Knicks Legend Names Ideal Modern Teammate

Larry Johnson made it clear that he particularly hearts one of his New York Knicks successors.

In a wide-ranging interview with Knicks Fan TV, Johnson spoke about the current group’s championship prospects and whose talents he’d most appreciate working with. Johnson was most impressed with the work of Josh Hart, who became one of the many depth stars that rose to the occasion en route to a breakout campaign that saw the Knicks win 50 games and the second seed on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket.

“Josh is not a big dude. But the effort he was giving, it reminds you of … a 6’5″, 6’6″ Dennis Rodman, just going after everything, just the intensity,” Johnson lauded. “When you have a guy like that who’s going to sacrifice for the team and say, ‘You don’t got to run a play for me, Coach … I get mine off tip-ins, off offensive rebounds, running the floor. I get mine that way.’ … what Josh Hart did, I wouldn’t have minded playing with him.”

Hart has been an instant fan favorite since he came over from Portland at the 2023 trade deadline.

He gained instant credibility thanks to his status as a former Villanova Wildcat (joining fellow Main Line alum Jalen Brunson before the Knicks added Donte DiVincenzo and Mikal Bridges) but has built a sterling reputation by matching his fun-loving personality with on-court ruthlessness that came up big when injuries ate away at the Manhattan regulars.

Placed in the starting five while primarily filling in for Julius Randle, Hart averaged a 12-point, 10.6-rebound double-double over the last 36 games of the season, posting six triple-doubles in that span. He followed that up by averaging 14.5 and 11.5 in the respective categories during the Knicks’ 13-game playoff run, one that ended with Hart added to the list of medical casualties before all was said and done.

Hart is set to return to the bench as his second full season with the Knicks looms, but that depth alone is why this coming season faces a fair amount of hype. The Knicks are looking to reach their first NBA Finals since Johnson’s famed four-point play partly paved the way to a conference title in 1999.

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