Josh Hart’s latest comments have revealed the brutal reality behind the smile, the jokes and the relentless energy that have made him one of the New York Knicks’ most beloved players.
At 31, Hart is coming off an NBA championship, the best three-point shooting season of his career and another year of doing the dirty work that rarely receives the same attention as superstar scoring. Yet he enters the Knicks’ title defense knowing that fixing his damaged right ring finger could actually end his playing career.
And Hart has made his choice: keep playing, keep wrapping the finger and deal with the consequences later.
Hart’s Finger Problem Is Far More Serious Than It Looks
Hart’s injury dates back to the Knicks’ 2025 Eastern Conference Finals run against the Indiana Pacers. He underwent surgery that summer, but the problem returned after he aggravated the finger during an offseason scrimmage.
The plan entering last season was for Hart to play through the issue with a splint before potentially undergoing another procedure.
Instead, doctors eventually told him the remaining surgical option was a full joint replacement — and that would prevent him from continuing to play professional basketball.
Hart explained the situation bluntly.
“The only option for my finger at this point, because of how damaged it is, is a full joint replacement. With a joint replacement, you can’t have the banging, the repetitive grabbing a rebound, shooting, catching the ball, doing all you can do to do that.”
That left Hart with an extraordinary choice for a professional athlete.
“So if I did a joint replacement, then I wouldn’t be able to play. So I guess it’s either wrap it till I retire, cut it off; I guess that’s the other option. But yeah, so that’s really the only alternative: either a joint replacement, let it go, or I guess amputation.”
It sounds almost unbelievable, but this is the reality Hart is facing.
Somehow, Hart Had His Best Shooting Season
What makes the situation even more remarkable is what Hart managed to accomplish while dealing with the injury.
During the 2025-26 regular season, he averaged 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from three-point range.
That 41.3 percent mark was the best three-point shooting season of Hart’s career.
Think about that for a moment. His finger was damaged enough that he sometimes struggled to make a fist, yet he produced the most efficient perimeter shooting campaign of his NBA career.
Hart admitted the pain was unpredictable.
“Some days it’ll be good. Some days it’ll hurt to catch the ball. It just varies. I wish I could tell you when I wake up what’s going to be good and what’s going to be bad. But, yeah, some days, as I said, it’s good, and it’s just like a regular functioning finger.”
“And other days, it hurts just to close my hand and make a fist,” he concluded about his injury.
That makes his decision to continue playing even more striking.
The Knicks Need Exactly What Hart Provides
There is a reason New York is so reluctant to lose Hart.
He isn’t the Knicks’ primary scorer. He isn’t the face of the franchise. He doesn’t need plays designed specifically for him every night.
Instead, Hart fills almost every gap.
He rebounds. He defends. He pushes the ball. He makes the extra pass. He hits timely threes. He brings energy when the team needs it and plays with the kind of physicality that can change the tone of a game.
That became particularly valuable during New York’s championship run.
The Knicks finally ended their 53-year championship drought last season, winning their first title since 1973. Hart was an important part of that group, and with New York entering the 2026-27 season as defending champions, his availability could become even more important.
Mitchell Robinson has departed for Boston, while the Knicks have added veteran center Andre Drummond. The roster remains largely intact, but repeating is always harder than winning the first championship.
Hart’s toughness is going to matter.
Hart Isn’t Starstruck By Brunson’s New Fame
Then there is Jalen Brunson.
After leading the Knicks to the championship and winning Finals MVP, Brunson’s profile exploded beyond basketball. He even hosted Saturday Night Live during the offseason, while the Knicks became one of the biggest sports stories in the country.
Hart, however, remains Hart.
When asked whether he was starstruck by his friend’s newfound celebrity status, his response was classic.
“It’s not LeBron; let’s relax.”
Hart explained that he doesn’t really follow SNL closely and therefore didn’t fully understand how massive that particular moment was.
Still, he clearly appreciated what Brunson’s success meant for the entire organization.
“For all these guys, it’s been really cool to see the love and everything that they’ve gotten, and it shows the value of winning in New York.”
That might be one of the most important parts of Hart’s comments.
Winning in New York changes everything.
Brunson is no longer simply the point guard who helped revive the Knicks. He is now a championship-winning superstar and Finals MVP, with the attention that comes with it.
And Hart has a front-row seat to all of it.
Hart’s Retirement Comments Might Be Even More Important
Perhaps the most revealing part of Hart’s conversation wasn’t about Brunson or even his finger.
It was his thoughts about life after basketball.
Hart made it clear that money isn’t the only consideration when deciding how long he wants to play.
“I think at the end of the day, people think money is everything.”
He acknowledged that players deserve to be compensated fairly, but then offered a reminder that fans don’t always see the physical price of an NBA career.
“I’m sitting here thinking, like, right, yeah, my knees are achy a little bit, but I want to leave the game and be able to run around and play with my kids when they’re 10, 11, 12-plus.”
That perspective explains why Hart isn’t planning to chase longevity at any cost.
“So that wear and tear, it’s significant to a certain point. And if you’re in this league for 14, 15, 16 years, you see some of these older guys; they got limbs, knees are barking, those kinds of things. So I think that definitely gets overlooked.”
Then came the clearest statement of all.
“But, you know, that’s also why I don’t think I’m going to play until 40; I’ll tell you that.”
Hart Has Chosen Basketball — For Now
There is something deeply admirable about Hart’s decision, but there is also something concerning about it.
He knows his body is taking punishment. He knows his finger may require major surgery eventually. He knows NBA careers don’t last forever.
Yet after finally winning a championship with the Knicks, he clearly isn’t ready to walk away.
For now, Hart will tape that finger, absorb the pain and keep doing what he has always done: whatever the Knicks need.
And perhaps that’s why New York fans love him so much.
Hart isn’t pretending basketball comes without a cost. He understands exactly what he’s sacrificing.
The fascinating part will be seeing how long he can keep making that sacrifice while still enjoying the game he clearly loves.
The Knicks are defending their championship, Brunson has entered a new level of stardom and Hart is preparing to battle through another season with a finger that doctors say cannot simply be fixed.
For a player who has always embodied toughness, this may be his toughest challenge yet.