Knicks’ Josh Hart Ruthlessly Trolls Jalen Brunson Over Snub From All-Star Starting Lineup

Josh Hart had jokes after his longtime teammate missed out on a starting spot at the All-Star Game.

The 2024 NBA All-Star starters were announced on Thursday evening, and among the notable absentees was New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.

When a tally of the votes was later released, it was revealed that Brunson finished in third place among Eastern Conference guards, losing out on a starting spot to the likes of Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton and Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard.

After the Knicks’ statement win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, reporters asked Josh Hart, a longtime friend and college teammate of Brunson, if he’d heard about his teammate’s exclusion from the starting lineups, to which he had a hilarious three-word response.

“Yeah, f---in’ loser,” said Hart of Brunson, via Fred Katz of The Athletic. 

Brunson is enjoying a career year in New York, averaging 26.5 points—12th most in the NBA—along with 6.4 assists and shooting at an impressive 42.4% clip from three-point range.

He knocked down 7-of-10 shots for 21 points during the Knicks’ 122—84 rout of the reigning champion Denver Nuggets on Thursday, helping to improve New York’s home record to a pristine 15–5, and 28–17 overall.

Hart clearly believes his teammate is one of the top two guards in the Eastern Conference, but he still took the opportunity to troll Brunson after the votes were tallied.

Earlier Thursday, Hart made perfectly clear how he feels about Brunson’s candidacy as an Eastern Conference All-Star starter.

If he’s not….WE RIOT!

— Josh Hart (@joshhart) January 25, 2024

Brunson didn’t have much to say about his absence from the list, but did take the time to give credit to Lillard for his selection.

“Congrats to Damian Lillard. That’s it... Dame is deserving,” he said, via Katz.

Brunson should be optimistic about making the All-Star team, which would be the first selection of his career, even if he didn’t make the cut as a starter despite his contributions during the first half of the year.