongside enjoying all the attention from his championship run, Brunson is also getting mischievous about his former teammates.
Recently, the 2026 NBA champion made a guest appearance on Kids Sports Reporters. During his interview, one of the young reporters took a jab at Brunson’s former teammate, Luka Doncic, saying that the Lakers star does not play defense. Such a statement took the New York Knicks’ star by surprise.
Defending his good friend, the 2026 NBA Finals MVP said, “He plays defense. He plays a little defense, he tries.”
Jalen Brunson’s reaction to this kid saying Luka doesn’t play defense:
“Oh wow… I think he plays a little defense. He tries…” 💀
(via kidssportsreporters/IG, h/t @LukaUpdates) pic.twitter.com/ZyU6lpzAYY
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 19, 2026
Interestingly, prior to this conversation, the Knicks’ star was asked to name a famous person on his phone. Taking a friendly jab at Doncic, Brunson said that while the 27-year-old was the most famous person whose number he had on his phone, he was not a fan of Doncic.
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“I would say Luka probably. I’m not a fan of Luka. He’s probably one of the worst teammates I’ve ever had,” Brunson joked.
Apart from all the jokes, the two share a very close friendship off the court. Recently, Doncic revealed how he had a private conversation with his former teammate during the NBA Finals.
What Did Luka Doncic Tell Jalen Brunson During the 2026 NBA Finals?
Doncic and Brunson both played for the Dallas Mavericks previously. Back then, while the Slovenian star was the primary scorer, Brunson played the second fiddle. Watching the rise of Doncic, the 6-foot-2 Knicks’ star once questioned himself. Thankfully, taking that as inspiration, the 2026 NBA Finals MVP transformed himself drastically to guide his team to the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
During the finals, Doncic revealed in a recent statement that he had some significant communication with Brunson. The Lakers star said, “Yes, yes, of course. Before the last match, I said, you know? ‘Just one more.’ And then, of course, after he won, I congratulated him, he messaged me back, and I thought, ‘He must have so many messages.’”
Thus, it is evident that both NBA stars have a great deal of mutual respect despite donning different jerseys. Now, with a new season coming up, fans will be interested to see how their on-court duel pans out.
