'He can take anyone at 6'5": Former Knick Rick Pitino calls out Becky Hammon take claiming Jalen Brunson is 'too small' to be tier 1

Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon went viral after she claimed that New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson isn't enough to be a tier 1 star. Hammon mentioned that Brunson is too small, which wouldn't be enough to take the Knicks to the next level. Former Knicks guard, Rick Pitino, went on social media to defend the current point guard.

Hammon went to ESPN's NBA Today and argued with former NBA center Kendrick Perkins about the capability of Brunson to lead the Knicks. The Hall of Famer believes that New York needs a different star to propel the franchise to greater lengths.

Pitino, who played for the Knicks from 1983-85 and then again from 1987-89, stood up for his fellow player. He went to X, formerly Twitter, to share his thoughts on Hammon's recent take regarding Brunson.

"Nonsense to say the Knicks lack true stars," Pitino posted on X. "We have stars. And don't tell me he's under 6'0. He can take anyone at 6'5. And don't bring up Randle. He played hurt last playoffs. And Hartenstein gives u everything n more. Go Knicks, Big fan in Queens!!

The former WNBA star hasn't responded to Pitino's post about her comments on Brunson.

You might also be interested in reading this: "She’s right for the wrong reasons" - Becky Hammon dismissing Jalen Brunson as '1A'-tier player citing height issues has NBA fans buzzing

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What did Becky Hammon say about Brunson?

The Knicks have Brunson as their best player. Since signing him during the summer of 2022, the 6-foot-1 guard has been their go-to star. Although he lacks height, that doesn't change how he's been dominating the game in his position on a nightly basis.

Last night, Becky Hammon shared her thoughts about Brunson that became controversial.

""At the end of the day, they don't have a dude," Hammon said. "You gotta have a dude, you got to have a 1A dude. And they're missing that."

"He too small. If your best player is small, you're not winning. John Stockton, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, you can go down the list. Steph Curry is the only dude."

Brunson has done an effective job this season and the previous season in being the leader of the team. The team has obvious needs that have to be addressed, but most fans view the former Villanova guard as the catalyst for the Knickerbockers.

He's averaging 25.3 points, four rebounds and 5.9 assists while making 45.8% from three. This is the second season of his career where he's averaged 20 or more points. Brunson's game has changed the way the Knicks have been viewed by most people around the league.