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New York Knicks star Josh Hart knew the San Antonio Spurs were in trouble long before he stepped onto the same court in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Hart, 31, said the Spurs’ mistake came during their celebration after winning Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. After Spurs knocked out the defending champions to advance, Victor Wembanyama broke down in tears.
“Everybody’s telling them, ‘Yo, they have to beat OKC. OKC is going to repeat,'” Hart said during a recent episode of “The Roommates Show” with teammate Jalen Brunson taped at Madison Square Garden on Friday.
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New York Knicks forward Josh Hart looks on after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on May 23, 2026. (David Richard/Imagn Images)
“They beat OKC. For a young team, I feel like that was the pinnacle for them. That’s when I looked at (Brunson) and I was like, ‘See that reaction? Because they think they’re going to win. They think it’s over.'”
Hart compared the Spurs’ jubilation after beating the Thunder to the Knicks’ mood after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers to advance to the franchise’s first NBA Finals since 1999.
“You look at our reaction after we beat Cleveland — it was hard to celebrate because we were like, ‘We’ve got four more.’ Obviously winning the Eastern Conference is an incredible accomplishment, but we all looked at it like it was just a milestone. This is not the destination. It’s just a step,” Hart said.
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San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson shoots as New York Knicks guard Josh Hart defends during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals in New York on June 8, 2026. (Al Bello/AP)
“The reaction after Game 4 in Cleveland showed that.”
Hart’s conclusion proved correct, as the young Spurs blew double-digit leads in all four of their losses to the Knicks.
The Knicks’ composure and resilience were the team’s defining characteristics, as three of the five greatest comebacks in NBA Finals history occurred during this series against the Spurs.
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New York Knicks guard Josh Hart celebrates during the NBA championship parade in New York on June 18, 2026. (Heather Khalifa/AP)
The Knicks players only started celebrating after beating the Spurs in Game 5, as they constantly stated that their mindset was that the series was “0-0” after each game.
Hart was his usual self in the NBA Finals, playing solid defense while serving as a good rebounder and facilitator on offense. During the team’s 19 playoff games, Hart averaged 10.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
