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New York has a reputation for overshadowing even the most brilliant athletes from other cities, much like it did with Reggie Jackson’s time in Oakland and Mark Messier’s stint in Edmonton. It’s easy to overlook that before finding his stride with the Knicks, Josh Hart had spent parts of seven seasons with three different teams—the Lakers, Pelicans, and Trail Blazers. His career took a pivotal turn when he was traded to New York in 2023.
Prior to his arrival in the Big Apple, Hart had never tasted playoff action. However, since reuniting with his former teammate Jalen Brunson, the Knicks have advanced to the second round of the playoffs for four consecutive seasons. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the franchise, reminiscent of the days when Patrick Ewing led the team to similar success from 1997 to 2000.
But what does this mean for Hart, a former national champion?
“Not a damn thing,” Hart candidly remarked before the start of the conference semifinals. “That’s not the goal. The goal isn’t to advance to one series or two series. That’s not a goal that we have as individuals or as a team. To be honest, that’s pretty irrelevant. We’ve gotta make sure we do what we’re supposed to do and focus on advancing in this series.”
Despite his determination, Hart struggled to find his rhythm in the Knicks’ commanding 137-98 victory over the 76ers in the opening game of the series, standing out as one of the few players who didn’t catch fire during the blowout.
But as usual, he did just about everything else.
Coming off an uneven first-round series against the Hawks — in which Hart averaged 10.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals, but shot 41.1 percent from the field and 5-for-23 on 3-pointers — the do-everything guard repeatedly ignited the Madison Square Garden crowd with his unrivaled energy and relentless defense, getting the offense into transition and treating every loose ball as if his job were at stake.
Hart, who ranks third in Knicks history in triple-doubles, finished with eight points, three steals, eight rebounds and six assists in just 26 minutes, while shooting 3-for-7 from the field (1-for-2 on 3-pointers).
“We want to play a little fast, so being physical, getting stops, pushing the pace, doing those kinds of things is something we’re trying to do, and we’ve got to keep it up,” Hart said. “We need to make sure we’re focused on Game 2 and mentally locked in … They’re definitely gonna come out aggressive.”
In the 2024 first-round matchup against Philadelphia, Hart was one of the biggest reasons why the Knicks prevailed in the teams’ first playoff matchup in 35 years.
He averaged over 46 minutes per game and ranked second on the Knicks in scoring (16.8) and assists (4.5), while leading the team in rebounds (12.3), shooting 43.2 percent and delivering the series-winning 3-pointer.
Once again, the 76ers had no one who could provide the same spark as Hart, no player as motivated, no player who cares half as much about the final score.
“Where we’re at right now, everyone is being unselfish,” Hart said. “We’re willing to sacrifice individual numbers and stats for the betterment of the team. And when we do that, we’re playing our best basketball.
“Being unselfish, that’s the biggest thing.”