Josh Hart's 'Perfect' New York Fit: Knicks Legend Carmelo Anthony Saw It Coming

Carmelo Anthony knew from the get-go that NY would heart Josh Hart.

The New York Knicks made their admiration apparent this offseason by securing Hart's services for the next five seasons: the veteran, who came over in a trade deadline deal with the Portland Trail Blazers last winter, will play this season on a $12.9 million player option before a four-year, $80 million extension kicks in.

Hart quickly endeared himself to Knicks fans by serving as an instant spark off the bench. New York posted a 17-8 record when Hart was in the lineup, which allowed them to lock up the fifth seed on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket and avoid the purgatory of the Play-In Tournament. The ensuing 11-game playoff trip served as Hart's first postseason experience since entering the Association as a Los Angeles Lakers first-round pick in 2017.

Anthony saw it coming during the NBA's bubbled effort to finish the 2019-20 season at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, or so Hart claims in an interview with Laura Schreffler of Haute Living. Then repping the New Orleans Pelicans, Hart was taking a wine break with Anthony, who made a comment that would perhaps unintentionally set the pace for his hardwood future.

“I don’t even know if he’ll remember this conversation, but Melo was like, ‘You’d be a perfect fit in New York' ... this was three years ago," Hart recalled of Anthony, who was part of the Trail Blazers at the time. "I was like, Yeah, that would be a bucket list play for me, and then, obviously, it all came full circle."

"Now I get to put on a Knicks jersey, go out there, and represent this city.”

If anyone knew who is built for New York basketball, the Brooklyn native Anthony would undoubtedly stand as one of the most astute judges of metropolitan character: after a storied single season at Syracuse, Anthony played seven eventful seasons with the Knicks (2011-17) and stands as one of the most celebrated scorers in recent franchise memory.

It's safe to say that Hart has represented the city, or at the very least Manhattan, well in the opening stages. In his 25 appearances, Hart averaged 10.2 points and 7.0 rebounds. The Villanova alum never missed an opportunity to reciprocate the love, saying that New York felt like "home" right from his Knicks tip-off. Hart reiterated those feelings in his conversation with Schreffler.

“New Yorkers are a lot like me,” Hart said. “They drop the polite. They tell you what is what; they’re frank, and I love that. I don’t beat around the bush, and (like having that reciprocated): I want you to tell me what’s what. So, New York for sure feels more like home, and hopefully, that can be home for a long, long time.”

Hart's first full year with the Knicks begins on Wednesday night with a home tilt against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).