Josh Hart

Lore & Background

Hart played college basketball for Villanova. As a sophomore, Hart was named the Big East tournament most outstanding player. He was named a third-team All-American as a junior, when he helped lead the Wildcats to a national championship in 2016. As a senior in 2017, he was a consensus first-team All-American. Selected in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft, Hart played his first two NBA seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019 as part of a package for Anthony Davis. Hart played three seasons with the Pelicans and was then traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2022 in a package for CJ McCollum. He was dealt to the New York Knicks at the 2023 trade deadline. Hart and the Knicks won the 2026 NBA Finals, securing New York's first championship in 53 years.

Reader's Guide

Hart was born on March 6, 1995, in Silver Spring, Maryland, to Moses and Pat Hart. He has two siblings. Hart attended Loiederman Middle School, in Silver Spring, Maryland. Growing up, Hart gravitated toward basketball, earning a reputation as a high-energy player.

While he excelled in basketball from a young age, Hart didn't get any interest from private schools, and enrolled at Wheaton High School. He briefly attended Wheaton before transferring to Sidwell Friends School, where as a junior he averaged 20.6 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. However, he was nearly kicked out of school due to poor grades until several students and parents petitioned the school to give him a second chance. As a senior, Hart averaged 24.3 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game in leading the team to a 22–9 record.

He was a first-team All-Met selection by The Washington Post and Rivals.com's 82nd-ranked prospect in the class of 2013. After considering Rutgers and Penn State, Hart signed a letter of intent with Villanova in November 2012. He got to know future Villanova teammate Kris Jenkins while playing AAU basketball in the Washington area. Hart reached the level of Eagle Scout in 2013 in the Boy Scouts of America.

In college, Hart was a 2013–14 Big East All-Rookie Team selection, averaging 7.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest as a freshman. As a sophomore, Hart was named the Big East's Sixth Man of the Year in 2015 and was the most outstanding player of the 2015 Big East tournament. As a junior, he was unanimously selected first-team All-Big East and named a third-team All-American, helping Villanova win its second national championship in school history.

As a senior, he was a consensus first-team All-American. On January 19, 2022, Hart's number 3 jersey was retired by the Wildcats. In the NBA, Hart was selected 30th overall in the 2017 draft by the Utah Jazz and traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. He played for the Lakers until 2019, then was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. He played three seasons with the Pelicans, then was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2022.

Did You Know?

• Hart scored a career-high 37 points along with 11 rebounds and four assists in a 74–66 win over Notre Dame on December 10, 2016.
• Hart was named the league MVP of the 2018 NBA Summer League after averaging 24.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.