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The New York Knicks’ NBA Cup celebration took a wild turn in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
NBA Cup MVP Jalen Brunson shared the stage with his teammates for the trophy celebration, and he got an unexpected surprise from one of his best friends, Josh Hart.
As Karl-Anthony Towns lifted the NBA Cup trophy, Brunson and Hart were off to the side cheering Towns on when Hart suddenly reached behind Brunson.
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Josh Hart (3) of the New York Knicks and Jalen Brunson (11) of the New York Knicks talk during the first half of the Emirates NBA Cup against the Chicago Bulls on October 31, 2025 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Mélissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Hart appeared to stick a finger where he probably shouldn’t, prompting Brunson to jump and look back.
The cameras caught the whole thing and Hart admitted defeat.
“Damn. In 4k,” he wrote on X with crying and laughing emojis. He then tried to plead not guilty, adding: “IT WAS AI.”
Brunson and Hart played college ball together at Villanova, winning two championships. Brunson signed with the Knicks as a free agent before the 2022-23 season, and Hart joined them a year later.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) poses with the Most Valuable Player trophy after the victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the Emirates NBA Cup Finals at T-Mobile Arena. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
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New York was eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals last year by the Indiana Pacers. It was the furthest they had gotten since 2000, when they were also eliminated by Indiana.
They are looking for their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999, when they beat the Pacers to win the East.
They surely have bigger goals, but the Knicks are celebrating this one.
“It’s a knockout tournament when you get to a certain point, so every game counts,” New York coach Mike Brown said. “There was pressure every game if you want to be who you think you are. When you do well, it builds the confidence of everyone in the organization.”
The New York Knicks raise the trophy after the team defeated the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 to win the Emirates NBA Cup championship game at T-Mobile Arena on December 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“It’s great and we’re going to enjoy it,” Brunson added. “But once we leave tomorrow, we’ll move on.”
