These 3 Knicks Superstars Are Actually Reliving Their College Days
Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges look like a trio that can read each other’s minds. Their on-court connection has helped lead the Knicks to the NBA Finals, where the team is one win away from winning a title for the first time since the 1970s. New York is electric with anticipation, but it’s actually a feeling Bridges, Hart, and Brunson have shared before. A decade ago, they piled onto the floor in Houston to celebrate a national title as college teammates. The trio chased basketball greatness as part of the Villanova Wildcats dynasty that dominated the late 2010s. They are doing it again on an even larger stage.
Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges’ bond was formed in college
Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges walked out of college and into the NBA as former teammates, but they weren’t playing together. At least, not right away. Josh Hart was the first to leave Villanova for the big leagues, playing his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017. Bridges began his career with the Phoenix Suns the following season, with Brunson playing his rookie year with the Dallas Mavericks. Bridges was drafted 10th overall, with Brunson selected with the 33rd pick that year.
It would take several more years for the trio to reunite. In 2022, Brunson bet on himself when he signed with the New York Knicks, a team that had been struggling to find a franchise star for the better part of a decade. Brunson blossomed under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, an arena that has chewed up plenty of would-be superstars.
Hart arrived next, landing in New York via a February 2023 trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. Brunson didn’t have a hand in the deal, but he was thrilled by the addition. The two were just as electric at the Garden as they had been at Finneran Pavilion. Still, a title eluded the team. The puzzle pieces fell together in 2024, though. That year, the Knicks put a lot of money on the line and multiple first-round picks to secure Mikal Bridges. Bridges had played the previous season just over four miles away from the Garden at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The addition of Bridges turned something really good into something magical.
The trio could make history tonight
The trio, along with their Knicks teammates, is absolutely dominating in the 2026 NBA Finals. Their come-from-behind win in Game 4 will make this run legendary, but for anyone who saw Bridges, Brunson, and Hart play in college, the magic is in how they are continuing to use the connection forged at Villanova to propel their success in New York City. The Athletic points out that they are even still using “hands back,” a strategy developed by Villanova head coach Jay Wright, in their NBA gameplay.
The NBA title is on the line for the team, and it’s something New Yorkers want desperately, but the trio could make history of their own. Should Brunson, Hart, and Bridges close out the Spurs, they would become the first set of teammates ever to win an NCAA title and an NBA title as a group.
Tip-off for game 5 is on June 13 at 8:30 pm EST. The Knicks lead the Spurs 3-1.
