Emmanuel Acho community noted for awful Jalen Brunson take

Emmanuel Acho rushed to judge Jalen Brunson during Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and his premature observation backfired brutally.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals didn’t begin too well for Brunson and the New York Knicks as the San Antonio Spurs went on a 20-5 run to close out the first quarter. Worse than the 20-5 run was the fact that Brunson limped to the locker room after getting hit in his right knee.

Brunson returned in the second quarter, only to have his left ankle stepped on, briefly sending him back to the bench. With all of that, Emmanuel Acho saw enough to determine Brunson was just too small to win a championship, despite getting the Knicks this far.

One quarter into the NBA Finals, Jalen Brunson is affirming the concerns people have about small guards being able to win it all.

The closer you get. The more physical it gets. So far, Brunson’s body is betraying him.

— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) June 4, 2026

“One quarter into the NBA Finals, Jalen Brunson is affirming the concerns people have about small guards being able to win it all,” Acho wrote on X. “The closer you get. The more physical it gets. So far, Brunson’s body is betraying him.”

Emmanuel Acho all but pronounced Jalen Brunson dead, only to see the Knicks captain lead the Knicks to a Game 1 Finals road win over the Spurs, while leading all scorers with 30 points. And Acho was quickly roasted for the take, leading him to get community noted after Kendrick Perkins, Jay Williams and others called him out on social media. It’s not the first time Brunson has been underestimated and it probably won’t be the last.

Acho later admitted Brunson showed “incredible resilience, heart and toughness” over the final three quarters of the win. The problem is, this should not have been a surprise if you’ve watched any of Brunson and the Knicks during the playoffs, this season, or at all in recent years.

Slow starts have been a trend for Jalen Brunson and the Knicks during these playoffs, even amid their dominant 12-game win streak. And as much as it might be a scare every time it happens, Knicks fans grew accustomed to seeing Brunson limp off the court only to return several minutes later seemingly unscathed during the playoffs last season. But Acho either didn’t know that, or he ignored it for the sake of his attempted hot take.