Getty Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks reacts with Jalen Brunson #11 during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
New York Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson and do-it-all forward Josh Hart took offense at the Philadelphia 76ers fans bashing their school Villanova after the Wildcats’ social media posted their highlights.
Our guys @jalenbrunson1 and @Divincenzo with two HUGE 3s to seal the Win in Game 2😤
@jalenbrunson1 24 pts | 8 reb | 6 ast
@Divincenzo 19 pts | 4 reb
@joshhart 21 pts | 15 reb
“That’s stupid,” Hart told reporters. “We have Villanova in our blood. That’s a bond that goes deeper than where you’re from or who you’re rooting for. We have a bond there that goes beyond basketball and any of that stuff.
For Philly fans to be mad about that stuff is idiotic. That’s who we are, we’re a family. We play for the ones who come before us there. I don’t care about it. I think it’s idiotic that Philly fans are mad about that.”
Brunson, Hart and DiVincenzo won a national title together in 2016 at Villanova. Two years later, Brunson and DiVincenzo added another title before leaving for the NBA.
Those banners hang in the rafters of the Wells Fargo Center, home to both the Sixers and the Wildcats.
But some Sixers fans already drew the line on the sand.
They bashed the Wildcats X, formerly Twitter, account for highlighting their alumni from the team they are rooting against in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs.
One Sixers fan replied: “You’re a Philly school rooting for the opposing team. Do better.”
Another said: “Delete this tweet!”
More Sixers fans chimed questioning Villanova: “How is this a Philly school?” and another replying with a hashtag #NotAPhillySchool.
“I don’t know what to say to that,” Brunson told reporters when asked about the bashing. “In their eyes, we’re not a Philly school. But when we win, apparently we’re a Philly school.”
Josh Hart Shrugs Joel Embiid’s ‘We Should Be up 2-0’ Comment
A frustrated Embiid guaranteed the Sixers would still win the series despite losing the first two games.
“We should be (up) 2-0, so we’re good,” Embiid told reporters after their heartbreaking Game 2 loss. “We should be winning this series. We’re going to win this. We know what we’ve got to fix. We did a better job today, so we’re going to fix it. But we’re the better team and we’re going to keep fighting.”
Hart just shrugged off Embiid’s comment.
“I don’t care,” Hart told reporters. “We’re up 2-0. When the NBA starts basing the series on what we think, then I will care a little bit more. But right now we’re up 2-0 and we’re just focused on trying to get our third one.”
Jalen Brunson Aims to Snap Out of Shooting Funk
What makes the Knicks’ 2-0 start more astonishing is the fact that Brunson is having his worst shooting stretch of the season.
The Knicks starting point guard is shooting just 29.1% in the first two games.
“For the most part, I’ve been shooting the shots I’ve been shooting — the ones I’ve been making all year,” Brunson told reporters following Wednesday’s practice. “Obviously, I just gotta be better and make the shots. I gave [Sixers] a lot of credit. It is what it is at this point. I just gotta be better.”
His teammates led by Hart picked up the slack.
“Those guys have been phenomenal,” Brunson told reporters. “At some point, I’ll get up to their level. I have the best teammates I could ask for.”
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Knicks Stars Call Out Sixers Fans: ‘That’s Stupid’