Josh Hart Didn’t Like Knicks Teammate at First

When future New York Knicks Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart first met at Villanova their chemistry proved to be explosive … for all the wrong reasons.

The two appeared in tandem on NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” earlier this week, which might’ve been a shock to their original college selves: Hart admitted that, when he met the underclassman Brunson prior to their shared days as Wildcats, he wasn’t a fan of the point guard.

“I didn’t like him” Hart said with a smirk, blaming the early dislike on Brunson’s father and current Knicks assistant coach Rick. “I told his dad, great person, but, you know, he wants to put on like a hard outer shell. First I was like, ‘I hate this guy,’ and then I hung out with him. I’m like, ‘dang, I’ve got to kind of like him.'”

Brunson admitted that the feeling was mutual because Hart was the “team bully” at Villanova and that no Cat … or future Knick … was safe from his wrath.

“He bullied me,” Brunson admitted, with Hart unable or unwilling to deny the allegations. “During practice, he threw me into a door and threw the ball at me. He got into a fight with Mikal (Bridges) and Donte (DiVincenzo) several times in the practice, weight room. He was the team bully for sure.”

Perhaps Hart’s supposed bullying helped Brunson prepare for the Association and removed any fear of physicality come gametime: last season saw Brunson draw 35 charges, the second-best tally in the league behind only Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski. Villanova head coach Jay Wright almost must’ve appreciated Hart’s tactics, as the Wildcats prowled to a national title with all four current New Yorkers in tow at the end of the 2015-16 season.

Knicks and Wildcat fans alike no doubt appreciate that Brunson and Hart found a way to make it work to the point where the two built an entire web series based on their friendship. The “Roommates Show” frequently engages in playful ribbing with a variety of equally decorated guests, leading to its heightened popularity amongst athlete-produced podcasts.

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