The New York Knicks have won the NBA Championship, and Jalen Brunson's historic 45-point closeout performance has sparked immediate comparisons to Michael Jordan's legendary 1998 Finals game. On The Ringer NBA Show, Logan Murdock noted that Brunson's game was "the first 45-point game in a closeout series since '98, and that was Michael Jordan against Utah." Bill Simmons also saw the parallel, writing on his podcast that "it was a similar kinda vibe to that last Jordan game where I think the, the Bulls scored 89. Jordan had 45 of those. Brunson scored 45." On Pardon My Take, Zac Bloomer gushed that "Jalen Brunson would just turn into Michael Jordan."
Not everyone is ready to let the comparison go without recalling the pain Michael Jordan once inflicted on New York. On First Take, Stephen A. Smith took a trip down memory lane to remind fans of how "Jordan just stood in the way laughing" during the New York Knicks' 1990s runs. Meanwhile, Bill Simmons reminisced about Jordan's "flu game" as the ultimate benchmark for postseason grit, asking what other historic performances could stand "along with Jordan's flu game?" though Rob Mahoney pointed out a modern luxury today's players have over MJ: "You don't have to worry about the Michael Jordan, like, stomach virus from pizza anymore" thanks to delivery apps.
The conversation around Michael Jordan also shifted from the court to his massive commercial legacy. On Today, Explained, Amanda Chicago Lewis explained how Nike's 1980s partnership with Jordan transformed the brand "from niche cool to mass cool". However, host Noel King pointed out how much the marketing landscape has shifted, noting that "for Nike, the new Michael Jordan is Kim Kardashian." On The Megyn Kelly Show, comedian Andrew Schulz focused on the attitude of that golden era, asserting that "Michael Jordan never said he was the greatest. He didn't need to. We knew."
Looking ahead, Michael Jordan remains the ultimate, albeit elusive, white whale for sports media. On Pardon My Take, Big Cat admitted Jordan is "a guy like, uh, Michael Jordan" that they would actually turn down if only offered a brief 15-minute window, while PFT Commenter wondered about the legend's disconnect from modern tech, asking: "Like, do you think Michael Jordan or Bill Murray have ever opened a Zoom themselves?" Whether the newly crowned New York Knicks can build a Jordan-esque dynasty remains to be seen, but for now, MJ's shadow still defines NBA greatness.