Steve Kerr: Knicks' Josh Hart 'Plays Winner' For Team USA

New York Knicks small forward Josh Hart shined vs. Greece as Team USA moved closer toward advancement in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

New York Knicks small forward Josh Hart put forth a standout effort at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Team USA's dominant win against Greece on Monday, earning a game-high 11 rebounds (five offensive), six points, and five assists in a 109-81 triumph. Team USA and Knicks teammate Jalen Brunson was tied for second in scoring with 13 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting.

Brunson and Hart were also teammates at Villanova and have built a strong bond over the years. The former reflected on Hart's performance against Greece, stating he's had the "same mindset" in the "almost 10 years" of knowing him.

"He's a hardworking guy that has the ability to do things on the court that every other NBA player does, but he takes pride in the little things on a nightly basis," Brunson said during the postgame press conference (h/t New York Basketball on X). "He brings that toughness and effort and he's just a different man. He goes out there and is relentless. He's been doing that since the day I met him."

Team USA coach Steve Kerr is relatively new to Hart's mindset, and effort, but admitted his admiration for it after the game.

“Josh is just a winner," Kerr said. "People ask ‘what position does he play?’ He plays winner. I don’t know what position he plays, but he gets loose balls and guards anybody. At one point (USA assistant coach Erik Spoelstra) turned to me and said ‘some people get 50-50 balls, but he gets the 30-70 balls."

"Josh really moves the ball well in transition as he's often the first guy to create the advantage. He just has a unique game and what he does translates to winning."

With the win, Brunson, Hart, and the Americans (2-0) are mostly assured of advancement in the World Cup's second round. They can outright clinch first place in Group C with a win over Jordan on Wednesday in Manila (4:40 a.m. ET, ESPN2). 

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You can follow Hunter De Siver on Twitter @HunterDeSiver.

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