The Knicks complete the biggest Finals comeback ever as they recover from a 29-point deficit for a 3-1 lead on the Spurs.
• Complete coverage: 2026 NBA Finals
• Download the NBA App
SAN ANTONIO – Josh Hart bounced around the NBA early in his career.
He spent his first two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, two-plus seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans and a season-and-a-half with the Portland Trail Blazers.
He is quick to point out that by the time he got to New York Knicks in 2022, he was on his sixth coach in his first six seasons.
“I’ve always talked about how I had a lot of instability,” Hart said Friday. “I was just kind of looking for a home and stability, and I found that in New York, obviously first with Thibs (ex-Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau) and now with (Knicks coach) Mike (Brown). I think the city really embraced me, my style of play, me as a person. When you do that, you feel like you’re able to go out there and play your best.”
Hart found that home with the Knicks and has made himself a vital contributor to New York’s success the past 3 1/2 seasons, including three consecutive 50-win seasons and a 53-29 record in 2025-26.
The Knicks are one victory from their first NBA championship since 1973. Game 5 is Saturday in San Antonio (8:30 p.m., ABC).
On a team that relies on its collective talent, Hart is a specific and necessary piece that has helped the Knicks take a 3-1 series lead against the Spurs in the NBA Finals.
Calling Hart a glue guy doesn’t do justice to the work he does. And saying he scores, passes, rebounds and defends doesn’t depict everything he does. In the playoffs, he’s averaging 10.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.8 steals.
Josh Hart talks with the media ahead of Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
A traditional box score can tell some of the story. In Hart’s case, it doesn’t always tell the full story. Hart realized while playing college basketball at Villanova for Jay Wright that he could be a valuable contributor without always stuffing the box score with statistics.
“Coach Wright did a really good job of emphasizing that competitive will, making the plays that go beyond the box score,” Hart said. “I think you see it with a lot of Villanova guys in the league. A lot of them make those kinds of plays. They don’t show up on the box score.
“It really started at ‘Nova, and then when you do something for four years, it kind of just sticks with you.”
Box scores include more data in 2026 that help explain a player’s contributions. Such as the seven shots Hart contested, the offensive loose ball he recovered and the deflection he made and the 2-for-8 3-point shooting Spurs had with Hart defending in Game 4.
In the Knicks’ 105-95 victory in Game 1 against the Spurs, Hart was 1-for-5 from the field and 0-for-3 on 3-pointers and scored three points. However, he also had 15 rebounds, six assists, four steals, one block, and the Knicks outscored San Antonio by 22 points in his 27 minutes on the court. He had two screen assists – defined as the number of times an offensive player sets a screen for a teammate that directly leads to a made field goal by that teammate – three deflections and he held Spurs guard Stephon Castle to 1-for-3 shooting.
“He impacted the game in so many different ways for us,” Brown said. “When you look at what he shot from the field, you wouldn’t think that he was probably the most impactful guy on the game last night.”
Knicks star Jalen Brunson said: “That’s just who he is. He’s always been that way. I can’t explain it. He just has a knack for doing things like that, and in crucial times, as well. It’s a credit to who he is as a player.”
Hart is realistic about who he is as a basketball player and understands the adage: “Be a star in your role.”
David Fizdale and Chris Bosh point out how Josh Hart has been making a positive impact without scoring for the New York Knicks.
“It takes humility and just a willingness to sacrifice,” Hart said. “We’re in the NBA Finals. There are millions of people watching. It’s easy to get wrapped up in human nature of wanting to get recognition, wanting to score the ball, wanting to show people what you can do on the biggest stage.
“That’s not everyone’s calling and not everyone’s assignment. I know for me, that’s not really my assignment. It takes a little bit of time to find that humility. For me, I found that with prayer and my faith.”
Hart is part of the trio that makes up ’Nova Knicks along with Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges. They won a national championship for Villanova in 2016, and Brunson and Bridges won another in 2018. Brunson and Bridges are quick to remind Hart that he has only one national championship compared to their two.
It’s become a part of their news conference comedy routine. They pretend not to like each other when in fact, they’re good friends.
“I hated Jalen,” Hart said. “I thought he was one of those annoying five-star recruits that come in entitled. Unfortunately, he was the opposite, and we sparked a friendship. We’re still friends to this day. Yeah, we still keep in touch. But that’s what my thought process was. I hated him to start, hated him during his visit. Probably the beginning of his freshman year, hated him.”
“Mikal was the same way. I hated him, too. He came in, we obviously played a similar position, especially in college, and he was weaker, more frail than I was, so he would grab me and I hated it. Obviously love those guys now.”
* * *
Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at jzillgitt@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
