Jalen Brunson's Dad Faces Backlash For NBA Finals Behavior

Jalen Brunson's dad, New York Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, is facing some backlash for his behavior during the NBA Finals.

The Knicks are leading the Spurs, 2-0, in the 2026 NBA Finals. New York stunned San Antonio in Game 1 and again in Game 2. Jalen Brunson, an All-NBA point guard, has been the best player on the floor for much of the series.

But during Game 2, he and Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox got into it near San Antonio's bench. During the altercation, Brunson's dad, Rick, left the Knicks bench to head to the Spurs bench. While some fans praised him for defending his son, others felt it was an overstep. This is the NBA Finals, after all - not a youth basketball game.

The moment quickly went viral.

"Maybe my favorite moment of the series so far. Rick Brunson was the only Knicks coach to walk over during an altercation in front of the Spurs bench. But it wasn't to protect his son. He just had to make sure he told De'Aaron Fox he ain't tough lol," one fan wrote.

Other fans took issue with Rick Brunson's behavior

Other fans did not find it entertaining or funny. They found it cringeworthy.

"That's weak to me…Your son is a grown man…Let him fight his own battles," one fan wrote.

"He's the only coach who went over there BECAUSE it was his son. That looked lame as heck LIVE and looks worse now," one fan added.

"His son is a grown man, that's very lame," one fan added.

"For me, so far, that was the most over-acting (OA) reaction to a man's game. Rick should and must not meddle in a live game like that," one fan added.

"He should have received a technical foul. If a player from the Knicks bench had walked over and done that he would have been suspended for one game for leaving the bench area," one fan added.

Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals is set for Monday night.

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This story was originally published June 7, 2026 at 8:49 AM.