On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris Sr. join Shae Cornette to discuss the impact Jalen Brunson’s success will have on small guards after the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals. Then the crew discusses Trae Young and the Washington Wizards.
0:00 Stephen A.’s thoughts
5:05 Matching up against small guards
6:58 Can Trae Young lead a championship team?
11:55 “Bottomless stats”
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@jorbemesis1157
June 18, 2026 at 10:15 pm
Ppl forget Trae led the hawks to the conference finals. Let’s see JJ and CJ do that
@Michael-tc1dm
June 18, 2026 at 10:20 pm
Jalen brunson had a team around him. Lets stop acting like he won it by himself as a small man.
@nocturnomedieval
June 18, 2026 at 10:22 pm
Can you Trade Young?😂
@Z3R0-FCC
June 18, 2026 at 10:24 pm
cats
@ManCaveSportz
June 18, 2026 at 10:35 pm
SAS acting like wemby ain’t gonna be in the league anymore 😂😂😂😂😂 get his 🍑 off ESPN already
@TheFilmSpace1
June 18, 2026 at 10:52 pm
Tyrese Maxey ???? No on mentioned him. He’s a scoring smaller guard. No one mentioned him smh bad analysis
@TheFilmSpace1
June 18, 2026 at 10:54 pm
Trae needs to see if Giannis goes to Miami and then sign there. Bam, Trae and Giannis are a solid big 3
@Hashbrownn-z1e
June 18, 2026 at 10:57 pm
2010 d rose > 2026 Brunson
@ochukoeduvie4531
June 18, 2026 at 11:04 pm
Trae Young still in the league?
@Getabuck12
June 18, 2026 at 11:14 pm
We can’t discount how good the knicks were built as a team, it wasn’t just brun. Ofc he played his part as the best player and leader but every player who played had a significant role and impact in them winning
@philipspigelmeyer959
June 18, 2026 at 11:16 pm
This whole thing of brunson being small and it having an impact is the dumbest tjing ive heard of all this😂 there is no difference if your 62 or 63 and there is PLENTY of 63 or even 64 good/great guards. If he was like 5 10 or 511 id get it but these clowns act like 62 is short for the league when its 100% not😂😂😂
@MfnnBEAZY
June 18, 2026 at 11:25 pm
Why the Trae young hate wat did Atlanta have to make us think they would b bck😂😂😂😂
@LTW-KOBE
June 18, 2026 at 11:41 pm
“No one but Jesus could get the wizards to the finals” lmaoo nah fr though that 100% ain’t happening no time soon
@DonTheSpeaker
June 18, 2026 at 11:43 pm
People say Brunson is the worst defender but atleast he doesn’t pout of fast breaks like Luka and he puts effort unlike Trae young and Donovan mitchell
@veronicamccleary4390
June 18, 2026 at 11:44 pm
These 2 brothers are 2 haters from philly
@TDGRHYTHM
June 18, 2026 at 11:52 pm
Big body Brunson proved undersized Guards can let a team to championship this should be a wake up call for the undersized PGs in the league maybe Dame is next
@josesolorzano4312
June 18, 2026 at 11:56 pm
Nope
@Datboibotb409
June 19, 2026 at 12:06 am
This is Stephen A at his finest moment my exact thoughts on him saving the league Jalen Brunson saved the nba !!!
@jamalclegg4013
June 19, 2026 at 12:22 am
The Morris brothers should start their own show titled “Twin Perspectives”. I’d tune in & watch them. They have great takes
@the77th
June 19, 2026 at 12:36 am
This changes nothing for the small guard 😂 don’t confuse what Brunson did as the norm…. It’s EXTRAORDINARY 😂 it’s like saying getting struck by lightning once means that you get struck again 😂 ESPECIALLY under the 2nd apron! Folks forget that the reason why Brunson has the team that he has is because he “left money on the table”, as a knicks fan myself, I believe the truth is, Leon was never gonna pay him a max AND, even after this championship Brunson will NOT be given that max! The moment he gets $80m a year, that championship window is sealed shut!
It’s why Trae Young got traded cuz it makes no sense to pay a 6 footer $80m a year, it’s why Ja is stuck in Memphis, not because he’s “problematic “ he’s just not worth $80m! The 2nd apron is going to increase the average size of an nba player ! Basic statistics and basic money ball.
The future of the nba under the 2nd apron is 7 feet SUPERMAX for the all star 7 footers and then everyone else gets what they get!
I know this sounds crazy to many, but real statisticians understand! If you don’t understand the apron tax cba, you won’t understand!
Go knicks 🟠🔵
@WegaBoy
June 19, 2026 at 12:36 am
Trae never said that she’s misquoting him and clearly read a click bait headline with no context. This how narratives get formed around certain players. They just spewing nonsense and flip flop based on recency bias.
@DONNYMASE
June 19, 2026 at 1:14 am
Steven a trippin 8:57
@itzmidnitepbbp
June 19, 2026 at 1:41 am
Steph is 6’3
@DenzelDawson-ed5bz
June 19, 2026 at 2:16 am
This man became a superstar before our very eyes in an incredible sequence that deserves to be in a book. They slept on him so bad, no big 3 no superstar teammate. He delivered a championship in such a fashion that hasn’t been seen since you know who.
@Landonzclipz-g9v
June 19, 2026 at 2:50 am
Divine intervention 😂