Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart took their Knicks championship tour to Yankee Stadium, and their friendship arrived long before the first pitch.
They were not just there to wave to the crowd.
They had a job to do, and Brunson still found time to roast Hart before doing it.
Jalen Brunson jokes about Josh Hart’s pitching form
Behind-the-scenes footage showed Brunson and Hart warming up before their ceremonial first pitches ahead of the Yankees’ game against the Chicago White Sox.
Brunson, throwing left-handed, watched Hart’s right-handed delivery and immediately turned it into a scouting report only a close friend could give.
“Why are you throwing it like that? You look hella weird.”
Hart’s form may have drawn a friendly review, but the actual throws went smoothly. The Knicks stars walked onto the field in Yankees pinstripes, received a loud ovation, and both appeared to deliver strikes.
Brunson threw to backup catcher J.C. Escarra, while Hart threw to utilityman Max Schuemann. The backstage footage also showed them meeting Yankees manager Aaron Boone and rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler, making the night another cross-sport celebration for the city’s new champions.
There were baseball ties, too. Brunson had already thrown a first pitch at Yankee Stadium in July 2024, shortly after signing his Knicks extension. Hart’s connection runs deeper, as he is the great-nephew of Yankees legend Elston Howard, whose No. 32 is retired by the franchise and whose plaque sits in Monument Park.
Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart go from Villanova to New York royalty
Their banter is not new. Brunson and Hart have had this kind of rapport since their days at Villanova, where they were roommates and won the 2016 national championship together.
Their paths separated after college, then reconnected in New York when Hart joined Brunson on the Knicks in 2023. From there, the Villanova chemistry became part of the team’s identity.
Now they are NBA champions together too. Brunson won Finals MVP after averaging 32.6 points, 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds against the Spurs, then scoring 45 in the title-clinching Game 5.
Hart played his usual role, rebounding, defending and doing the dirty work that made him one of the most beloved Knicks on the roster.
That is why this first pitch was more than a photo op. Brunson and Hart went from Villanova roommates to college champions, then to Knicks champions, and finally to Yankee Stadium guests throwing strikes as New York royalty.
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