NEW YORK — Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon stated on Tuesday that she would not apologize for her previous comments regarding Jalen Brunson, though she acknowledged her earlier assessment was incorrect.

Hammon spoke to reporters prior to a Las Vegas Aces game against the New York Liberty. In December 2023, while working for ESPN, Hammon had stated that Brunson was too small to be the best player on a championship team, saying, "They don't have a dude...you got to have a 1A dude." She also said at the time, "He's too small. If your best player is small, you're not winning."

On Tuesday, Hammon said that Brunson proved history wrong. "Jalen, all he did was prove history wrong," she said. "He proves he's an outlier, so you can put his name next to Steph Curry and Isiah Thomas." She added, "I thought he played brilliantly, especially down the stretch." Hammon continued, "I mean, he was that 1A dude."

However, Hammon maintained that she would not offer an apology. "But apologize? I'm never going to apologize for having an opinion," she said. "That's what ESPN pays me for." She clarified her position regarding her initial opinion, stating, "I was wrong. My opinion was wrong."

New York Knicks wing Mikal Bridges stated that Hammon's original comments fueled Brunson. "I appreciate Becky, no cap," Bridges said. "The words she said about can't win with JB being 1A and he's too little, all that did was fuel him."