Josh Hart Makes His Thoughts on Mike Brown Clear After Knicks Win NBA Title

During the 2025-26 season under Tom Thibodeau, Josh Hart led the New York Knicks – and the NBA – in minutes played.

Just a season later, new head coach Mike Brown made a major lineup change when he decided to bring Hart off the bench, something the guard credited his new head coach for after the team won it’s first NBA title since 1973.

“He’s the reason why we’re here, and we’ve got love for him,” Hart said of Brown. “He understands what it is to be a champion. He understands how to build a team, how to build habits that will put you in this position. We’re so grateful, so thankful to have him at the top. He kept us even so many times. He’s brought the best out of us, as people first.”

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Hart finished Game 5 with 13 points, nine of which came on clutch 3-pointers that held the Knicks get back into the game after falling down by as many as 15 points. The tenacious guard grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds and finished with a game-high +15 point differential.

He finished the series leading the team in rebounds in three of the five games and led the team in assists during a Game 1 victory.

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This story was originally published June 14, 2026 at 1:08 PM.