Josh Hart is an NBA champion.
On Saturday night, the New York Knicks notched a 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals — securing the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973.
Hart played a massive role throughout the Knicks’ run to the Larry O’Brien Trophy, making winning plays at every turn. He finished Game 5 with a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double, supporting Finals MVP Jalen Brunson as he recorded a series-high 45 points in San Antonio.
Hart has been all over the map since entering the NBA as the No. 30 overall pick for the Utah Jazz in 2017, immediately landing with the Los Angeles Lakers in a draft-night trade. He was later traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, then the Portland Trail Blazers before ultimately ending up with the Knicks midway through the 2022-23 NBA season.
Now, it appears Hart has found his longterm NBA home in New York.
“I’ve been doubted so many times, traded, had so much instability — seven, eight different head coaches. I found a home in New York. They embraced me for the person that I am, the player that I am,” Hart said during his postgame press conference on Saturday night.
Hart was an all-around performer for the Knicks throughout the NBA Finals, averaging 7.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game against the Spurs.