Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has been dethroned as king of New York sports.
On Tuesday, former Giants running back Tiki Barber declared a new one, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, on his midday show on WFAN.
“You can’t argue about it anymore,” Barber said, via Apple Podcasts.
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The (un)official proclamation came less than 24 hours after Brunson dropped 17 points in the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Madison Square Garden. His “kingly” performance, as Barber called it, helped the Knicks beat Houston 124-118.
“A year has gone by and, let’s be fair about what’s happened in that year,” Barber said. “Aaron Judge won an MVP, he was amazing. He then proceeded to drop a fly ball in the World Series. Jalen Brunson continued the Knicks vibes as they got to the second round of the postseason. And, unfortunately, he got hurt at the very end, as did everybody else.
“He came back and the Knicks have one of the best records in the league.”
After nabbing his second American League MVP award in three seasons, Judge has taken a subsidiary role in New York City. The Yankees still haven’t won a World Series and the 32-year-old outfielder has played a role in that.
His infamous dropped flyball in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the World Series against the Dodgers kicked off an unusual set of events that resulted in Los Angeles hoisting the trophy by the end of the night.
Gold Glove shortstop Anthony Volpe committed an error and Platinum Glove winner Anthony Rizzo and perennial Cy Young Award candidate Gerrit Cole forgot the basics of covering first base on a routine grounder. It all resulted in a five-run inning, which sealed the Yankees' fate.
Meanwhile, once the laughingstock of the NBA, the Knicks have been on the ascent since signing Brunson in 2022.
In the Brunson era, the Knicks have made consecutive playoff appearances, inching closer to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
Could 2025 be the year?
Under king Brunson’s rule, Barber believes it’s possible.
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Manny Gómez may be reached at mgomez@njadvancemedia.com.