Tag: Josh Hart

Knicks creatively avoided Karl-Anthony Towns talk while the blockbuster trade is still pending

Karl-Anthony Towns is reportedly headed to the New York Knicks, but the organization is not actually allowed to talk about it quite yet.

Karl-Anthony Towns is reportedly headed to the New York Knicks, but the organization is not actually allowed to talk about it quite yet.

While the trade was reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, it is not yet official. The blockbuster deal will send Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves to the Timberwolves in exchange for the four-time All-Star (who also seemed surprised about the trade).

This massive move will give New York an incredible starting five, but there is one small problem: The organization cannot actually discuss the terms and implications until the league processes the transaction. That usually isn’t a big deal but that comes at a very inconvenient time: Media day.

With so many reporters around the team, they all want to know about Towns. But they are only getting coy, canned answers. Here are a few of them so far:

Jalen Brunson: ‘Don’t know who that is’

Josh Hart: ‘We got KAT?! Oh, wow.’

Tom Thibodeau: ‘Good try’

 

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New York Knicks trade for Mikal Bridges, recreate 2017 Villanova team that lost to the Wisconsin Badgers

The Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges on Tuesday night, recreating the team that lost to the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2017 NCAA Tournament:

The New York Knicks made a blockbuster trade on Tuesday night, acquiring star forward Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets for a deal highlighted by five first-round picks.

The trade, in essence, makes the Knicks the Villanova Wildcats of the NBA. The team is now led by former Villanova stars Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.

Related:Ā Big Ten basketball teams ranked by returning production entering 2024-25 season

The reaction to the trade on X mostly revolved around the Knicks ‘recreating Villanova’s 2016 national championship-winning team.’ Many point to that title win as the last time these four players shared a court.

But that is not the case.

The Knicks’ blockbuster trade actually recreated the 2016-17 Villanova Wildcats team that was a No. 1 seed in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, but lost 65-62 to the Wisconsin Badgers.

That day saw Nigel Hayes lead the 8-seed Badgers with 19 points, 8 rebounds and the game’s deciding basket:

He was guarded by Villanova’s Mikal Bridges, the newest member of the New York Knicks.

Wisconsin handed Villanova its only NCAA Tournament loss in a three-year period, as the Wildcats went on to win the national championship again in 2018. Another note: this game punched the Badgers’ ticket to the Sweet Sixteen, a round the program has been unable to reach since that date.

Here is a full look back at Wisconsin’s big win over the Wildcats — or, now the Knicks:

Bam Adebayo has a (joking?) 3-word accusation after the Knicks trade for Mikal Bridges

Villanova teammate conspiracy theories are everywhere.

What a night in the NBA before we get the 2024 draft.

The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets made a cross-borough trade (check out our trade grades) that gave Mikal Bridges the chance to play again with his Villanova teammates.

And with screenshots of Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Bridges chatting, there were plenty of jokes about just how much influence the Nova guys had on forcing Bridges out of Brooklyn.

That included a post on X (formerly Twitter) from Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo that we can only assume is joking, with just three words aimed at Brunson and Hart: “Y’all was tampering!”

LOL!

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The screenshot of the Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo group call discussing their Knicks reunion was priceless

Okay, this is just delightful.

The Mikal Bridges trade set the NBA world ablaze a day before this year’s draft.

Indeed, Bridges will join his old Nova teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo with the New York Knicks, which instantly makes them one of the most enjoyable and dangerous NBA teams going into next season.

Soon after the news broke on Tuesday night, all four of the former Villanova teammates got on a group call right to discuss their reunion.

Hart shared an absolutely delightful image on Twitter (X) of the four friends all celebrating their reunion, with Bridges the final piece of the puzzle to put all of these old pals back together again.

You can tell by the looks on their faces how genuinely thrilled they all are, as Hart, Bridges and Brunson were already quick to react on social media.

The trade has massive implications for the NBA at large, but it’s clearly huge on a personal level as well for these four old friends who now get to play basketball together again. How cool is that?

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Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart couldn’t believe their Villanova reunion with Mikal Bridges via Knicks trade

The Villanova Knicks seem very excited to play together once again.

Tuesday night’s blockbuster NBA trade that sent Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks seemed to even catch these three key players by surprise.

Bridges and his reunited Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart shared their excitement on Twitter (X) as soon as the trade news broke, as the three all played college basketball together at Nova.

The three, along with fellow Villanova/Knicks teammate Donte DiVincenzo, will now get a chance to push for an NBA title in the Big Apple, and we bet all four of the NBA standouts will relish the chance to play with each other once again.

You can tell by these reactions how excited all of these guys are to reunite.

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Nets’ Mikal Bridges appears to recruit Knicks’ Josh Hart on Instagram

While it is the offseason, Brooklyn Nets guard Mikal Bridges is still at work possibly trying to recruit Josh Hart to join the Nets.

The Brooklyn Nets are in the middle of a long offseason in which they have to figure out how to get back to the playoffs next season. As it stands, Brooklyn does not have much cap space to pay for a superstar, but one of their players may be trying to convince someone to come to the team.

One of the more interesting developments that is going around NBA social media is an exchange on Monday between Nets guard Mikal Bridges and New York Knicks forward Josh Hart. Hart posted on his Instagram page pictures of him being part of the coverage of the NBA Finals currently happening between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks.

When Hart insinuates that he may “quit his day job” of playing in the NBA to being on TV, Bridges took that as a chance to say something to Hart. Bridges commented that Hart should “come to the Nets” in what may be another attempt for Bridges to play with someone that he went to college with.

While some Nets fans will detest this behavior from Bridges, it should be noted that three of Bridges’ teammates at Villanova University currently play for the Knicks in Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Donte DiVincenzo. By all accounts, the quartet have been close since college which makes sense when you consider that all four of them won a National Championship together during the 2015-16 season.

Bridges has also made an appearance on Hart and Brunson’s podcast where the trio seemed to be putting on a display of what their friendship is really like off the court. Either way, time will tell if Bridges ever plays with any of his college teammates, but this could be his latest attempt in making that happen.

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Josh Hart had a hysterically NSFW message for Reggie Miller after taunts from Knicks fans

That was cold, Madison Square Garden.

New York Knicks fans have a deep rivalry with former Indiana Pacers great Reggie Miller from the 1990s NBA playoffs, and they let the current broadcaster know it on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

As the Knicks and Pacers faced off in the second round of the 2024 Eastern Conference playoffs, the New York crowd noticed that Miller was in attendance and responded accordingly with a very NSFW chant.

Knicks forward Josh Hart actually went over to the broadcast mic and shared in a very funny (also NSFW) exchange with Miller about the New York chants.

We’re sure the television censors really appreciated this, but it was delightful all the same.

Some NSFW language to follow:Ā 

Hey, if you get the entire crowd at MSG to chant at you like that, it’s clear that you found some success there in the past to endear such hating.

We’re sure Miller got a kick out of this, and Hart’s response to it all was just golden. The Knicks getting the win and the 2-0 series lead didn’t hurt for New York fans, either.

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NBA Twitter reacts to Knicks eliminating Sixers in Game 6: ‘Hart of the City’

The New York Knicks advanced to the second round after a 118-115 win in Game 6 vs. the Philadelphia 76ers. Jalen Brunson had another monster game with 41 points, and Josh Hart added 16 points and 14 rebounds, including a clutch three-pointer. Joel …

The New York Knicks advanced to the second round after a 118-115 win in Game 6 vs. the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jalen Brunson had another monster game with 41 points, and Josh Hart added 16 points and 14 rebounds, including a clutch three-pointer. Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 39 points.

Here’s how NBA Twitter reacted to the Knicks thrilling victory.

Donte DiVincenzo, Knicks call out Joel Embiid following flagrant foul

Donte DiVincenzo and the New York Knicks call out Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid following his flagrant one foul in Game 3.

PHILADELPHIA — Play grew chippy in Game 3 between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks. Joel Embiid was called for a questionable offensive foul in the first quarter and expressed his frustrations to the officials.

Later in the first, Embiid was in a awkward position. He was lying on the baseline underneath the basket and Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson went up for a shot. Embiid grabbed at his leg, which he said was an attempt to protect himself, but the Knicks aren’t buying it.

Donte DiVincenzo, among others, confronted Embiid, who was called for a flagrant one foul, after the play. The officials stepped in to separate everybody, and Embiid was screaming at every New York player in his vicinity.

After the game, DiVincenzo called out Embiid, saying it was a dirty play.

Lead official Zach Zarba told a pool report about the play:

In that situation, the crew gets together, we go and review the foul. In this instance, the crew was unanimous along with the replay center official in Secaucus that this foul was unnecessary but did not rise to the level of a flagrant 2. The unnecessary contact rose to the level of a flagrant 1, but we were unanimous that this did not rise to the level of excessive contact, unnecessary and excessive, which would have been a flagrant 2 ejection. Thatā€™s why we kept it a flagrant 1.

Josh Hart also said his piece on Embiid. He pointed out the injury to Robinson who left the game with an ankle issue. Now, the leg that Embiid grabbed was Robinson’s right leg. New York’s big man left with a left ankle issue. There is no indication Embiid’s play caused the injury to Robinson.

The series will continue to get chippy as the Sixers look to even it at 2 on Sunday in Game 4.

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Knicks’ Josh Hart reveals he was hoping to be drafted by Sixers in 2017

New York Knicks swingman Josh Hart revealed he was hoping to be selected by the Philadelphia 76ers back in 2017.

In the 2017 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers had the 25th pick. They selected Anzejs Pasecniks and stashed him overseas. He eventually played 28 games in the NBA for the Washington Wizards in the 2019-20 season and the 2020-21 season.

Five picks later, the Los Angeles Lakers selected Villanova standout Josh Hart. Now with the New York Knicks, Hart is making a big impact for the No. 2 seed in the East. He is averaging 21.5 points and 14 rebounds while shooting 8-for-15 from deep.

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Hart revealed he was hoping he would be selected by the Sixers in 2017, but it didn’t happen.

It makes sense why Philadelphia didn’t select Hart in 2017. The Sixers had a budding Robert Covington who played the same position. One could argue that Hart would have been a nice fit next to Joel Embiid to build around.

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