​LeBron James calls OG Anunoby the Knicks’ unsung hero in the championship run originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The New York Knicks’ 2026 championship run was one for the books, with plenty of players getting well-deserved plaudits. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have received widespread praise for being the stars of the Knicks’ first championship in 52 years.Four-time Finals MVP LeBron James has a different opinion because he feels OG Anunoby was an unsung hero for the Knicks. Of course, Anunoby had the biggest moment of the series with his game-winning tip to cap off the legendary Game 4 comeback, but it seems James believes Anunoby is overlooked.OG Anunoby gets unsung hero tag from LeBron JamesAnunoby is a familiar figure to James because they are always matched up against each other. In fact, OG is probably the most prototypical matchup that could defend against LeBron quite reliably. A player like that always gets a star’s respect, and James has always respected the Knicks forward.While Brunson and Towns have rightfully earned the praises, James thinks that Anunoby deserves even more. He has received plaudits too, of course, but it seems James does not want people to stop there because he believes that Anunoby did not get enough.MORE: Jayson Tatum is glad to see Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby win for the KnicksThe Knicks were such a cohesive team throughout the Playoffs. Early on, Anunoby had to miss some games due to injury, but every time he played, he was effective. That went under the radar plenty of times, which is why LeBron wants more people to respect OG.”Every time I felt like the Knicks were either having a time where they couldn’t score or they couldn’t get a stop, that guy made either a three in the corner or got to the hole, and obviously we know the tip-in that he had after that crazy comeback that they had. So, I thought OG, we got to give OG his props,” James said to Tyrese Haliburton on the live Mind the Game Podcast show at Fanatics Fest.Thankfully, Anunoby has become a legend in New York. He might have been an unsung hero to some, but for Knicks fans, he will never be forgotten because he played a key role in bringing the championship back to New York, something they waited for for over five decades.More NBA news:Miles McBride feels LeBron James should make his decision as soon as possibleKarl-Anthony Towns knows he and Victor Wembanyama are both generational talentsJalen Brunson speaks about the pros and cons of the NBA’s second apron rulesJalen Brunson declined to recruit LeBron James to the Big AppleHow Jalen Brunson’s surgery news further makes the Knicks’ championship even better