By now, the Villanova pipeline to the New York Knicks is well documented. Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges were teammates on a Wildcats roster that won national championships in 2016 and 2018. Eight years later, the trio is doing their thing in New York and only two games away from bringing the Larry O'Brien trophy to the Big Apple.
However, the chemistry that looks so natural now didn't exactly start that way. Hart, never one to pull punches, admitted that when he saw Brunson and Bridges, he wasn't exactly thrilled.
First impressions
Among the three, Hart had the longest tenure at Villanova. He was already a junior when both Bridges and Brunson came to campus, which was also the year the Wildcats won the NCAA title. In 2017, Hart finished his four-year eligibility and entered the NBA Draft. Brunson and Bridges led the school to another natty in 2018 and decided to join the Draft that same year.
As the eldest of the three, Hart admitted he wasn't exactly rolling out the red carpet for either of them. If anything, he was threatened and irked by their presence.
"I hated Jalen, I thought he was an annoying 5-star recruit that come in entitled. Unfortunately he was the opposite and we sparked a friendship and we're still friends to this day. We still keep in touch" 😂
Josh Hart on "hating" Jalen Brunson & Mikal Bridges at Villanova pic.twitter.com/Ca6S8Rpgv7
— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 3, 2026
"I hated Jalen, I thought he was an annoying 5-star recruit that come in entitled. Unfortunately, he was the opposite and we sparked a friendship and we're still friends to this day. We still keep in touch," Hart jokingly said in a press conference before Game 1 of the NBA FInals.
"That's my thought process. I hated him to start. I hated him during his visit. The beginning of his freshman year, I hated him," he added.
Brunson was a five-star recruit, alright. He was ranked the top point guard of his class. However, Jalen is as grounded as any NBA star. He considered the discipline from his mom and dad, Rick and Sandra, the reason he always chose to be humble.
Meanwhile, Hart also had his eyes set on Bridges. Mikal was not as acclaimed as JB coming out of high school, but he plays the same position as Josh. That alone made Hart feel threatened, but of course, he had to throw a little jab in there.
"Mikal's the same way. I hated him, too. He came in, we played similar positions, and he was weaker, more frail than I was, so he would grab me and I hated it," Hart explained.
Hart is the ultimate glue guy
Just like their 'Nova days, all three are starting for the Knicks and have brought the Orange and Blue this close to an NBA championship. The last time New York won the title was 1973.
Just like their run for the Wildcats, everybody has done their job to the best of their ability. While Brunson provides the scoring punch and Bridges perimeter resistance, Hart has been the ultimate glue guy. He was not as productive in Game 2 as he was in Game 1 due to foul trouble, but Josh came up with the 50/50 balls most of the time, which don't show up in the stat line.
The advanced stats back it up. Hart leads New York so far in Defensive Rebounding rate, and his overall net rating in the Finals is tops among Knicks starters. (Jose Alvarado and Jordan Clarkson are above Hart in the category, but in way fewer minutes played.)
Hart will never make the highlight reels, not with JB around, but what he brings to the table will always be valuable. That kind of player is worth his weight in gold.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.