Knicks Star Shows Off Epic Hairstyle Before Game

New York Knicks star Josh Hart put forth a unique hairstyle for the visit from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jan 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

If the New York Knicks were going down, they were at least going to look good doing it.

Friday's Madison Square Garden tilt between the Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder was one of the more anticipated events on the recent NBA calendar, and Josh Hart dressed for the occasion: the Knicks star debuted a new hairstyle for the Thunder's visit, getting it braided to resemble the "I Love New York" slogan popular in tourism and advertising campaigns. The slogan, introduced in 1977, has proved quite enduring and remains a cultural mainstay to this day.

TUFFFFFFFF pic.twitter.com/JsL4YIb4g5

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 11, 2025

This isn't the first time that Hart has used his head to make a fashion statement: during the 2023 playoffs, he had his locks resemble the New York Yankees' famed interlocking "NY" logo, commemorating the first Knick postseason run in front of a fully packed MSG in a decade. Hart is a devout Yankee fan and is a great nephew of late franchise star Elston Howard.

While the Knicks dropped an ugly 126-101 decision to the Thunder on Friday, it's safe to say that New York has come to love Hart as much as he apparently loves it: Hart's arrival from Portland at the 2023 trade deadline has flipped the Knicks' fortunes in a positive manner and he taken things to a new level this year with career-best averages of 14.5 points and 9.2 rebounds.

That's what made Friday's no-show even more stressful for Hart, as the Knicks (25-14) missed out on a major opportunity to make a statement against one of the NBA's finest.

"We have to go out there with energy," Hart, he of a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double, said in video from SNY. "We have to go out there with no egos. We have to go out there with no individual agendas. We have to go out there and sacrifice."

Hart and the Knicks return to action on Sunday afternoon when they welcome in the Milwaukee Bucks (3 p.m. ET, MSG).

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