Knicks' Josh Hart Says He's Wondered If He's 'Ass' or 'If I Suck as a Basketball Player'

New York Knicks guard Josh Hart revealed that he questioned his abilities after operating in a smaller role near the beginning of the 2025-26 season.

"I definitely didn't see the bigger picture in those moments," Hart told reporters Tuesday. "There was moments I went home and I'm like, 'Damn, man, am I ass? Do I suck as a basketball player?' There was a lot of those moments. Whenever your minutes go down or you get benched, you have that thought process. But for me it was, 'Okay, how can I build off of it? How can I improve as a player to not put myself in that situation?' Now I'm cool with it sometimes."

After leading the league by averaging 37.6 minutes per game during his 2024-25 campaign, Hart came off the bench to begin this season under new head coach Mike Brown.

After appearing in 14 games as a reserve, the 31-year-old eventually entered New York's starting lineup after forward OG Anunoby, center Mitchell Robinson and sharpshooter Landry Shamet missed time due to health issues.

Hart remained a starter on the Knicks for the remainder of the regular season and thrived in the role.

He's continued to excel during New York's current playoff run, averaging 11.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the field in 14 postseason appearances.

Hart and the Knicks are now preparing to face the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals, with Game 1 on Wednesday.