Jalen Brunson is finally getting the superstar treatment in New York, and Josh Hart is having absolutely none of it.
The Knicks have just come off a historic championship season, Brunson has added Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP trophies to his résumé, and his profile has exploded across the basketball world. Naturally, Hart decided this was the perfect time to remind everyone that his longtime friend is still, well, Jalen Brunson.
When reporters asked Hart about the additional attention Brunson has received following New York’s championship victory, Hart delivered the kind of response only he could.
“He’s not LeBron, let’s relax,” Hart joked.
And that one line perfectly captures the relationship between two players who have been teammates since their Villanova days and have now helped turn the Knicks into NBA champions.
Hart Has Never Been Afraid To Troll Brunson
If there is one thing Knicks fans have learned about Hart, it is that he does not care how big his teammate becomes.
Brunson can win Finals MVP, become one of the most recognizable players in basketball and walk into Madison Square Garden as the face of a championship franchise. Hart will still find a way to mess with him.
That is not new.
The pair have built an entertaining friendship that extends far beyond basketball. They have their Roommates podcast, regularly joke about each other in public and have developed a running dynamic where Hart plays the loud, mischievous friend while Brunson often becomes the target.
A recent example came when Brunson reacted to Hart receiving his own Yankees bobblehead. Brunson’s response was simply, “Oh f–k no,” which was completely in character for their relationship.
The latest joke, though, lands differently because of what Brunson has accomplished.
Brunson Is Coming Off A Massive Championship Run
There is no question that Brunson’s profile has reached another level.
During New York’s 2025-26 postseason run, Brunson averaged 28.4 points and 6.1 assists per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from three-point range and 84.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Those numbers helped him earn Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP honors as the Knicks finally captured the NBA championship.
That title ended a 53-year championship drought for New York, making Brunson’s role in the franchise’s history even more significant.
His popularity also showed up away from the court. Brunson finished third in NBA jersey sales during the 2025-26 regular season, another indication of how much his national profile had grown.
So, yes, Hart has a point that Brunson isn’t LeBron James.
But the joke works because Brunson has suddenly become one of the biggest basketball stars in New York.
And Hart clearly knows it.
The LeBron Comparison Is Actually Part Of The Joke
The funniest part of Hart’s comment is that nobody actually needs to believe Brunson has reached LeBron’s level for the joke to work.
LeBron’s global fame is on an entirely different scale. His career, championships, longevity and place in NBA history have made him one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet.
Brunson isn’t there.
But Hart wasn’t seriously trying to make a basketball argument. He was doing what he has always done: cutting through the hype surrounding his friend.
That’s what makes the moment feel so authentic.
After a championship season, it would be easy for everyone around Brunson to treat him differently. Instead, Hart is essentially saying, “Enjoy the attention, but don’t get carried away.”
For a Knicks team entering another season with enormous expectations, that kind of chemistry can matter.
Hart Was A Huge Part Of The Championship Team Too
It would also be unfair to frame Hart as simply Brunson’s teammate who happens to make jokes.
Hart was an important part of New York’s championship run.
During the playoffs, he averaged 10.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He also averaged a team-high 3.4 deflections per night, highlighting the defensive activity that has become one of the defining parts of his game.
His value has never been entirely about scoring.
Hart rebounds at a high level for his position, pushes the ball, creates extra possessions and brings an unpredictable energy that can completely change the rhythm of a game.
That makes the friendship with Brunson even more interesting.
Brunson is the primary offensive engine. Hart is the chaos agent who can impact a game in several different ways.
They are very different personalities and very different players, but that contrast is part of what makes the partnership work.
Now They Have To Defend The Title
The jokes are fun, but the Knicks don’t have much time to enjoy the championship glow.
New York’s 2026-27 campaign is scheduled to begin October 20 against the Philadelphia 76ers, with LeBron James also expected to be on the opposing side.
That makes Hart’s joke even more amusing.
The Knicks will literally open their title defense against the player he just used as the benchmark for Brunson’s newfound fame.
It also gives Brunson another opportunity to show that last season was not simply a one-year breakthrough.
Winning a championship changes expectations. Nobody will be satisfied with Brunson simply putting up impressive numbers anymore. The Knicks will be measured against the standard they established during their title run.
And Hart, naturally, will probably be right there making jokes regardless of what happens.
That is probably exactly how Brunson would want it.
A Friendship That Keeps The Knicks Grounded
The biggest takeaway from Hart’s latest troll isn’t really about LeBron or Brunson’s celebrity status.
It is about the unusual chemistry inside this Knicks group.
Brunson and Hart have known each other since college, won together at Villanova and eventually reunited in New York. Now they have won an NBA championship together.
That history gives Hart the freedom to say things about Brunson that plenty of other teammates probably couldn’t get away with.
And Brunson seems to understand the joke.
For Knicks fans, that relationship is part of the fun. Brunson may now be a Finals MVP and one of the most recognizable players in the league, but inside the Knicks locker room, Josh Hart is still going to make sure he gets brought back down to earth.
“He’s not LeBron, let’s relax.”
Coming from Hart, that might be the most perfectly timed Knicks joke imaginable.
The real question now is whether Brunson and Hart can turn that chemistry into another deep postseason run. After everything they accomplished last season, basketball fans will be watching closely to see what comes next.