Jalen Brunson found himself in the middle of a funny courtside moment during the Knicks–Raptors NBA Cup quarterfinal, and NBA fans were eating it up online.
Early in the matchup, a Raptors fan aimed at him from the sideline, accusing him of flopping.
Brunson didn’t bother escalating anything — he just shot back, “That’s a foul. Just playing by the rules.”
What made it land even better was what came next. On the following possession, Jalen Brunson rose and knocked down a three, flipping the mood inside Scotiabank Arena. While the heckler tried to get his shot in, most fans watching online sided with Brunson, just based on the sequence alone.
One fan, @DiamondFanAct, noted that Brunson’s production wasn’t built on free throws: “he’s gotta be the worst flopper in the nba all that flopping for 5 free throws with 36 points lol.”
Jalen Brunson: “Why you harassing me?”
Fan: “That’s a flop”
JB: “That’s a foul. Just playing by the rules”
Fan: “Don’t flop my boy. Stop flopping”
JB (points to replay on jumbotron) pic.twitter.com/zQdEVO4tWn
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 10, 2025
Another, @DannyLimeLight, summed up how it all played out: “Then hit the 3 right after to shut them up.”
And @CoachMarcMitts was amused by the way Brunson handled the whole thing: “Such a humble King..doesn’t even brush off peasants with foul language.”
Brunson wrapped the night with 35 points along with four assists and three boards, guiding New York into the semifinals while barely giving the courtside chatter a second thought.
“This is the level of pettiness only a New Yorker can fully appreciate”: NBA fans react to Brunson’s postgame message
Once the Knicks locked in the 117–110 win and punched their ticket to the next round, Brunson wasn’t quite done with his new courtside rival. Instead of heading straight to the tunnel, he made a quick detour toward the same Raptors fan he’d traded words with earlier.
His message was simple: “I just wanted to say thank you.”
Depending on the angle you’re looking from, that thank-you carried a whole lot of New York flavor.
@kutti_no_1 saw it instantly: “This is the level of pettiness only a New Yorker can fully appreciate.”
This is the level of pettiness only a New Yorker can fully appreciate 😂
— your favourite kutti (@kutti_no_1) December 10, 2025
@Myles_Aheadd figured the whole thing turned into fuel: “Thanking someone for pissing you off and him dropping 35 pon they head is hilarious.”
And even a Toronto supporter, @YearOldOnTwit, tipped his cap: “Raptors fan here, Brunson absolutely owned that dude holy fucking shit.”
With the win sealed, New York heads to Las Vegas for a December 13 semifinal against the Orlando Magic — and Brunson arrives with one more petty W tucked in his carry-on.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
