The Hoosier faithful might Indiana bones to pick with New York Knicks star Josh Hart.
Comments from the metropolitan postseason standout have resurfaced in the wake of the upcoming postseason matchup between the Knicks and Indiana Pacers, namely those where Hart declared that he had no love for The Crossroads of America.
"I hate going to Indiana, bro," Hart said in a February episode of his "Roommates Show" podcast. "Indiana? Bottom of the barrel."
Even the All-Star Game debut of Jalen Brunson, Hart's close friend, teammate, and co-host, in Indianapolis wasn't enough to get him to break his boycott of The Hoosier State, as the Knicks' annual series with the Pacers had already wrapped up ... or so he thought.
New York and Indiana are set to meet in the postseason for the eighth occasion and for the first time since 2013. When the series shifts to Gainbridge Fieldhouse after the first couple at Madison Square Garden, Hart will no doubt endure a rude welcome from Pacer fans who have waited a decade to experience the euphoria of round two again. As the Knicks prepared for Monday's opener at MSG (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT), Hart claimed that he's ready for what they'll verbally throw at him.
"I love Indiana," Hart said in a humorous attempt at backtracking in video from Peter Botte of the New York Post. "But do I think I'm going to get booed? Probably. It's funny. But for me, it's always like, you know, I don't mind it. That's (the fans') job. Their job is to boo, to get loud, cheer for their team."
Hart does hold one saving grace for Indiana, as his sweet tooth holds a fondness for the donuts at Long's Bakery, a long-running establishment in downtown Indianapolis' Haughville neighborhood.
The goodwill doesn't extend to Pacers depth star T.J. McConnell, whom Hart humorously labeled "an annoying little s***." The "Roommates" episode in question saw Hart sarcastically declare that one couldn't just beat McConnell in a hypothetical fight but had to full-on "kill him."
"We have a lot of comparisons obviously," Hart said of the upcoming matchup with McConnell, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. "(I’m) a little taller, more handsome, better taste in wine, probably golf better."
McConnell was one of the stars of the Pacers' upset victory over No. 3 Milwaukee in the opening round, notably scoring 20 points off the bench in the Game 6 clincher on Thursday night. Hours after the Pacers secured advancement, Hart was the hero for the Knicks, hitting a late three-pointer that gave them a permanent lead in their own sixth game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
More must-reads: