Jalen Brunson: FMVP Legend

Jalen Brunson's listed height is 1.88 meters (6-foot-2). On an NBA Finals stage full of giants, it is an unremarkable number.

But the record is clear: Brunson is just the 4th player in NBA history at or under 1.88m to win Finals MVP. Before him, short legends like Isiah Thomas (1.85m) reached the summit; with his 2026 run, Brunson etched his name onto that special list.

In basketball, short guards are asked to be "faster, sharper, smarter" just to survive. Brunson took all three to the extreme: his first step isn't explosive but devastatingly deceptive; his release is low but reliable; his vision isn't elite but his decisions rarely err.

With one FMVP he proved the Finals stage was never only for the tall. A shorter man can be king — if he wrings every edge from what he has.

Related Reading

For more Finals MVP breakdowns, see the Complete List of NBA Finals MVPs (1969–2026).