Knicks All-Star Shares Hilarious Response to Josh Hart Snub
![Dec 30, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts with guard Josh Hart (3) after a field goal during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images Dec 30, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts with guard Josh Hart (3) after a field goal during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_6303,h_3545,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_knicks/01jjq6rk8eptjsz0paf6.jpg)
New York Knicks All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns is adding campaign manager to his already packed resume.
Fresh off yet another double-double and an audience with Lisan al Gaib himself, Towns continued to advocate for teammate Josh Hart's unwanted All-Star case after the Knicks' latest victory, a 143-106 shellacking of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Towns is well-aware that Hart holds no interest in making his way to San Francisco for the exhibition on Feb. 16, but will apparently stop at nothing to "ruin his break."
Karl-Anthony Towns on Josh Hart's All-Star candidacy:
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 28, 2025
"I want to ruin his whole break. I want him to be right there with us playing basketball. What he say, he wants to put his toes in the sand? We ain't doing that" 😂
"I think Josh Hart is the heart and soul of this team" pic.twitter.com/AaGNTusIZM
"I want him to be right there with us playing basketball," Towns said in video from SNY, hoping Hart will join him and fellow newly-minted starter Jalen Brunson in the Bay Area. "What did he say, he wants to put his toes in the sand? We ain't doing that."
Hart has frequently labeled himself as unworthy of All-Star consideration, but his endearing personality both on and off the floor have generated a bit of a buzz. Of note, he placed No. 11 in the backcourt vote won by Brunson and Donovan Mitchell, besting notable names like Tyrese Haliburton, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday.
Such a posting was earned through not only a humorous off-court demeanor, but his literal on-floor exploits: Hart has garnered a sterling reputation for diving for loose balls and grabbing difficult rebounds ever since he came over from Portland at the 2023 trade deadline.
He has posted six triple-doubles so far this season and has helped move the Knicks to a game behind Boston for the second seed in the current Eastern Conference playoff bracket. Ever-so-slightly hobbled by knee soreness that rendered him questionable on the game's injury report, Hart pulled in 11 rebounds in the Knicks' mauling of Memphis.
All that and more led had Towns bestowing a vital label on his teammate.
"I think Josh Hart is the heart and soul of this team," Towns firmly declared. "In this locker room, we know what he brings to our team. There are so many things that Josh Hart does that I'm super happy the stat sheet is showing the work he puts in and there's so much more work that he does that doesn't show up on a stat sheet that's so important for us.
"One thing he could definitely know during that break is he deserves to be there and we all know in this locker room that he does."
All-Star reserves, chosen by conference coaches, will be announced on Thursday. In the meantime, Hart has one last chance to make his reluctant case when New York faces the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).