Josh Hart is living his best life.
The Knicks wing celebrated with fans while DMX’s “Ruff Ryder’s Anthem” blasted during the ticker-tape parade Thursday.
Joining the crowd is not the only thing Hart has done for the fans during the parade; he also signed a jersey for an NYPD officer.
The former Villanova Wildcat has become a man of the people in New York for his blue-collar style of play, which had him grabbing 8.9 rebounds per game in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
“This city is built on toughness, grit, blue-collar people,” Hart said before Game 5.
“I feel like I’m the same person. They can look in the mirror, they can see themselves, just because that’s how I look at myself. I just happen to hoop.”
Hart has been the spiritual and energy leader for the Knicks all season, but his efforts were best displayed during Game 1 of the NBA Finals when he became the first player in an NBA Finals game to lead both teams outright in rebounds (15), assists (6) and steals (4).
Throughout the entire finals, Hart seemed to be in the right spot at the right time nearly the entire time.
He averaged 7.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals in the five-game finals.
“I think the city really embraced me, my style of play, me as a person,” Hart said. “When you do that, you feel like you’re able to go out there and play your best.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
