Jay Wright says ex-Villanova stars have ‘opportunity of lifetime’ to win title with Knicks

Like just about everyone else, Jay Wright got the news from social media.

He didn’t know the Knicks and Nets were working on a trade to reunite Mikal Bridges with college teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.

Sure, Brunson, Hart and DiVincenzo joked about it.

But Wright said when he spoke to Bridges, he didn’t say a word about it.

He never thought it would happen — that the four best players from his two championship teams at Villanova would all be teammates with the Knicks.

“Amazing. I told these guys, no one gets this opportunity to play professionally with your brothers and have a chance to win a championship,” Wright told The Post in a phone interview. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and I know they understand that, and they know they have a lot of work to do. I know they’re committed to putting that work in, and I know they know how fortunate they are.

“I was shocked, and I’m really happy for Mikal and the Knicks.”

Knicksanova, as dubbed by Post columnist Mike Vaccaro, became even stronger with this blockbuster deal.

Brunson has already emerged as one of the premier guards in the league.

Hart and DiVincenzo have become strong two-way role players.

Now, the defensive-minded and versatile Bridges adds even more star power to a roster that includes Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby.

A 3-and-D wing with good size at 6-foot-6, Bridges is a career 37.5 percent 3-point shooter who was at his best as a complementary piece with the Suns.

As a Net, he was miscast as the go-to guy and struggled at times this past season, shooting just 43.6 percent from the field.

But now he will have less pressure to score and rejoins his college teammates on one of the best teams in the league.

“He’ll fit similar to how he did in Phoenix, although he’s a much more accomplished offensive player than he was in Phoenix,” Wright said. “It’s his basketball intelligence to understand what’s the key to winning each game. He’ll recognize, ‘Do I have to defend and rebound tonight, or is there another night where I have to defend, rebound and I have to score tonight? Is it better for me to get someone else going tonight, but I’m going to defend and rebound every night.’

“It’s a really unique mentality he has. I think [coach Tom Thibodeau] really appreciates and demands that of every player, and that’s why I think he’ll be a perfect fit.”

It would be understandable if Wright wondered what it would be like coaching all four again — if the coach in him wanted to step out of the broadcasting booth. But he insists he is content watching from a distance.

”No, there’s no part of me that wants to be there with them. I’m sitting back like a proud papa just watching them and enjoying it,” Wright said. “I love their respect for Thibs. I love how Thibs coaches them. He’s perfect for them. I love their system. I really enjoy how they play the game.

“I’m so impressed with how they just, and I think this is on Thibs and their whole organization, how they continually progressed and competed every time someone went down with an injury. They just kept grinding, they never gave in to it, never made excuses. It was so impressive this year.”

The four Villanova guys were part of the 2016 NCAA championship team.

The following year, the Wildcats went 32-4, though they lost to Wisconsin in the second round as the overall No. 1 seed.

In 2018, they won it all again, though Hart had moved on to the NBA by then.

Brunson was the National Player of the Year, and DiVincenzo was the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

Now, they are looking to win an NBA crown together.

“I think they match up as well as anybody in the NBA with the Celtics now,” Wright said of the newly crowned champions. “What you have to respect is the process the Celtics have gone through and the experience they have together, and the Knicks have to go through that. Last year was the beginning of that, and now next year is going to be the next step.”