"Nova Knicks" Reunite in March Madness Commercial

AT&T is giving New York Knicks and Villanova Wildcats fans One Shining Moment this tournament season.

The latest advertising offering from the telecommunications giant reunites the "Nova Knicks" and the spot starring Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart figures to be a mainstay during commercials breaks throughout the college basketball postseason.

In the ad, which should prove both humorous and emotional for Knicks and Wildcats supporters, a lone DiVincenzo encounters Bridges, Brunson, and Hart in a basketball arena's corridor. Denied a minute of NBA action together, the former Cats can only share awkward greetings as the Wiz Khalifa/Charlie Puth ballad "See You Again" plays in the background.

"At AT&T, we confidently guarantee our network," a voiceover says. "Staying close with your college besties? Not guaranteed." The scene cuts to the group celebrating DiVincenzo's birthday, where the current Minnesota Timberwolf wishes he and the Knicks trio "played together forever" as he blows out the candles on a cake.

Back in the present, DiVincenzo walks away but is stopped by Brunson, who throws him a Villanova visor. DiVincenzo happily dons it before a celebratory clip of the group's days as Wildcats is displayed.

Bridges, Brunson, DiVincenzo, and Hart will forever be known as March Madness legends, as each played a role in Villanova's run to the 2016 men's national title. Brunson, Brunson, and DiVincenzo were also part of the repeat run two seasons later.

The quartet was widely expected to reunite as Knicks this season, as Bridges was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets over the summer. Brunson, DiVincenzo, and Hart had previously guided the Knicks to a 50-win campaign that placed them second on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket.

Apr 2, 2018; San Antonio, TX, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Jalen Brunson (1) holds the national championship trophy after defeating the Michigan Wolverines 79-62 in the championship game of the 2018 men's Final Four at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

A Main Line revival, however, was not to be: DiVincenzo was traded weeks before this season tipped off, as the Knicks' single-season champion in successful three-pointers was one of the headlining pieces of the deal that acquired Karl-Anthony Towns from Minneapolis. While Towns has mostly performed as advertised in Manhattan, many Knicks fans have wondered what might've been had the team kept its full Wildcat litter.

This is the second straight spring to feature Brunson in a prominent marketing role: he previously repped AT&T in a 2024 spot that featured his wife Ali and fellow New York backcourt star Sabrina Ionescu.

The Knicks are engaged in their own brand of March Madness, as their next opportunity to close in on a playoff spot lands on Monday night against the Miami Heat (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN). Villanova missed out on the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament but is set to partake in the inaugural College Basketball Crown, a newly-formed, Las Vegas-based consolation partly founded by Fox Sports.

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