New York Knicks' Josh Hart 'Tapped Out' Before Season Starts?

Josh Hart's busy summer, which included a new contract with the New York Knicks, has left him feeling gassed but determined.

New York Knicks guard Josh Hart is about to embark on his first full season with the team, but he's coming off of the busiest basketball summer of his life.

Hart, 28, qualified for the playoffs for the first time in his six-year career after being traded to the Knicks by the Portland Trail Blazers shortly before the trade deadline back in February. The Knicks' subsequent playoff run, aided by Hart's efforts, cut his offseason by about a month, and then he went back to the court a few weeks later for Team USA's FIBA World Cup preparation. Asia's World Cup ended in early September with USA placing fourth and Hart had just a few weeks of rest before reporting to Knicks training camp in Charleston.

Needless to say, Hart has been on the grind this offseason and is feeling the aftershocks as the Knicks' 2023-24 regular season opener looms. 

New York Knicks guard Josh Hart defending Brooklyn Nets guard Seth Curry / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

"I don't know how (Le)Bron (James) did it for ... I don't know how many years in a row with Finals, Olympics and all that," Hart said, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. "I did one summer and I'm tapped out."

The NBA season is a marathon. as the Knicks have 82 games over the next six months before a hopeful playoff run. They will need Hart back at the top of his game, especially if they want to make it back to the postseason. Hart's role in the Knicks' fifth-place finish was undeniable: the team went 17-8 after he came over from Portland, far away from the four-team Play-In Tournament. 

Last year, Hart played 76 games, a career-high, and averaged 9.8 points per game. The Knicks hope to see those numbers go up, but they will have to keep his conditioning right given the fact that he's coming into the season with a lot of mileage already racked up.

For his part, Hart sounds determined to get back to work with the Knicks, who have him locked up for the next five years thanks to a player option that made the trip from Portland and a subsequent four-year deal. 

"It’s a little different, and now it’s not about maintenance," Hart said. "Now is the time to go.”

Hart and the Knicks begin the season on Wednesday against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).